Lake Shore Limited Route Atlas

New York City to Chicago, Illinois
Amtrak Train Numbers 48 (eastbound) and 49 (westbound)

map of Lake Shore Limited Route from Washington DC to Chicago

Once on board..... click "next" next-arrow (toward Chicago) or "previous" previous-arrow (toward New York) to take the virtual rail journey at your leisure. 

The Lake Shore Limited begins its westbound journey in two cities, New York and Boston.  The two separate trains meet up in the afternoon in Rensselaer, New York (Albany) where they're coupled up for their trip on to Chicago.  Similarly, a little earlier in the afternoon, the eastbound Lake Shore Limited had split up in Albany for separate trips home to New York and Boston. 

***(Lake Shore Limited - Boston and Albany)***

Click on Overview Button at any time to go to the  "Route Overview Page" where you may again jump to any station along the route. 

Each "station stop" includes a photo of the station, a local street map, local transportation options, and links to many more items of local interest.  Between station stop pages there are detailed station to station maps and links to all of the counties that you pass through along the way.  

Enjoy the Ride!

Amtrak Route Description

The following has been extracted from Amtrak's "Lake Shore Limited" Route Guide.  

"The Lake Shore Limited travels much the same route today as it did when it was known as the Twentieth Century Limited. Starting in Chicago, the train travels across Northern Indiana and along Lake Michigan, the Mohawk River and the southern shore of Lake Erie. Heading eastward through Upstate New York, the train passes through Albany and along the Hudson River to New York City. And since the route follows the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, the Erie Canal and the Hudson River, it is known as 'the water-level route'..."

The rail travel distance between New York and Chicago via the Lake Shore Limited is about 960 miles. The rail travel time is about 19 hours.