Getting to Chicago from Madison

Madison is about 150 miles northwest of Chicago, and unlike Milwaukee, it has no train to Chicago. That leaves the bus and the car for most people. The bus is the better deal unless you need a car at the other end.

By bus

Van Galder is the bus most people in Madison mean when they talk about getting to Chicago. The company dates to 1947 and is now part of Coach USA (Wikipedia). It runs 365 days a year, with about a dozen departures a day from Madison, starting in the middle of the night for people with early flights and running into the early evening. Buses leave from the UW campus on the 200 block of North Lake Street, between Dayton and Johnson, and from the Dutch Mill Park & Ride on the east side (4545 E. Broadway), then stop in Janesville, South Beloit and Rockford (stop details).

In Chicago, Van Galder stops at O'Hare first, dropping you on the upper level at your terminal, then ends at Union Station downtown. From campus to Union Station takes a little under four hours on the timetable, which is longer than the drive, because of the stops and the O'Hare detour. Buying online is cheaper than paying at the stop. Coach USA says you save up to $6 each way. If you're flying out, this is the easiest way to O'Hare from Madison. For the trip home, catch it at O'Hare's Multi-Modal Facility, reached on the free airport train. The Union Station curb stop has moved during construction, so check the stop page before you go.

FlixBus also runs from the UW campus and Dutch Mill to the Greyhound station at 630 W. Harrison St., a few blocks south of Union Station. The direct trips take about three to four hours. It's worth comparing fares, and the same site sells a few Greyhound and Jefferson Lines trips too. Megabus, which used to run double-deckers from Madison, is now a booking site for partner lines after its parent's 2024 bankruptcy. Its Madison seats are on other companies' buses, so check the operator and stop on your ticket.

Driving

It's about 150 miles. Take I-39/90 south past Janesville and Beloit to Rockford, then the Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) east into the city, where it becomes the Kennedy. Figure on about three hours, more in rush hour. The Kennedy between O'Hare and downtown is where most of the delay happens.

The Illinois part of the drive is tolled, and Illinois tollways don't take cash. An I-PASS or E-ZPass works, or you can pay online through the Illinois Tollway after the trip. Downtown parking and hotel valet are expensive, so check our getting to Chicago page before you decide where to leave the car.

Train

Madison lost its last passenger trains to Chicago in 1971, and there's still no Amtrak service from the city (Wikipedia). The closest station is Columbus, about 30 miles northeast, on the daily Borealis and the Empire Builder, both of which go to Chicago Union Station by way of Milwaukee. It's a detour, but a comfortable one if you'd rather ride a train than a bus. Amtrak's own site sells Van Galder seats from Madison as a Thruway bus that connects with its trains at Union Station.

Flying

United and American fly from Dane County Regional Airport to O'Hare, along with their regional partners, and there's no service to Midway (Wikipedia). These flights are for connections. Once you add security in Madison and the Blue Line ride in from O'Hare, the bus gets you downtown in about the same time. If you're connecting, see our airports page for O'Hare.

Photo by alumroot