- Route
- Los Angeles ↔ Seattle
- Distance
- 1,377 mi / about 2,216 km
- Audio stories
- 106
- In the app
- Both directions · Works offline
Watch the journey
A short film of the line — the views the guide narrates as they pass your window. English captions in the player. Also on YouTube.
Route map
Tap to explore the full route.
The route in text
- Route
- Los Angeles ↔ Seattle, USA
- Distance
- 1,377 mi / about 2,216 km
- Audio stories
- 106, narrated in both directions of travel, fully offline
- On the map
- Illustrated route map of the Coast Starlight with stations, distances, and journey highlights. Station names and distance markers are printed on the map itself.
About this journey
Ride the West Coast end to end on the Coast Starlight, from Los Angeles to Seattle. The train hugs the Pacific surf along the Central Coast, climbs into the Cascades past volcano country, and threads valleys, forests, and city waterfronts across California, Oregon, and Washington — one night aboard, two days of window scenery.
Stops along the way
The stations the narration is keyed to, in order (toward seattle). Timetables and stops change; check the operator before you book.
- Los Angeles Union Station, CA
- Burbank Airport–South, CA
- Van Nuys, CA
- Simi Valley, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Paso Robles, CA
- Salinas, CA
- San Jose/Diridon, CA
- Oakland-Jack London Square, CA
- Emeryville, CA
- Martinez, CA
- Davis, CA
- Sacramento Valley Station, CA
- Chico, CA
- Redding, CA
- Dunsmuir, CA
- Klamath Falls, OR
- Chemult, OR
- Eugene, OR
- Albany, OR
- Salem, OR
- Portland Union Station, OR
- Vancouver, WA
- Kelso, WA
- Centralia, WA
- Olympia-Lacey, WA
- Tacoma Dome, WA
- Seattle King Street, WA
Highlights and which side to look
A few of the 106 narrated sights, toward seattle, with the side of the train they appear on. See every sight, both directions.
| Distance from start | Sight | Look |
|---|---|---|
| 30 mi (48 km) | Chatsworth's Movie Rocks | Right side |
| 65 mi (105 km) | The Oxnard Plain — Strawberry Coast | Left side |
| 76 mi (123 km) | FIRST SIGHT OF THE PACIFIC | Left side |
| 89 mi (144 km) | Surfers at the Point | Left side |
| 91 mi (147 km) | The Channel Islands Offshore | Left side |
| 94 mi (151 km) | The Tomol Crossings | Left side |
| 97 mi (156 km) | Summerland & the First Offshore Oil | Left side |
| 99 mi (160 km) | 1969 — The Spill That Woke America | Left side |
How the app works on this route
- Stories are triggered by GPS as you reach each place, so nothing depends on a signal or a timetable.
- Every story has a version for each direction of travel, and the narration says which side to look.
- Download the journey once at home; everything then works offline, including photos and the route map.
- The first three stories are free to listen to in the app before you buy.
- Narration keeps playing with the phone locked, so you can watch the window instead of the screen.
Questions about the Coast Starlight
- Which side of the Coast Starlight should I sit on?
- Toward Seattle: 18 on the right, 33 on the left, 53 on either side. The app tells you which way to look for every story as it plays, so either seat works; the full list for both directions is in the window guide.
- Does the audio guide work without signal?
- Yes. Download the Coast Starlight once at home and every story, photo and map works offline for the whole ride. Stories are triggered by GPS, which needs no signal.
- Does it work in both directions?
- Yes. Every story has a version for each direction of travel, and "left" and "right" are given relative to the way your train is moving.
- Can I try it before buying?
- Yes. The first three stories of the Coast Starlight are free to listen to in the app, with their photos. The full journey is a one-time $4.99 purchase, or the Rail Journeys Pass ($29.99, one-time) covers every journey, including future ones, for life.
Sources
Route distance (1,377 mi / about 2,216 km): the operator's published figure — amtrak.com. Stops and sights: the app's own route data, as rendered in the window guide.
