Far by Rail
The Amtrak Empire Builder at East Glacier Park, Montana.

United States · Scenic

Empire Builder

Empire Builder runs daily from Chicago through the Upper Midwest and Montana to Spokane, where sections divide for Seattle and Portland, with Glacier National Park and the Columbia River among its scenic anchors.

Chicago Union Station → Seattle King Street Station

Photo: Loco Steve · CC BY-SA 2.0

Time needed
46h
Best for
Rail enthusiasts · Slow travellers
Route
Chicago Union Station → Seattle King Street Station

Why this route

A landscape that arrives in route order.

Choose it for a true transcontinental-scale rail experience: two nights onboard, a lounge car and the branching Pacific Northwest destinations make the train feel like a moving route network.

How it scores

Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.

SceneryExceptional
ComfortStrong
Value for moneyStrong
Food & drinkStrong
Character of the trainExceptional
Show the full editorial profile

More subjective

UniquenessExceptional
Iconic statusExceptional
PhotographyExceptional
RomanceStrong
Travelling with childrenStrong

Not rated yet: 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.

The route

Chicago Union Station to Seattle King Street Station

The map and published stops show the verified geography this journey travels through.

The Empire Builder runs west from Chicago through the Upper Midwest and northern plains to Spokane, where the train divides for Seattle and Portland. This canonical map follows the Seattle section, tracing the journey through St. Paul, North Dakota and eastern Washington before crossing the Cascades toward Puget Sound.

Chicago Union Station to Seattle King Street Station

Key stops

Chicago Union StationSaint Paul Union DepotMinotSpokane Intermodal CenterSeattle King Street Station

Chicago Union StationSeattle King Street StationSaint Paul Union DepotMinotSpokane Intermodal Center
United States · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Chicago Union Station

    United States

  2. Saint Paul Union Depot

    United States

  3. Minot

    United States

  4. Spokane Intermodal Center

    United States

  5. Seattle King Street Station

    United States

Westbound Amtrak Empire Builder travelling through Wisconsin.
Westbound Amtrak Empire Builder travelling through Wisconsin. · Photo: NateBeal / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Along the line

Geographic milestones

Published highlights in the order the route reaches them.

  1. Glacier National Park corridor

    The route passes the southern edge of Glacier National Park in Montana.

  2. Columbia River Gorge branch

    The Portland section follows the Columbia west of Spokane.

Empire Builder: 3 hour late Amtrak 7 Empire Builder with ALC 42 325
Empire Builder: 3 hour late Amtrak 7 Empire Builder with ALC 42 325 · Photo: ReddingSClara3308 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Evidence on demand

Practical reality

Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.

Time & itinerary

46h

The Empire Builder runs west from Chicago through the Upper Midwest and northern plains to Spokane, where the train divides for Seattle and Portland. This canonical map follows the Seattle section, tracing the journey through St. Paul, North Dakota and eastern Washington before crossing the Cascades toward Puget Sound.

View route map and verified stops

Chicago → Seattle

The Empire Builder runs west from Chicago through the Upper Midwest and northern plains to Spokane, where the train divides for Seattle and Portland. This canonical map follows the Seattle section, tracing the journey through St. Paul, North Dakota and eastern Washington before crossing the Cascades toward Puget Sound.

Chicago Union Station to Seattle King Street Station

Key stops

Chicago Union StationSaint Paul Union DepotMinotSpokane Intermodal CenterSeattle King Street Station

Chicago Union StationSeattle King Street StationSaint Paul Union DepotMinotSpokane Intermodal Center
United States · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Chicago Union Station

    United States

  2. Saint Paul Union Depot

    United States

  3. Minot

    United States

  4. Spokane Intermodal Center

    United States

  5. Seattle King Street Station

    United States

On board

The route does most of the work here, it is a journey taken for what passes the window rather than for the destination. Spread over more than a day between Chicago Union Station and Seattle King Street Station, the landscape has time to change completely, so the run reads as a cross-section of the region rather than a single sightseeing moment. Calls at Saint Paul Union Depot and Minot break the run into recognisable stages rather than one undifferentiated stretch.

Views & seating

Observation car

Sightseer Lounge is available on the western long-distance consist, including Chicago-Portland section.

✓ Yes

Food & drink

Dining car

Traditional Dining is offered.

✓ Yes

Also onboard

Sleeper cabin

Superliner sleeping rooms are offered.

✓ Yes

3 onboard details are confirmed against a source. Anything not listed here has not been researched yet; treat it as unknown, not absent.

When to go
  1. JanRuns
  2. FebRuns
  3. MarRuns
  4. AprRuns
  5. MayRuns
  6. JunRuns
  7. JulRuns
  8. AugRuns
  9. SepRuns
  10. OctRuns
  11. NovRuns
  12. DecRuns
  • Runs
Year-round
Runs

Jan: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.

These months show when the train runs, which is a service fact. How good each month is for the experience has not been rated yet, so no month is presented as better than another.

Month-by-month notes
  • Jan: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Feb: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Mar: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Apr: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • May: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Jun: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Jul: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Aug: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Sep: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Oct: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Nov: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
  • Dec: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify route advisories.
Good for

Good fit for

  • Rail enthusiasts

    Especially good

    Spokane train split and two Pacific branches add operational interest.

  • Slow travellers

    Especially good

    Two-night crossing is an archetypal long-distance railway journey.

  • Photographers

    Especially good

    Glacier National Park and Columbia River sections deliver major scenery.

Think twice if

  • It is a multi-day commitment

    46h on board.

  • You cannot just turn up

    A reservation is required for this journey.

Reservation & booking
Reservation
Required
Price
Dynamic pricing

Prices quoted Amtrak uses dynamic pricing by date, destination branch and accommodation; verify live booking.

Booking difficulty
Easy

Not yet verified: rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.

  • Reserve coach or Superliner accommodation through Amtrak; choose Seattle or Portland section when booking.
Official journey information, Amtrak (opens the operator site in a new tab)Compare similar journeys

We link to the operator's own journey page. No direct booking channel has been verified for this service, so availability and fares must be checked there. Journey length: 46h. Source: Amtrak; no check date recorded.

Sources & freshness

The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.

Your next step

Plan the route, then confirm it with the operator.

Reserve coach or Superliner accommodation through Amtrak; choose Seattle or Portland section when booking.

Official journey information, Amtrak (opens in a new tab)

We link to the operator's own journey page. No direct booking channel has been verified for this service, so availability and fares must be checked there.

Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.

Continue exploring

Journeys in the same spirit

Sources & freshness

Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.

Last reviewed date not recorded.

Official sources

  • Amtrakamtrak.com

    Date not recorded