How to travel from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC

Sat, Feb 28
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Chicago, IL to Washington, DC

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $69. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 55m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.3 - 0.9kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $69, and a flight costs an average of $77.

Distance: 594 miles (956 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Flight
Bus

$198

Average price

$302

Average price

$135

Average price

Cheapest

19h 13m

Average total duration

18h 43m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 55m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 55m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

20h 5m

Average total duration

19h 35m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.3 - 0.9kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

2.9 - 5.7kg

CO2 emissions

1.0 - 2.4kg

CO2 emissions

Amtrak

Most popular train company

American Airlines

Most popular airline

Greyhound

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC

How to get from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

Greyhound
06:00PM16h35
Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station
11:35AMWashington, Columbus Circle, Union Station
$1511One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Greyhound
06:00PM16h35
Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station
11:35AMWashington, Columbus Circle, Union Station
$1511One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

American AirlinesAA1200
11:50AM1h51
O'Hare International Airport
02:41PMRonald Reagan National Airport
$5181One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Amtrak41 Floridian
06:40PM17h30
Chicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
01:10PMWashington Union Station, Washington, DC
$2891One-way
0 transfers
Greyhound
07:00AM18h25
Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station
02:25AMWashington, Columbus Circle, Union Station
$1701One-way
0 transfers
Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined
10:00AM19h45
Chicago, Union Station (Amtrak), IL
06:45AMWashington, Columbus Circle, Union Station
$2971One-way
2 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus+Greyhoundundefined · undefined
11:30AM18h15
Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station
06:45AMWashington, Columbus Circle, Union Station
$2981One-way
2 transfers
UnitedUA307
09:00AM1h59
O'Hare International Airport
11:59AMRonald Reagan National Airport
$5181One-way
0 transfers
Republic AirlinesAA4654
09:40AM2h04
O'Hare International Airport
12:44PMRonald Reagan National Airport
$5181One-way
0 transfers
UnitedUA1357
08:50AM1h59
O'Hare International Airport
11:49AMDulles International Airport
$5181One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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FAQs: Travel from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC

Travel to Washington, DC easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Chicago, IL and Washington, DC including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC is a bus with an average price of $69 (€55).

This is compared to other travel options from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC:

A bus is $8 (€6) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC costing on average $77 (€61).

A bus is $12 (€10) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC costing on average $82 (€65).

The fastest way to travel from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 47m.

Other travel options to Washington, DC take longer:

Train takes on average 17h 30m.

Bus takes on average 16h 30m.

The distance from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC is approximately 594 miles (956 km).
The average frequency per day from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC is:
  • Around 40 flights per day.
  • Around 6 buses per day.
  • Around 3 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Chicago, IL and Washington, DC as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC:
  • Flights mostly depart from O'Hare International Airport and arrive in Ronald Reagan National Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Chicago Union Station, Chicago, IL and arrive in Washington Union Station, Washington, DC.
  • Buses mostly depart from Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station and arrive in Washington, Columbus Circle, Union Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to Washington, DC by train.
  • Travel with American Airlines, United, Republic Airlines to go to Washington, DC by flight.
  • Travel with Greyhound, FlixBus to go to Washington, DC by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
  • 17 direct flights per day with American Airlines, United, Republic Airlines.
  • 2 direct buses per day with Greyhound.
Omio customers who travel from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC often also extend their vacation to go to New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Newark, NJ, Boston, MA, Baltimore, MD. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Washington, DC and these popular destinations at a great price.
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