MuseumNational WWI Museum and Memorial
Walk from the station2–3 hours
Directly across from Union Station — the Liberty Memorial tower looks straight back down at the platforms. Closed Tuesdays outside summer.
Details at theworldwar.org→
MO · Metro pop. 2.2M
Kansas City
Barbecue smoke, jazz echoes, and the romance of the rails.
A postcard from the city
Union Station still anchors Kansas City — a Beaux-Arts cathedral that sat empty through the 1980s and 90s before a late-1990s restoration brought it back (Amtrak returned in 2002). The jazz clubs, the barbecue, the WWI Memorial tower above downtown — everything else is a short ride out from that hall.
Rails Midwest · City Guide
Kansas City straddles the Missouri–Kansas state line; downtown and the Amtrak station are on the Missouri side. It is known for barbecue and for jazz: the 18th and Vine Historic District is home to the American Jazz Museum. Union Station, the 1914 Beaux-Arts terminal, still anchors downtown, and unlike St. Louis's old Union Station, Amtrak still uses it.
Food & DrinkMusicCultureHistoryArchitectureNightlifeArtSports
Orient yourself
Kansas City at a glance
Where the train gets in and where the planes land — tap a pin.
Getting here & around
Getting to & around Kansas City
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
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stops from most US cities and European capitals — then take Amtrak from Union Station to Kansas City.
MCI → downtown
The single terminal opened in 2023. RideKC buses link the airport and downtown (check ridekc.org for the current route); a rideshare is quicker, about 30 minutes.
By Train — Amtrak
Amtrak's Missouri River Runner connects Kansas City directly to St. Louis (about 5h 40m, two daily) and onward to Chicago via a St. Louis transfer. The Southwest Chief also calls at Kansas City Union Station once daily in each direction on its Chicago–Los Angeles run. Union Station itself, built in 1914 and restored in the 1990s, is both the working Amtrak terminal and a full-on destination — the Grand Hall alone is worth half a morning.
Connecting on Amtrak: The Missouri River Runner runs from St. Louis twice daily into KC Union Station (stopping at Hermann along the way). The Southwest Chief calls at KC on its Chicago → Los Angeles run.
Southwest Chief
From Chicago
7h 25m · 1 daily each direction
Public Transportation
The KC Streetcar is free and stops at Union Station — step off your Amtrak train and onto it — running north through downtown to the River Market, with a Riverfront extension added in 2026. RideKC buses cover the rest of the city. Note that KC's long-running zero-fare experiment ended: bus fares returned on 1 June 2026, contactless tap-to-pay only, no cash on board. The streetcar stays free.
KC Streetcar (free)RideKC buses
Near Kansas City Union Station
Where to stay in Kansas City
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What to do in Kansas City
Museum
HistoryNegro Leagues Baseball Museum
1–2 hours
In the 18th & Vine Jazz District. Closed Mondays. About 2 miles from Union Station by bus or rideshare — the streetcar doesn't go there.
Details at nlbm.com→
MuseumNelson-Atkins Museum of Art
FreeHalf day
General admission is free (reserve a free pass online). Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. About 3.5 miles south of Union Station.
Details at nelson-atkins.org→Take the train here
Ready-made trips through Kansas City
Good to know
Questions travelers ask
Is there a train from Chicago to Kansas City?
Yes — the Southwest Chief runs once a day from Chicago Union Station (1:30 PM) to Kansas City Union Station (about 8:55 PM), continuing to Los Angeles. You can also go via St. Louis: the Lincoln Service to St. Louis, then the Missouri River Runner.
Which trains serve Kansas City?
The Missouri River Runner (two a day to and from St. Louis, about 5h 40m, via Hermann) and the Southwest Chief (once a day in each direction between Chicago and Los Angeles). Both use the restored 1914 Union Station.
How do I get around Kansas City?
The KC Streetcar is free and stops at Union Station, running north through downtown to the River Market. RideKC buses cover the rest of the city; bus fares returned in June 2026, tap-to-pay only.
Which airport should I fly into for Kansas City?
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stop service from most US cities and most European capitals — then take Amtrak from Chicago Union Station to Kansas City. See the Getting there section above for the specific trains and typical journey times.