Architecture
IL · Metro pop. 9.4M
Chicago
The transit city: L trains overhead, Amtrak beneath, architecture everywhere.
A postcard from the city
The L rumbling past the Loop, a deep-dish slice at Pequod's, the sand curving off North Avenue Beach, the wheel turning over Navy Pier, and a frozen winter morning under the river — Chicago shows itself in sections. Give it three days and it starts to hold together.
Rails Midwest · City Guide
Chicago is America's second city and its most transit-obsessed. The 'L' rumbles overhead with a mechanical poetry, Union Station presides over a downtown canyon of Art Deco and modernist towers, and the lakefront sprawls endlessly north and south. It's a city built for movement—from the Illinois Central that brought the Great Migration northward to today's rail-centric urbanism. Come for the architecture tours and deep-dish pizza, but stay because Chicago's walkable neighborhoods and world-class cultural institutions reward extended stays.
ArchitectureCultureFood & DrinkMusicOutdoorsNightlifeArtSports
Orient yourself
Chicago at a glance
The station, airport, and places worth walking to — tap a pin.
Some hotel, tour, and rail links on this site are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Our picks
Our Recommendations
Where to stay · near Chicago Union Station
Hotels
See hotels near Chicago Union Station
An interactive map of places to stay around your arrival station, with live rates. It loads from Stay22 and sets a cookie, so we ask before showing it.
What to do · book ahead, skip the line
Experiences
Architecture
Food & Drink
ViewsAffiliate notice — Tour links are affiliate links. Booking through them may earn us a small commission.
Getting here & around
Getting to & around Chicago
Flying in from abroad, connecting from elsewhere in the US, arriving by Amtrak — and then getting around once you’re here, without renting anything.
By Air
From the US:O'Hare (ORD) is a United and American hub with non-stop service from virtually every major US airport. Midway (MDW) for Southwest.
From Europe: daily non-stops to ORD from London, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam. Customs at Terminal 5 — build buffer before Amtrak connections.
ORD → downtown
CTA Blue Line runs from the ORD stations direct to downtown in about 45 minutes for $5. Union Station (Amtrak) is a short walk from the Clinton stop.
By Train — Amtrak
Union Station is the Amtrak hub of the Midwest. The Lake Shore Limited (Chicago–New York), Empire Builder (Chicago–Seattle), Southwest Chief (Chicago–Los Angeles), and multiple daily trains to St. Louis, Milwaukee, and beyond. Chicago is the nexus of the entire Amtrak network outside the Northeast Corridor.
Connecting on Amtrak: The Hiawatha runs hourly from Milwaukee, the Wolverine and Lake Shore Limited connect from Detroit and the East Coast, and the Borealis / Empire Builder feed in from St. Paul. All deliver you directly to Union Station — no transfer between stations.
Lincoln Service
To St. Louis
5h 20m · 4 daily departures
Wolverine
To Detroit
5h 30m · 3 daily departures
Hiawatha
To Milwaukee
1h 30m · 7 daily departures
Pere Marquette
To Grand Rapids
3h 45m · 1 daily departure each direction
Borealis
To Minneapolis–St. Paul
8h 10m · 1 daily departure
Public Transportation
The 'L' is the second-largest transit network in the country and the reason Chicago works without a car: eight colour-coded lines, 24-hour service on the Red and Blue, and the Blue Line running straight from O'Hare to the Loop. Union Station has no L stop of its own — the Clinton stop on the Blue Line is the closest, a few minutes' walk. Metra commuter rail and Pace suburban buses reach the wider region, and one Ventra card or contactless tap covers all three.
'L' trainsBusesMetra commuter railPace
Good to know
Questions travelers ask
How do I get to Chicago by train?
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a hub for both United and American with non-stop service from virtually every major US airport and most European capitals — or Midway (MDW) for Southwest's domestic network plus secondary international service. Both airports connect to downtown via the CTA 'L' train, and Chicago's Union Station is Amtrak's Midwest hub — trains to every other city on this site depart from there.
How many days do I need in Chicago?
Two to three days suits most travelers — enough to explore architecture, culture, food & drink, and to hit the main neighborhoods without feeling rushed. Add a day if you want to take a day trip out (St. Louis and Detroit are close by rail).
Can I visit Chicago without a car?
Yes — every destination we cover is walkable from its Amtrak station or well-served by local transit. Chicago's downtown is large and transit-connected, and ride-share fills the gaps.