Traveling from Amtrak Portland to Seattle is an intercity rail journey in the Pacific Northwest. Twelve daily trains run between Seattle and Portland, six round trips, operated by the Amtrak Cascades. The journey takes exactly 3 hours and 25 minutes on direct Cascades services, with trains spread across the day from 6:45 a.m. through 7:25 p.m. from Portland. The Coast Starlight also serves this corridor once daily as an additional northbound option with Sleeping accommodations. Coach fares start from around $28, with Business Class available on all Cascades departures.
Portland to Seattle on Amtrak
The Amtrak Cascades is a state-supported route service, running the full Pacific Northwest corridor from Eugene, Oregon, through Portland, Vancouver, WA, and intermediate Washington State cities to Seattle, and onward to Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Train Lines: Amtrak Cascades (primary, six daily round trips) and Coast Starlight (one daily northbound option)
- Duration: 3 hours 25 minutes (direct Cascades services)
- Distance: Approximately 144 miles (232 km)
- Frequency: Six daily northbound and six daily southbound Cascades departures between Portland and Seattle, plus one daily Coast Starlight northbound.
- Departure Station: Amtrak Portland Union Station (PDX), 800 NW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
- Arrival Station: Amtrak Seattle King Street Station (SEA), 303 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104.
Amtrak Portland to Seattle Train Schedule
Five direct Cascades trains depart Portland daily, plus two extended services (Trains 504 and 508) that originate from Eugene. All reach Seattle in exactly 3 hours and 25 minutes from Portland.
Portland to Seattle (Northbound: Amtrak Cascades)
| Amtrak Train | Departure (Portland) | Arrival (Seattle) | Days of Operation | Duration | Coach | Business Class/ Sleeping Cabins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 Amtrak Cascades | 6:45 a.m. | 10:10 a.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $27 | From $79 |
| 502 Amtrak Cascades | 8:30 a.m. | 11:55 a.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $34 | From $90 |
| 504 Amtrak Cascades | 10:40 a.m. | 2:05 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $68 | From $110 |
| 518 Amtrak Cascades | 2:10 p.m. | 5:37 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 27 minutes | From $55 | From $90 |
| 506 Amtrak Cascades | 5:55 p.m. | 9:20 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $27 | From $86 |
| 508 Amtrak Cascades | 7:25 p.m. | 10:50 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $27 | From $79 |
| 14 Coast Starlight | 3:56 p.m. | 7:51 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 55 minutes | From $43 | From $346 |
All Stops and Arrival Timings: Portland to Seattle
| Statiions | 504 | 508 | 500 | 502 | 506 | 518 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Union Station (PDX) | Departs 10:40 a.m. | Departs 7:25 p.m. | Departs 6:45 a.m. | Departs 8:30 a.m. | Departs 5:55 p.m. | Departs 2:10 p.m. |
| Vancouver (VAN) | 10:58 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. | 8:48 a.m. | 6:13 p.m. | 2:28 p.m. |
| Kelso-Longview (KEL) | 11:33 a.m. | 8:18 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. | 9:23 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 3:03 p.m. |
| Centralia (CTL) | 12:14 p.m. | 8:59 p.m. | 8:19 a.m. | 10:04 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 3:44 p.m. |
| Olympia-Lacey (OLW) | 12:35 p.m. | 9:20 p.m. | 8:40 a.m. | 10:25 a.m. | 7:50 p.m. | 4:05 p.m. |
| Tacoma (TAC) | 1:13 p.m. | 9:58 p.m. | 9:18 a.m. | 11:03 a.m. | 8:28 p.m. | 4:47 p.m. |
| Tukwila (TUK) | 1:44 p.m. | 10:29 p.m. | 9:49 a.m. | 11:34 a.m. | 8:59 p.m. | 5:16 p.m. |
| Seattle (SEA) | Arrives 2:05 p.m. | Arrives 10:50 p.m. | Arrives 10:10 a.m. | Arrives 11:55 a.m. | Arrives 9:20 p.m. | Arrives 5:37 p.m. |
Seattle to Portland (Southbound Amtrak Cascades)
| Amtrak Train | Departure (Portland) | Arrival (Seattle) | Days of Operation | Duration | Coach | Business Class/ Sleeping Cabins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 503 Amtrak Cascades | 7:10 a.m. | 10:35 a.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $27 | From $79 |
| 505 Amtrak Cascades | 8:55 a.m. | 12:20 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $34 | From $90 |
| 517 Amtrak Cascades | 12:10 a.m. | 3:35 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $68 | From $110 |
