New Orleans → Chicago

1 a dayfastest 19h30AmtrakNight train

Direct trains · no change

13:45 → 09:15⁺¹
City of New Orleans 58 Night train
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal → Chicago Union Station · via Memphis
19h3018 stops
Runs: DailyAmtrak ↗

Local times at each station. Times from official open data: Amtrak (file of 26 Oct 2026). Checked Mon 26 Oct 2026; they cover 26 Oct to 22 Nov 2026. Timetables change, so check with the operator before you travel. How we build this.

Door to door vs flying

Overnight: leave 13:45, arrive 09:15

The plane is 13h01 quicker on paper, but the night train uses your night instead of a day and saves a hotel.

Train · fastest direct19h41

Before departure10 min
City of New Orleans 5819h30
From Chicago Union Station1 min

Plane · nonstop MSY to MDW6h40

To Louis Armstrong New Orleans (MSY)50 min
Check-in & security2h00
Flight MSY to MDW2h35
Landing to exit35 min
From MDW40 min

From city centre to city centre unless you pick otherwise. Getting to stations and airports: typical public-transport times (estimates). Airport: check-in & security 2h before, 35 min to get out after landing. Flight time is typical for the distance.

Flying instead? New Orleans → Chicago

3 airlines fly it nonstop. Book direct on the airline's own site:

American AirlinesMSY→ORDBook direct ↗
Southwest AirlinesMSY→MDWBook direct ↗
United AirlinesMSY→ORDBook direct ↗

Compare on picktheflight ↗