An Amtrak Cascades day trip to Portland, Oregon is a great way to visit Portland, from Seattle in Washington State. Three daily southbound departures from Seattle provide access to Portland. For the purpose of this day trip review, this article recommends southbound Cascades train No. 503 departing from Seattle’s King Street Station each day at 7:22 a.m. local time.
King Street Station, located at 303 South Jackson Street, was built in 1906 by the Great Northern Railway. The granite and red brick structure is a notable Seattle landmark known for its tall clock tower. The station has benefited from several modernizations and other renovations in recent years and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Today, King Street serves Amtrak’s state-supported Cascades trains as well as the passenger railroad’s long-distance trains, the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder. Sound Transit, Seattle’s commuter rail agency, also serves King Street with its Sounder commuter trains. One block from the station is the International District/Chinatown station, which provides access to the city’s Link like rail and Seattle Streetcar services.
From Seattle, Cascades trains operate south from downtown on tracks owned by Class I railroad BNSF Railway, passing the east side of the Seattle Seahawks’ stadium at Lumen Field, and a block later, T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners. It is not uncommon to pass BNSF or Union Pacific freight trains shortly after departing King Street, as the passenger train’s route travels through an industrial area of the city where railcars are switched, and local industries are served. After navigating outside of Seattle proper, intercity Cascades trains will make a brief stop at Tukwila, Wash., a train station built by Sound Transit, before resuming track speed and passing through the communities of Kent, Auburn, and Sumner before hooking a westward turn toward Tacoma, Wash.
Tacoma Dome Station, which Cascades trains serve 45 minutes after leaving Seattle, is one of the newest train stations across all of Amtrak’s touchpoints. It opened in November 2021 and replaced the previous station a half a mile away. Tacoma’s former station was built in 1984 by Amtrak, having replaced the city’s original Northern Pacific-built Union Station that opened in 1911. The original Union Station is now a federal courthouse and local landmark.
After departing Dome Station, Cascades trains operate across the 14.5-mile Port Defiance Bypass between Tacoma and DuPont. The Northern Pacific route had hosted passenger trains up until the mid 1950s when most passenger trains moved to a flatter route along Puget Sound. Today, instead of operating west and south along Puget Sound, the bypass, aided by millions of dollars in right-of-way improvements, provides more efficient passenger rail service today.
South of where the new alignments meet the original route along Puget Sound is the Centralia train station, another Cascades stop and a former Northern Pacific station. Centralia is the the half-way point between Seattle and Portland, with southbound Cascades No. 503 scheduled to arrive here at 9:00 a.m. local time. Afterward, trains pass through the small Washingtonian communities of Napavine, Winlock, and Vader before tracing the Cowlitz River between Castle Rock and Woodland, Wash., before ultimately reaching Vancouver, Wash., and crossing the Columbia River into Portland. When on time, No. 503 will arrive at Portland at 11:10 a.m. local time, about 3 hours and 50 minutes after leaving Seattle.
Portland Union Station has remained an active train station since it was built in 1896. It was originally built by the Northwest Pacific Terminal Company with joint ownership between Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, and the Southern Pacific. It served notable passenger trains such as the City of Portland to Chicago and features a 150-foot clock tower, making it an easily recognizable Portland landmark. Located 800 NW Sixth Avenue, Portland Union Station is in the city’s Old Town neighborhood and serves Amtrak’s Cascades, Coast Starlight, and the Portland section of the Empire Builder, as well as connectivity to Portland’s MAX Light Rail and Portland Streetcar rail services.
Union Station’s central location provides access to numerous downtown attractions that can be accessed either on foot or by using a rideshare program such as Uber or Lyft. Those with an interest in history should check out the Japanese American Museum of Oregon or the Oregon Maritime Museum along Battleship Oregon Memorial Park. It is recommended to use a rideshare program for the two latter activities, as they are several blocks from Union Station. The city’s well-known Portland Saturday Market is another popular weekend attraction featuring local artisans, crafts, food carts, and other entertainment. Portland’s musical background features several music halls also worthy of checking out, such as the McMenamins Crystal Ballroom.
Travelers returning to Seattle can choose from two different afternoon departures. Northbound Coast Starlight No. 14 is scheduled to depart from Portland at 3:56 p.m. local time and northbound Cascades No. 508 departs at 7:25 p.m. local time. The trains return to Seattle at 7:51 p.m. and 10:51 p.m., respectively, providing day trippers plenty of time to explore downtown Portland and enjoy the city’s offerings.
Tips & Recommendations:
• Take advantage of Portland’s beautiful summer weather between June and August and enjoy the city’s outdoors culture.
• Be sure to keep a close eye on train schedules, especially if you’re using the Coast Starlight on your northbound return trip to Seattle. Allow yourself enough time to arrive back at Portland Union Station at least 30 minutes before the train’s scheduled departure.
