01 · Departure
The journey begins at Chicago
The published primary itinerary runs from Chicago to New Orleans.
United States · Sleeper · Scenic
City of New Orleans: Chicago to New Orleans
Amtrak's City of New Orleans runs nightly for about 900 miles between Chicago Union Station and the Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, taking a little over nineteen hours through Champaign, Carbondale, Memphis and Jackson. It carries coaches and sleeping cars, and it keeps the name of the Illinois Central streamliner that Steve Goodman wrote the song about.
Chicago → New Orleans
Overnight service
Photo: Gary Todd · CC0 1.0
- Time needed
- 19h 30m
- Best for
- Rail enthusiasts · Slow travellers
- Landscape / arrival
- Arrival context not yet verified
Why take it
Let the distance pass while the night does.
This is the train that goes down the spine of the American middle: out of Chicago in the evening, through the Illinois prairie in the dark, a dawn arrival at Memphis on the bluff above the Mississippi, and then a long southern morning across Mississippi into Louisiana, finishing over the swamps and Lake Pontchartrain into New Orleans. Going north it runs the other way round, so you choose which half you see in daylight. Few American journeys change the landscape, the accents and the food as completely from one end to the other.
Chicago → Night → New Orleans
One departure. A night in motion. One arrival.
02 · Through the night
Chicago to New Orleans, overnight
This is the train that goes down the spine of the American middle: out of Chicago in the evening, through the Illinois prairie in the dark, a dawn arrival at Memphis on the bluff above the Mississippi, and then a long southern morning across Mississippi into Louisiana, finishing over the swamps and Lake Pontchartrain into New Orleans. Going north it runs the other way round, so you choose which half you see in daylight. Few American journeys change the landscape, the accents and the food as completely from one end to the other.
Arrival
The route reaches New Orleans.
Arrival · New Orleans
19h 30m · United States
Evidence on demand
Practical reality
Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.
Time & itinerary
19h 30m · One night
The published route runs from Chicago to New Orleans.
Confirm the selected departure and any engineering changes with the operator before travel.
View route map and verified stops
Chicago → New Orleans
City of New Orleans: Chicago–New Orleans
The published route runs from Chicago to New Orleans via Homewood, Champaign-Urbana, Carbondale, Memphis Central Station, Jackson, Hammond.
Key stops
Chicago Union StationHomewoodCarbondaleMemphis Central StationHammondNew Orleans Union Passenger Terminal
Chicago Union Station
United States
Homewood
United States
Champaign-Urbana
United States
Carbondale
United States
Memphis Central Station
United States
Jackson
United States
Hammond
United States
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal
United States
When to go
Year-round · Runs
Verify the selected travel night and engineering changes.
Where to sit
Seat-side guidance not yet verified
We have not confirmed a better side for this journey. We would rather say nothing than send you to the wrong window.
Good for
Good fit for
Rail enthusiasts
Especially good
The train and the line itself are a large part of the reason to travel.
Slow travellers
Especially good
A long journey where the time on board is the point.
Couples
Good fit
An overnight or set-piece journey that suits travelling as a pair.
Think twice if
You sleep on board
An overnight service, not a daytime sightseeing run.
You cannot just turn up
A reservation is required for this journey.
How it scores
Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.
SceneryModerate
ComfortModerate
Food & drinkModerate
Character of the trainStrong
Show the full editorial profile
More subjective
UniquenessStrong
Iconic statusStrong
PhotographyModerate
RomanceStrong
Travelling with childrenModerate
Not rated yet: value for money, seat quality, onboard service, slow travel quality, remoteness.
Step-free access and assistance are set out with the practical detail further down rather than reduced to a score.
Reservation & booking
- Reservation
- Required
- Price
- Dynamic pricing
- Booking difficulty
- Easy
Prices quoted Amtrak prices coach and room accommodation dynamically, so the fare depends on the date and how full the train is.
Not yet verified: rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.
- Reservations are required on Amtrak long-distance trains; sleeper rooms sell out long before coach seats.
This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here. Journey length: 19h 30m. Checked 12 Sep 2026 · Amtrak · City of New Orleans.
Sources & freshness
The compact source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.
Your next step
Plan the night, then confirm it with the operator.
Reservations are required on Amtrak long-distance trains; sleeper rooms sell out long before coach seats.
Check availability with Amtrak (opens in a new tab)This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here.
Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.
Continue the story
Two ways onward
From the same station
California Zephyr
Amtrak's long-distance train between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, crossing the Rockies, Utah and Nevada before reaching California.
Leaves from the same station at Chicago; a separate service, not a continuation.
Read the journey →Another journey
Cardinal
Leaves from the same station at Chicago; a separate service, not a continuation.
Sources & freshness
Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.
Last reviewed 12 Sep 2026.
Official sources
- Amtrak · City of New Orleansamtrak.com
Checked 12 Sep 2026