How to travel from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL

Sat, Apr 04
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American Airlines
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1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Boston, MA to Chicago, IL

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the flight with prices starting from $64. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 3h 9m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.4 - 1.2kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a flight costs an average of $64, and a train costs an average of $89.

Distance: 850 miles (1368 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Flight
Bus

$334

Average price

$209

Average price

Cheapest

$226

Average price

22h 57m

Average total duration

22h 27m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 9m

Average total duration

Fastest

3h 9m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

25h 29m

Average total duration

24h 59m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.4 - 1.2kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

4.1 - 8.2kg

CO2 emissions

1.4 - 3.4kg

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 Boston, MA to Chicago, IL

How to get from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

flight

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

  • American AirlinesAA1813 · AA2343
    9:25 AM5h51
    Edward L. Logan International Airport
    2:16 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $1471One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • Greyhound+FlixBusFlixBus
    3:05 PM23h20
    Boston, Bus Terminal South Station
    1:25 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1021One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • UnitedUA2744
    8:15 AM2h57
    Edward L. Logan International Airport
    10:12 AMO'Hare International Airport
    $2281One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Amtrak449 Lake Shore Limited
    12:57 PM22h15
    Back Bay station, Boston, MA
    10:12 AMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $3361One-way
    0 transfers
  • Amtrak449 Lake Shore Limited
    12:50 PM22h22
    South Station, Boston, MA
    10:12 AMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $3361One-way
    0 transfers
  • Amtrak449 Lake Shore Limited · 49 Lake Shore Limited
    12:57 PM22h15
    Back Bay station, Boston, MA
    10:12 AMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $3341One-way
    1 transfer
  • Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined
    8:55 AM26h05
    Boston, Bus Terminal South Station
    10:00 AMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1331One-way
    2 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus+Greyhoundundefined · undefined
    5:15 PM27h50
    Boston, Bus Terminal South Station
    8:05 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1181One-way
    2 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus · FlixBus
    9:50 PM33h20
    Boston, Bus Terminal South Station
    6:10 AMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1171One-way
    2 transfers
  • UnitedUA285
    7:00 AM3h00
    Edward L. Logan International Airport
    9:00 AMO'Hare International Airport
    $1631One-way
    0 transfers
  • Republic AirlinesAA4413
    11:09 AM3h11
    Edward L. Logan International Airport
    1:20 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $1851One-way
    0 transfers
  • Republic AirlinesAA4566+American AirlinesAA2819
    6:00 AM5h57
    Edward L. Logan International Airport
    10:57 AMO'Hare International Airport
    $1691One-way
    1 transfer

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

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

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FAQs: Travel from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL

Travel to Chicago, IL 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 Boston, MA to Chicago, IL.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Boston, MA and Chicago, IL including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL is a flight with an average price of $64 (€52).

This is compared to other travel options from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL:

A flight is $25 (€20) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL costing on average $89 (€72).

A flight is $57 (€47) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL costing on average $121 (€99).

The fastest way to travel from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL is by flight with an average journey time of 3h 0m.

Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:

Train takes on average 22h 15m.

Bus takes on average 25h 45m.

The distance from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL is approximately 850 miles (1368 km).
The average frequency per day from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL is:
  • Around 43 flights per day.
  • Around 6 buses per day.
  • Around 4 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Boston, MA and Chicago, IL 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 Boston, MA to Chicago, IL:
  • Flights mostly depart from Edward L. Logan International Airport and arrive in O'Hare International Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from South Station, Boston, MA and arrive in Chicago Union Station, Chicago, IL.
  • Buses mostly depart from Boston, Bus Terminal South Station and arrive in Chicago, Union Station (Amtrak), IL.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Greyhound, FlixBus to go to Chicago, IL by bus.
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to Chicago, IL by train.
  • Travel with American Airlines, United, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Republic Airlines to go to Chicago, IL by flight.
Yes, there are direct services available from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
  • 10 direct flights per day with American Airlines, United, JetBlue Airways, Republic Airlines.
Omio customers who travel from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL often also extend their vacation to go to San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Indianapolis, IN, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Chicago, IL and these popular destinations at a great price.
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