Southwest Chief Route Atlas

Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California
Amtrak Train Numbers 3 (westbound) and 4 (eastbound)

map of Southwest Chief Route from Chicago to Los Angeles

Numbers 1-33 on the map represent the Southwest Chief's currently scheduled stops. Using the following links you can either choose to tour the entire route between Chicago and Los Angeles, or hop on the train at any station along the way and proceed in either direction from there. Click here to start at the beginning or click on one of the stations listed below to begin at the station of your choice.   

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

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 "Southwest Chief" Route Guide.  

"The Southwest Chief is among the finest of Amtrak's longdistance services. Our historic route was first traversed by the earliest Indians who first discovered its twists, turns and passes. Later, Spanish conquistadors and fur trappers became familiar with the route. By the time it was called the Santa Fe Trail, caravans of pack mules, wagon teams, prairie schooners and stagecoaches were lumbering over it daily, carting people and goods between the Missouri River and the Rockies. The California Gold Rush brought thousands more westward, and the Santa Fe Trail extended all the way to the Pacific Coast. This guide is written from west to east, and the journey is filled with marvelous sights.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ultimately became the iron link between the Midwest and Los Angeles. Great Santa Fe Streamlined Trains such as the Super Chief and El Capitan traveled the same basic route we travel today. Amtrak assumed operation of passenger rail service in 1971 from what are now the freight railroads and continued operation of passenger service over the Santa Fe route. In 1995, the Santa Fe merged to become The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF). The BNSF owns the tracks that we travel upon on our 2,265-mile journey."

The rail travel distance between Chicago and Los Angeles via the Southwest Chief is 2265 miles. The rail travel time is about 43 hours.