Things to Know
- The Cardinal is the only Amtrak route that stops in Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
- Chicago is in Central Time Zone and the other cities on the route are in Eastern.
- The Cardinal does not run daily, only three days a week. Getting off the train to sightsee requires lodging for multiple nights in most cases.
![](https://cerchio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Amtrak-Vacations-Network-Map-1024x753.png)
Amtrak Cardinal Route
(sample timetable)
![](https://cerchio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cardinal-Route-Map.png)
Where does Amtrak’s Cardinal Go?
New York | Washington | Charlottesville | Cincinnati | Indianapolis | Chicago
Departures Three Days a Week (26 hours 30 minutes)
The Cardinal operates between New York and Chicago, offering unforgettable views of the Southeast’s stunning natural beauty. You’ll see gently rolling horse country, the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley, and the wild white-water rivers of West Virginia as they can only be seen by train. Heading westward, the train rolls along the banks of the mighty Ohio River — from the quaint towns of Ashland and Maysville, to the skyline of Cincinnati. From there, your journey continues to Indianapolis, and then northward to Chicago. (sample timetable)
Stations
- New York, NY – Penn Station (NYP)
- Newark, NJ – Penn Station (NWK)
- Trenton, NJ (TRE)
- Philadelphia, PA – 30th Street Station (PHL)
- Wilmington, DE (WIL)
- Baltimore, MD – Penn Station (BAL)
- Washington, DC – Union Station (WAS)
- Alexandria, VA (ALX)
- Manassas, VA (MSS)
- Culpeper, VA (CLP)
- Charlottesville, VA (CVS)
- Staunton, VA (STA)
- Clifton Forge, VA (CLF)
- White Sulphur Springs, WV (WSS)
- Alderson, WV (ALD)
- Hinton, WV (HIN)
- Prince, WV (PRC)
- Thurmond, WV (THN)
- Montgomery, WV (MNG)
- Charleston, WV (CHW)
- Huntington, WV (HUN)
- Ashland, KY (AKY)
- South Portsmouth, KY (SPM)
- Maysville, KY (MAY)
- Cincinnati, OH – Union Terminal (CIN)
- Connersville, IN (COI)
- Indianapolis, IN (IND)
- Crawfordsville, IN (CRF)
- Lafayette, IN (LAF)
- Rensselaer, IN (REN)
- Dyer, IN (DYE)
- Chicago, IL – Union Station (CHI)
![](https://cerchio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Amtrak-Cinti-to-Chicago-one-way-sample.jpeg)
![](https://cerchio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Amtrak-Grand-Caynon-from-Chicago.jpeg)
Grand Canyon Getaway
Roundtrip from Chicago
A wonderful vacation to the Grand Canyon awaits you on this roundtrip Grand Canyon Getaway! Visit Williams, Arizona an iconic town along historic Route 66 then board the Grand Canyon Railway for a scenic ride into the Grand Canyon. Enjoy majestic views of the canyon on a grand tour and experience all that makes the Grand Canyon so beautiful. Experience one of the Seven Wonders of the World on this 6-day trip.