Southwest Chief — Schedules, Fares & Stops

The Southwest Chief connects Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA over a 2,265-mile route operated by Amtrak, calling at 33 stations across 7 states.

Quick Facts

Operator: Amtrak
Service type: Long-Distance
Endpoints: Chicago ↔ Los Angeles
Distance: 2,265 mi
Frequency: Daily
Stations: 33
States served: 7 (IL, US, MO, CO, NM, AZ, CA)
Typical fare range: $145 – $825

Route guide

The Southwest Chief is a long-distance service operated by Amtrak. Trains run Daily over 2,265 miles of mainline track between Chicago Union Station and Los Angeles Union Station, calling at 33 intermediate and terminal stations across 7 states. For background reading on the corridor, several archival route histories are available alongside the operator's own marketing pages.

What to watch for: High desert and red rock between Lamy and Flagstaff — the historic Santa Fe Railway route through Indian Country.

History & service notes

A direct lineal descendant of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe’s Super Chief (1936), known as “The Train of the Stars” for ferrying Hollywood between Los Angeles and Chicago. Riders interested in pre-Amtrak operating history of the line can consult classic timetable archives for fuller context.

Equipment

Typical consist on the Southwest Chief includes superliner sleepers, dining car, Sightseer Lounge, coaches. Equipment assignments may vary by departure and season; consult the operator for the most current information.

Stops along the route

Stations are listed in geographical order from Chicago to Los Angeles. Times and exact stop sequencing depend on the specific train number and direction; refer to the operator's timetable for departures.

Chicago Union Station — Chicago, IL CHI
Naperville — Naperville, IL NPV
Mendota — Mendota, IL MDT
Princeton, IL — Princeton, IL PCT
Galesburg — Galesburg, IL GBB
Fort Madison — Fort Madison, US FOR
La Plata — La Plata, US LAP
Kansas City Union Station — Kansas City, MO KCY
Lawrence — Lawrence, US LAW
Topeka — Topeka, US TOP
Newton — Newton, US NEW
Hutchinson — Hutchinson, US HUT
Dodge City — Dodge City, US DOD
Garden City — Garden City, US GAR
Lamar — Lamar, CO LMR
La Junta — La Junta, CO LAJ
Trinidad — Trinidad, CO TRI
Raton — Raton, NM RAT
Las Vegas, NM — Las Vegas, NM LSV
Lamy — Lamy, NM LMY
Albuquerque — Albuquerque, NM ABQ
Gallup — Gallup, NM GLP
Winslow — Winslow, AZ WLO
Flagstaff — Flagstaff, AZ FLG
Williams Junction — Williams, AZ WMJ
Kingman — Kingman, AZ KNG
Needles — Needles, US NEE
Barstow — Barstow, US BAR
Victorville — Victorville, US VIC
San Bernardino — San Bernardino, US SAN
Riverside — Riverside, US RIV
Fullerton — Fullerton, CA FUL
Los Angeles Union Station — Los Angeles, CA LAX

Sample fares & travel times

Approximate one-way fare ranges and travel times for popular city pairs on this route. Fares vary widely by demand, time of booking, and class of service — these figures are reference midpoints suitable for planning, not booking. Click any pair for a fuller trip guide.

From	To	Distance	Time	Fare
Chicago	Naperville	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Naperville	Mendota	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Mendota	Princeton	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Princeton	Galesburg	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Galesburg	Fort Madison	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Fort Madison	La Plata	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
La Plata	Kansas City	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Kansas City	Lawrence	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Lawrence	Topeka	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Topeka	Newton	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Newton	Hutchinson	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Hutchinson	Dodge City	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Dodge City	Garden City	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Garden City	Lamar	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Lamar	La Junta	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
La Junta	Trinidad	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Trinidad	Raton	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345
Raton	Las Vegas	71 mi	1h 35m	$61 – $345

Connections & transfers

Major hubs along the route offer cross-platform transfers to other intercity and commuter services. From Chicago, riders can change for connecting trains and intercity buses; the same is true at Los Angeles. The corridor passes through cities including Chicago, Naperville, and Los Angeles, each with its own onward service map. A useful reference for cross-network connections is the consolidated national rail connection guide, updated each timetable change.

Trip planning tip. The Southwest Chief's lowest fares typically appear when booked 14 days or more in advance, and on midweek departures. Same-day "walk-up" fares are usually closer to the upper end of the range shown. Saver and Value buckets sell out first.