How to travel from Philadelphia, PA 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 Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $90. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 3h 38m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.3 - 1.0kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $90, and a flight costs an average of $60.

Distance: 664 miles (1069 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Flight
Bus

$233

Average price

$269

Average price

$193

Average price

Cheapest

22h 30m

Average total duration

22h 0m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 38m

Average total duration

Fastest

3h 38m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

20h 53m

Average total duration

20h 23m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.3 - 1.0kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

3.2 - 6.4kg

CO2 emissions

1.1 - 2.7kg

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 Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL

How to get from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

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

  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    5:45 PM20h40
    Philadelphia, Spring Garden St / N 2nd St (Madison War Memorial Park), PA
    1:25 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1731One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • FlixBusFlixBus+Greyhound
    10:00 PM23h05
    Philadelphia, Spring Garden St / N 2nd St (Madison War Memorial Park), PA
    8:05 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1621One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • UnitedUA1909
    11:36 AM2h28
    Philadelphia International Airport
    1:04 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $2941One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Amtrak119 Northeast Regional · 40 Floridian
    12:33 PM21h12
    30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA
    8:45 AMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $4311One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak95 Northeast Regional · 40 Floridian
    12:01 PM21h44
    30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA
    8:45 AMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $4311One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak174 Northeast Regional · 49 Lake Shore Limited
    12:32 PM22h40
    30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA
    10:12 AMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $4921One-way
    1 transfer
  • FlixBusFlixBus · FlixBus
    2:15 PM24h10
    Philadelphia, Schuylkill Ave (Cira Centre South), PA
    1:25 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1731One-way
    1 transfer
  • Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined
    8:00 PM25h05
    Philadelphia, Schuylkill Ave (Cira Centre South), PA
    8:05 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $1781One-way
    2 transfers
  • Greyhoundundefined · undefined
    5:30 PM17h30
    Philadelphia, Spring Garden St / N 2nd St (Madison War Memorial Park), PA
    10:00 AMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $2261One-way
    1 transfer
  • UnitedUA308
    5:00 PM2h28
    Philadelphia International Airport
    6:28 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $2941One-way
    0 transfers
  • UnitedUA1209
    6:55 PM2h28
    Philadelphia International Airport
    8:23 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $2941One-way
    0 transfers
  • UnitedUA660
    6:17 AM2h28
    Philadelphia International Airport
    7:45 AMO'Hare International Airport
    $2941One-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 Philadelphia, PA 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 Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Philadelphia, PA and Chicago, IL including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL is a flight with an average price of $60 (€49).

This is compared to other travel options from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL:

A flight is $30 (€25) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL costing on average $90 (€73).

A flight is $44 (€36) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL costing on average $104 (€85).

The fastest way to travel from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL is by flight with an average journey time of 2h 20m.

Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:

Bus takes on average 17h 30m.

Train takes on average 20h 42m.

The distance from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL is approximately 664 miles (1069 km).
The average frequency per day from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL is:
  • Around 28 flights per day.
  • Around 18 buses per day.
  • Around 5 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Philadelphia, PA 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 Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL:
  • Flights mostly depart from Philadelphia International Airport and arrive in O'Hare International Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA and arrive in Chicago Union Station, Chicago, IL.
  • Buses mostly depart from Philadelphia, Spring Garden St / N 2nd St (Madison War Memorial Park), PA and arrive in Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with American Airlines, United, Spirit Airlines to go to Chicago, IL by flight.
  • Travel with Amtrak, Amtrak to go to Chicago, IL by train.
  • Travel with Greyhound, FlixBus to go to Chicago, IL by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Philadelphia, PA to Chicago, IL with the following travel companies:
  • 10 direct flights per day with American Airlines, United.
  • 0 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
Omio customers who travel from Philadelphia, PA 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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