Empire Builder
Empire Builder is a train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. The route runs from Chicago, Illinois toward the Pacific Ocean. The line splits in Spokane, Washington, terminating at Seattle, Washington's King Street Station in the north and Portland, Oregon's Union Station in the south. It passes through the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Major stops on the route besides those mentioned above are Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Fargo; Whitefish, Montana; and Vancouver, Washington.
The route ran under the same name when it was previously operated by the Great Northern Railroad, and service dates back to June 10, 1929. It has now been running for more than 75 years. The route was publicized for allowing riders to view the passing Rocky Mountains landscapes through domed windows on top of the passenger cars.
Ultimately, the name comes from the nickname given to railroad tycoon James J. Hill, who built track passing through Minneapolis-St. Paul in the late 1800s and founded the Great Northern Railroad.
