Far by Rail
Westbound Amtrak Southwest Chief passing Wagon Mound, New Mexico.

United States · Scenic

Southwest Chief

Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles through Kansas, New Mexico and Arizona, crossing plains, mountain passes, canyons and high desert with Superliner sleepers and a Sightseer Lounge.

Chicago Union Station → Los Angeles Union Station

Photo: Jerry Huddleston / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Time needed
41h
Best for
Rail enthusiasts · Slow travellers
Route
Chicago Union Station → Los Angeles Union Station

Why this route

A landscape that arrives in route order.

It is the best Amtrak choice when Southwest geography is the purpose of the trip: some landscapes are visible only from the railway, not the interstate.

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 Los Angeles Union Station

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

The published route runs from Chicago Union Station to Los Angeles Union Station via Kansas City Union Station, Alvarado Transportation Center, Flagstaff Amtrak Station.

Key stops

Chicago Union StationKansas City Union StationAlvarado Transportation CenterFlagstaff Amtrak StationLos Angeles Union Station

Chicago Union StationLos Angeles Union StationKansas City Union StationAlvarado Transportation CenterFlagstaff Amtrak Station
United States · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Chicago Union Station

    United States

  2. Kansas City Union Station

    United States

  3. Alvarado Transportation Center

    United States

  4. Flagstaff Amtrak Station

    United States

  5. Los Angeles Union Station

    United States

The Amtrak Southwest Chief at Raton, New Mexico.
The Amtrak Southwest Chief at Raton, New Mexico. · Photo: Loco Steve · CC BY 2.0

Along the line

Geographic milestones

Published highlights in the order the route reaches them.

  1. New Mexico mountain and canyon country

    The route crosses high-elevation Southwest terrain and tight canyon passages.

  2. Arizona high desert

    Desert, mesas and broad horizons dominate the western portion of the trip.

Southwest Chief: Somewhere in New Mexico from rear window of Amtrak Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief: Somewhere in New Mexico from rear window of Amtrak Southwest Chief · Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 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

41h

View route map and verified stops

Chicago → Los Angeles

The published route runs from Chicago Union Station to Los Angeles Union Station via Kansas City Union Station, Alvarado Transportation Center, Flagstaff Amtrak Station.

Key stops

Chicago Union StationKansas City Union StationAlvarado Transportation CenterFlagstaff Amtrak StationLos Angeles Union Station

Chicago Union StationLos Angeles Union StationKansas City Union StationAlvarado Transportation CenterFlagstaff Amtrak Station
United States · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Chicago Union Station

    United States

  2. Kansas City Union Station

    United States

  3. Alvarado Transportation Center

    United States

  4. Flagstaff Amtrak Station

    United States

  5. Los Angeles Union Station

    United States

On board

This is a daytime scenic service rather than a sleeper, so the ride reads more like moving through a viewpoint than getting from A to B. Spread over more than a day between Chicago Union Station and Los Angeles Union 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. Passing Kansas City Union Station and Alvarado Transportation Center gives the journey its midpoint, and the character either side of it is noticeably different.

Views & seating

Observation car

Sightseer Lounge is offered.

✓ Yes

Food & drink

Dining car

Traditional Dining is offered.

✓ Yes

Also onboard

Sleeper cabin

Superliner sleeping accommodation is 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 date-specific timetable and 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 date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Feb: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Mar: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Apr: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • May: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Jun: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Jul: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Aug: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Sep: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Oct: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Nov: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
  • Dec: Daily year-round Amtrak service; verify date-specific timetable and advisories.
Good for

Good fit for

  • Rail enthusiasts

    Especially good

    Classic Superliner long-distance operation across a major historic route.

  • Slow travellers

    Especially good

    Two-night transcontinental journey is built around time onboard.

  • Photographers

    Especially good

    High desert, canyons and Southwest landscapes provide sustained scenic interest.

Think twice if

  • It is a multi-day commitment

    41h 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 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; sleepers are recommended well ahead.
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: 41h. 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; sleepers are recommended well ahead.

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