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Cheap train tickets from Washington DC to Chicago

switcheroo
  1. Fri Nov 15
    £103.61
  2. Sat Nov 16
    £81.80
  3. Sun Nov 17
    £81.80
  4. Mon Nov 18
    £81.80
  5. Tue Nov 19
    £81.80
  6. Wed Nov 20
    £81.80
  7. Thu Nov 21
    £125.42
  8. Fri Nov 22
    £81.80
  9. Sat Nov 23
    £81.80
  10. Sun Nov 24
    £81.80
  11. Mon Nov 25
    £81.80
  12. Tue Nov 26
    £103.61
  13. Wed Nov 27
    £81.80
  14. Thu Nov 28
    £81.80

Schedule & Pricing Info

How much are train tickets from Washington DC to Chicago?

Lowest Price£63.88
Fastest17h 40m
Daily Schedules2
train companies3
Lowest prices
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train Trip Reviews from Wanderu Customers

Overall score for Washington DC to Chicago
4.3
Based on 7 reviews

Based on 7 reviews
Ratings (Out of 5)
Comfort
3.0
Staff
2.5
Value
2.5
Condition
3.5
Ulfat Zarine
4.0
21 August 2019Visiting family
Pros
I had a great trip from DC to Chicago on The Capitol Amtrak . The staff at DC union was very helpful, one has to ask around a lot. Esp for a new traveller, every station is a new place esp Chicago union is very confusing. Getting off from intercity Amtrak and while tryi...More
Cons
The train was delayed at Toledo, Ohio for more than 1 1/2 hours as the train engineer who was supposed to embark and take us onwards was nowhere, for whatever reason. Hence I missed my connection at Chicago union and had to wait an extra 2 hours for the next Metra trai...More
Tips
If you want to see the sights, don’t take the night train... I changed to a fast train, which was very clean, fast and had a fantastic viewing coach etc, but I missed out on the the scenery, The Capitol Amtrak from Washington DC to Chicago is a night train!!! I’m from ...More
Deborah
1.0
8 June 2019Visiting family
Cons
My husband and I were one of the 1st people on the train going from dc to chicago. They made us sit apart in seats 10 and 11. I told them I needed to sit with him because of a physical condition that I have and they refused to let us sit together. There were singles si...More
Tips
Don't listen to anyone and sit where you want to. There is no wifi on this line. Bathrooms are filthy.

How do you find cheap train tickets from Washington DC to Chicago?

The most surefire way to find the lowest-priced train tickets from Washington D.C. to Chicago is to plan ahead and book your train travel earlier. In the past 30 days, the cheapest average price users have found for trains from Washington D.C. to Chicago was £101.03. If your travel date is still a number of days out, by booking your trip 22 days before you plan to travel, you could save an average of £55.78 compared to a typical last-minute fare. Trying to save on a last-minute fare and have a bit of flexibility on what day to travel? Take a look at midweek schedules, as these tend to be less busy and are often cheaper than buying tickets to travel on Friday, or a weekend departure.

How long is the train ride from Washington DC to Chicago?

The distance between Washington DC and Chicago is approximately 593.86 miles, or 955.49 kilometers. The average travel time for a train between these two cities is around 21 hours and 16 minutes, although the absolute fastest you could get there is 17 hours and 40 minutes.

Looking for ways to pass the time? Most trains are equipped with Wi-Fi, which means you can stream music, browse social media or get some work done during your ride. That said, in case your train has a spotty signal, or is among the few without Wi-Fi, we also recommend downloading TV shows and movies to your mobile device in advance of your trip. That way the ride will fly by whatever the Wi-Fi situation.

What is the busiest day for trains from Washington DC to Chicago?

On Thursday trains from Washington D.C. to Chicago are the busiest. If you are looking for a great deal on your train tickets or to have extra room to stretch out, you might consider traveling on Sunday instead, as that tends to be the least traveled day of the week.

Amtrak Capitol Limited has the greatest number of connections between Washington DC to Chicago

Typically there are 2 schedules to compare for your trip to Chicago. On the route to Chicago 3 train carriers currently offer tickets for sale. Amtrak Capitol Limited offers the most scheduled departures between Washington D.C. to Chicago, usually offering one departure per day. Typically one schedule per day serves Chicago with direct service. Direct service might still have stops along the way, but you will not need to switch trains.

Are you not set on traveling by train? Take a look at Coach tickets from Washington DC to Chicago, which start at £34.28.

Here are the 3 train companies that operate from Washington D.C. to Chicago

Amtrak

Amtrak train tickets from Washington DC to Chicago start from £110.62, and on average cost £177.40. Daily there are 1 Amtrak schedules to Chicago. Amtrak in Washington D.C. leaves from Union Station, And in Chicago trains arrive at Union Station - 225 S Canal St,

From Washington DC to Chicago train travel on Amtrak takes 23 hours and 56 minutes. If you are looking to get to Chicago faster, Amtrak offers more express schedule options with a travel time of 17 hours and 40 minutes.

If you are looking to travel to Chicago on a weekend there is typically one Amtrak scheduled trip per day, which will cost £209.09 for a one-way weekend reservation from Washington D.C..

Toilet
WiFi
Snacks
Loyalty rewards
Extra legroom
Power point
Air conditioning
Avg. Time
23h 56m
Avg. Price
£177.40

Amtrak Capitol Limited

Amtrak Capitol Limited train tickets from Washington DC to Chicago start from £63.88, and on average cost £79.16. Daily there are 1 Amtrak Capitol Limited schedules to Chicago. Amtrak Capitol Limited in Washington D.C. leaves from Union Station, And in Chicago trains arrive at Union Station - 225 S Canal St,

From Washington DC to Chicago train travel on Amtrak Capitol Limited takes 17 hours and 42 minutes. If you are looking to get to Chicago faster, Amtrak Capitol Limited offers more express schedule options with a travel time of 17 hours and 40 minutes.

If you are looking to travel to Chicago on a weekend there is typically one Amtrak Capitol Limited scheduled trip per day, which will cost £77.78 for a one-way weekend reservation from Washington D.C..

Toilet
Snacks
Loyalty rewards
Extra legroom
Power point
Air conditioning
Avg. Time
17h 42m
Avg. Price
£79.16

Amtrak Cardinal

Amtrak Cardinal train tickets from Washington DC to Chicago start from £63.88, and on average cost £79.27. Daily there are 1 Amtrak Cardinal schedules to Chicago. Amtrak Cardinal in Washington D.C. leaves from Union Station, And in Chicago trains arrive at Union Station - 225 S Canal St,

From Washington DC to Chicago train travel on Amtrak Cardinal takes 24 hours and 0 minutes. If you are looking to get to Chicago faster, Amtrak Cardinal offers more express schedule options with a travel time of 17 hours and 40 minutes.

If you are looking to travel to Chicago on a weekend there is typically one Amtrak Cardinal scheduled trip per day, which will cost £79.01 for a one-way weekend reservation from Washington D.C..

Toilet
WiFi
Snacks
Loyalty rewards
Extra legroom
Power point
Air conditioning
Avg. Time
1d 0h 0m
Avg. Price
£79.27

Plan your next adventure

There is one train station from which trains depart Washington D.C. on their way to Chicago. For this route, the busiest departing train stations in Washington D.C. are:
  • Union Station
There is one train station where trains arrive in Chicago from Washington D.C.. These are the busiest arriving stations in Chicago:
  • Union Station - 225 S Canal St