Amtrak
“Empire Builder” (Portland)
Chicago → Portland
- 3,616 km along the track
- 40 stops
- 12 commentary points
The northernmost of America's long-distance trains, along the Mississippi, across the northern plains and Montana's Hi-Line, over Marias Pass beside Glacier National Park, then down the Columbia River Gorge to Portland.
Stop Overnight stop Commentary point
Legs
| From | To | Distance | On the train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | St. Paul-Minneapolis | 660 km | about 8 h |
| St. Paul-Minneapolis | Minot | 850 km | about 9 h 50 min |
| Minot | Havre | 688 km | about 8 h |
| Havre | Whitefish | 408 km | about 5 h |
| Whitefish | Spokane | 405 km | about 6 h 25 min |
| Spokane | Portland | 604 km | about 7 h 25 min |
Approximate scheduled times. Check the timetable with the operator before you travel.
Things to know
- A long ride - the trip takes about two days and two nights, so most long-distance passengers book a roomette or bedroom; sleeping-car fares include meals in the dining car.
- One train, two ends - the train divides at Spokane in the middle of the night (and joins up again going east). Make sure you are in a car for your destination; the crew will tell you which.
- Time zones - clocks go back an hour at the North Dakota–Montana line and again between Montana and Idaho going west (forward going east). Timetables give local times.
- Glacier National Park - East Glacier Park is served only in summer; in winter the train stops at Browning instead. Essex is a flag stop: ask the conductor in advance.
- Daylight and dark - which scenery you see by day depends on direction. Westbound, Glacier Park and Montana come in the afternoon and evening of the second day; eastbound, the Cascades and the Columbia pass in the evening and Glacier in the morning.
- Freight first - the line belongs to BNSF and other freight railways, and the train is often late, especially in winter. Allow time before onward connections.
- Patchy signal - mobile coverage is thin across eastern Montana, in Glacier Park and in the Cascades.
Ride it with Rail Passages
All 12 commentary points on this route, triggered by GPS and readable offline.
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GPS may not be available everywhere. Tunnels, deep canyons and some rail cars can block the signal. The app estimates where the train is for a few minutes from its last speed, but cards may come late until the signal returns.