Chicago to Milwaukee on the Amtrak Hiawatha: Full Commuter Guide

The Hiawatha makes three intermediate stops: Glenview, IL; Sturtevant, WI; and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport before arriving at Milwaukee's Intermodal Station in the heart of downtown.

Chicago Union Station is centrally located in the Loop, steps from the Metra and CTA networks. Milwaukee's Intermodal connects to Milwaukee County Transit and is walkable to many downtown employers.

The route is operated jointly by Amtrak and the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Seven round trips run daily on weekdays, with reduced service on weekends. The schedule includes morning and evening clusters aligned to commuter patterns.

Fares on the Hiawatha run $19-$37 each way. Value (non-refundable) fares start at $19. Flex fares start at $21. The short distance and state subsidy keep prices low and stable compared to NEC routes.

Amtrak offers 10-ride passes for the Hiawatha. Calculate whether the per-trip pass cost beats Value individual fares for your usage pattern.

Illinois and Wisconsin residents should check for any state-offered transit benefit programs that may apply to Amtrak travel.

Hiawatha fares are less volatile than NEC fares, but Friday and Sunday evening trains still sell out early. Book a week or more ahead for those.

For a regular commute, book several weeks of trips at once to lock in consistent fares and avoid trains filling up.

Compare the 10-ride pass cost against individual Value fares before committing. On a corridor where tickets start at $19, individual booking is often cheaper if you can plan ahead.

The schedule table above shows the 6-month average arrival delay and on-time percentage for each commuter-window train on this corridor. Delay performance varies significantly by train - check the table before choosing a regular departure.

Trains that originate further down the corridor tend to carry accumulated delay by the time they depart. Earlier trains in the morning generally have better on-time performance than later ones.

Full historical delay data for any Amtrak train number is available at juckins.net.

Chicago Union Station is served by the CTA Blue, Pink, and Orange lines at nearby stations. Metra commuter rail also departs from Union Station. Parking is available at the station.

Milwaukee Intermodal Station connects to Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus routes. Parking is available at the station.

Hiawatha Value fares start at $19 and step up as departure approaches. Seven trains a day gives you flexibility, but Friday evening trains still fill at cheap prices early in the week.

RailCommute monitors fares on your booked Hiawatha trips. When a lower-priced seat opens on your train, you get an alert so you can cancel and rebook. It also tracks your actual spending per trip over time.

Forward your Amtrak confirmation emails once and your calendar and costs update automatically. No manual entry.