California to Chicago on Amtrak

Amtrak’s California Zephyr runs daily between Emeryville, across the bay from San Francisco, and Chicago. We’re taking it eastbound. It is about 2,438 miles and a little over 52 hours, with two nights aboard.

Top stops

• Emeryville, CA — the start. An Amtrak Thruway bus connects from San Francisco.
• Sacramento, CA — across the Central Valley before the climb.
• Reno, NV — the train climbs over Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada, then crosses the Nevada desert.
• Winnemucca, NV — a small town on the Humboldt River.
• Elko, NV — the biggest town on the Nevada stretch.
• Salt Lake City, UT — across the Great Salt Lake desert, overnight.
• Grand Junction, CO — through Ruby Canyon and into Colorado.
• Glenwood Springs, CO — the train follows the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon.
• Moffat Tunnel, CO — the climb to around 9,200 ft and a 6-mile tunnel under the Continental Divide.
• Denver, CO — the halfway point, in the evening of day 2.
• Lincoln, NE — the state capital, with the Capitol tower on the prairie.
• Omaha, NE — the Missouri River crossing, overnight.
• Chicago, IL — the finish, at Union Station.

Timetable

Eastbound, train 6, local times. Times are approximate, from secondary sources, so check Amtrak’s current timetable before booking.

Family bedroom pricing

The family bedroom is the Superliner’s private room for four: two adults and two children, on the lower level of the sleeping car. There is only one per sleeper car, so they sell out.

Amtrak sells sleeping rooms as a package with the rail fare for everyone in the room, and the price climbs as the train fills. For the full Emeryville to Chicago trip, the family bedroom is showing at:

That is in line with a 2026 route guide estimate of about $2,200–$2,500 one way. Older reported fares ranged from about $1,200 at the lowest fare bucket to about $2,100 at the highest.

Fares depend on the date and how early you book, so check amtrak.com for the actual price.

Southwest Chief

Another way to cross the country is the Southwest Chief, from Los Angeles to Chicago. It runs daily, about 2,265 miles and a little under 44 hours, with two nights aboard.

Top stops

• Los Angeles, CA — the start, from Union Station.
• Barstow, CA — a Route 66 town in the Mojave Desert, with a Harvey House depot.
• Flagstaff, AZ — the usual base for the Grand Canyon, though eastbound the train comes through in the middle of the night.
• Albuquerque, NM — the halfway point, with a longer stop and Native art vendors on the platform.
• Lamy, NM — the stop for Santa Fe, which is a short shuttle away.
• Raton, NM — the climb over Raton Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, at the Colorado line.
• Dodge City, KS — the Wild West history stop on the plains.
• Kansas City, MO — jazz and barbecue.
• Chicago, IL — the finish, at Union Station.

Timetable

Eastbound, train 4, local times. Times are approximate, from secondary sources, so check Amtrak’s current timetable before booking.

Family bedroom pricing

Family sleepers on the full Los Angeles to Chicago trip are showing at:

As with the California Zephyr, check amtrak.com for the actual price on your dates.