Hiawatha (Amtrak train)

Hiawatha
The Hiawatha at Glenview, October 2018
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleIllinois/Wisconsin
PredecessorMilwaukee Road corridor trains
First serviceMay 1, 1971 (1971-05-01)
Current operator(s)Amtrak, in partnership with Illinois and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation
Annual ridership636,854 (FY23) Increase 26.9%[a][1]
Route
TerminiMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Chicago, Illinois
Stops5
Distance travelled86 miles (138 km)
Average journey time1 hour, 29 minutes
Service frequencySix round trips (Mon–Sat)
Five round trips (Sun)
Train number(s)329–332, 334–339, 341–344
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Disabled accessAll cars, all stations
Catering facilitiesNone
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks, checked baggage available at Chicago and Milwaukee (suspended)
Technical
Rolling stockSiemens Charger
Venture coaches
Horizon coaches
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed57 mph (92 km/h) (avg.)
79 mph (127 km/h) (top)
Route map
Map
86 mi
138 km
Milwaukee
The Hop (streetcar)
78 mi
126 km
Milwaukee Airport
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport
63 mi
101 km
Sturtevant
16 mi
26 km
Glenview
Metra
0 mi
0 km
Chicago
Metra
other Amtrak services
other Amtrak services

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
Amtrak Hiawatha

The Hiawatha (also called the Hiawatha Service), is an 86-mile (138 km) train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of 2007, twelve to fourteen trains (six round-trips, five on Sunday) ran daily between Chicago and Milwaukee,[2] making intermediate stops in Glenview, Illinois; Sturtevant, Wisconsin; and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. The line is partially supported by funds from the state governments of Wisconsin and Illinois.[3] The line utilizes the CPKC Railway's C&M Subdivision and Metra's Milwaukee District North Line.

The service carried 636,854 passengers in fiscal year 2023, a 26.9% increase over FY2022.[4] It is Amtrak's sixth-busiest route, and the railroad's busiest line in the Midwest.[4] Revenue during FY2011 totaled $14,953,873, a 6.1% increase over FY2010.[4] Ridership per mile is also very high, exceeded only by the Northeast Regional and the Capitol Corridor. A one-way trip between Milwaukee and Chicago takes about 90 minutes. In the 1930s, the same trip took 75 minutes on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad's Hiawatha.[5] In 2014, free Wi-Fi service was added to the Hiawatha.[6] The service is especially popular with fans attending games involving baseball's Brewers–Cubs rivalry using mass transit, with trains before and after games at either American Family Field or Wrigley Field often filled to capacity.[7][8]

The route is augmented by Amtrak Thruway routes connecting Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac with Milwaukee and Madison, Janesville, and Rockford with Chicago.

On April 24, 2020, the Hiawatha was temporarily replaced by bus service due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Partial service resumed in June 2020, and full service in May 2021.


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  1. ^ "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (May 1, 2007). "Rail Transportation in Wisconsin". Archived from the original on October 27, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  3. ^ "Amtrak Hiawatha Service breaks ridership record" (Press release). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. January 11, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b c "Amtrak FY23 Ridership" (PDF). Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Official Guide". September 1938. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  6. ^ Docter, Cary (February 10, 2014). "Free Wi-Fi now available on Amtrak's Hiawatha Service". Fox6 News Milwaukee. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  7. ^ Jones, Meg (September 20, 2017). "Amtrak adds late-night Milwaukee-Chicago trains just in time for Cubs series at Miller Park". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  8. ^ Gallagher, Shaun (October 1, 2018). "Milwaukee Brewers fans pack Amtrak trains to Chicago for crucial Game 163 tiebreaker against Cubs". WTMJ-TV. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.