| 507 Amtrak Cascades | 2:20 p.m. | 5:45 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $55 | From $90 |
| 509 Amtrak Cascades | 5:40 p.m. | 9:05 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $27 | From $86 |
| 511 Amtrak Cascades | 7:50 p.m. | 11:15 p.m. | Daily Service | 3 hours 25 minutes | From $27 | From $72 |
| 11 Coast Starlight | 9:55 p.m. | 1:55 p.m. | Daily Service | 4 hours | From $43 | From $346 |
All Stops and Arrival Timings: Seattle to Portland
| Statiions | 517 | 503 | 505 | 507 | 509 | 511 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Union Station (PDX) | Departs 12:10 p.m. | Departs 7:10 a.m. | Departs 8:55 a.m. | Departs 2:20 p.m. | Departs 5:40 p.m. | Departs 7:50 p.m. |
| Vancouver (VAN) | 12:25 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. | 9:10 a.m. | 2:35 p.m. | 5:55 p.m. | 8:05 p.m. |
| Kelso-Longview (KEL) | 12:58 p.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 9:43 a.m. | 3:08 p.m. | 6:28 p.m. | 8:38 p.m. |
| Centralia (CTL) | 1:31 p.m. | 8:33 a.m. | 10:16 a.m. | 3:41 p.m. | 7:01 p.m. | 9:11 p.m. |
| Olympia-Lacey (OLW) | 1:51 p.m. | 8:53 a.m. | 10:38 a.m. | 4:01 p.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 9:31 p.m. |
| Tacoma (TAC) | 2:30 p.m. | 9:32 a.m. | 11:15 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 10:10 p.m. |
| Tukwila (TUK) | 3:09 p.m. | 10:09 a.m. | 11:54 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 8:39 p.m. | 10:49 p.m. |
| Seattle (SEA) | Arrives 3:35 p.m. | Arrives 11:08 a.m. | Arrives 12:20 a.m. | Arrives 6:09 p.m. | Arrives 9:05 p.m. | Arrives 11:15 p.m. |
Traveling Classes on Amtrak Portland to Seattle
Amtrak Cascades: Coach Class
Coach is available on all six daily Cascades departures and is the standard choice for most Portland-Seattle travelers. Seats are arranged two-by-two in modern Pacific Northwest-oriented Talgo and Superliner cars, with fold-down tray tables, reading lights, and Amtrak power outlets.
Amtrak Cascades: Business Class
Business Class provides more spacious seating with extra legroom, a quieter environment for working or relaxing, and priority boarding in some cases. Business Class tickets are fully refundable before departure.
Coast Starlight: Coach and Sleeping Accommodations
It carries Superliner bi-level cars with a broader types of cabin types than Amtrak Cascades on this Portland to Seattle route.
- Amtrak Coach: Wide reclining seats with generous legroom, power outlets, and panoramic windows.
- Roomette: Private two-person room with facing seats converting to upper and lower berths. Large window, USB charging, climate control, and all meals included in the Dining Car fare.
- Bedroom: Larger room with full-size lower bed, upper bunk, private toilet and sink. All meals included. Bedroom passengers have Metropolitan Lounge access at Seattle King Street Station, along with access to Amtrak free wifi connection.
For Amtrak Portland to Seattle, along with train options, business class passengers earn an additional bonus under the Amtrak Guest Rewards program. They can select to pay through points either partially or fully. Moreover, as the journey is short, people can complete a round-trip in a single day with multiple departures from both sides.
FAQs
All direct Amtrak Cascades services take exactly 3 hours and 25 minutes from Portland Union Station to Seattle King Street Station. The Coast Starlight takes approximately 3 hours on the same segment due to fewer intermediate stops.
Twelve daily trains run between Seattle and Portland, six round trips on the Amtrak Cascades. The Coast Starlight adds one additional northbound service daily, bringing the total to seven northbound options from Portland on a typical day.
The Amtrak Cascades is the primary service, with six daily round trips between Portland and Seattle. The Cascades is a state-supported corridor service co-funded by Washington State and Oregon. The Coast Starlight, a long-distance train running Los Angeles to Seattle, also stops at Portland and offers Sleeping accommodations on the Portland–Seattle leg.
Coach fares start from approximately $28 on Amtrak Cascades bookings. Prices increase closer to departure and on high-demand summer weekend dates. Business Class starts from around $57. Coast Starlight Coach starts from approximately $42.
Trains depart from Portland Union Station at 800 NW 6th Avenue in the Pearl District. In Seattle, trains arrive at King Street Station at 303 South Jackson Street in Pioneer Square.
