What is the travel distance from Oakland to Chicago?

The distance separating Oakland and Chicago is 1844 miles (2974 km).

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Oakland to Chicago?

The majority of buses traveling from Oakland to Chicago start their journey at Emeryville Station and wind up at Downtown Greyhound Station. These are the most popular pick-up and drop-off locations on this route, but you can find others that could fit better into your travel plans.

What are the best sights and things to do in Chicago?

Once in Chicago, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lake Michigan, Museum of Science and Industry and Museum of Contemporary Art.

Bus Oakland to Chicago from $15 | Refundable Tickets

Next departures

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 8
Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
6:05pm	Lublin, Dworzec Lublin nr 3420	5h 5m	11:10pm	Kraków MDA Bus Station	Cheapest
12:10pm	Lublin, Dworzec Lublin nr 3420	4h 20m	4:30pm	Kraków MDA Bus Station	Fastest
12:55pm	Lublin, Dworzec Lublin nr 3420	5h 37m	6:32pm	Kraków Czyżyny	No tags
12:55pm	Lublin, Dworzec Lublin nr 3420	6h 35m	7:30pm	KRK Airport	No tags
6:05pm	Lublin, Dworzec Lublin nr 3420	7h 15m	1:20am	KRK Airport	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 9
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 2h	6:35pm	Chicago 95Th & Dan Ryan	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	3d 6h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 10
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 2h	6:35pm	Chicago 95Th & Dan Ryan	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
	4:45am	Jack London Square	3d 6h	1:44pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 11
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	7:35am	UC Berkeley (Crescent Lawn)	2d 9h	6:35pm	Chicago 95Th & Dan Ryan	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	7:35am	UC Berkeley (Crescent Lawn)	2d 7h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 12
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	7:35am	UC Berkeley (Crescent Lawn)	2d 7h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
	4:45am	Jack London Square	3d 6h	1:44pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	9:50am	UC Berkeley (Crescent Lawn)	2d 16h	4:10am	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 13
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	9:05pm	UC Berkeley (Crescent Lawn)	2d 17h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	3d 6h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 14
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 2h	6:35pm	Chicago 95Th & Dan Ryan	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	3d 6h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Next departures for Oakland to Chicago on October 15
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	9:05pm	UC Berkeley (Crescent Lawn)	2d 17h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Cheapest
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
	4:45am	Jack London Square	3d 6h	1:44pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	11:20pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	4:30pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	2:05pm	West Oakland BART	2d 15h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Last refresh of the prices: Today at 12:10 AM PDT.

Compare 2 ways to go from Oakland to Chicago.

	Average Price	Average Duration	CO₂ emissions
Bus	Average Price$111 - $449	Average Duration2d 16h	CO₂ emissions 74kg CO₂e5 out of 5 stars	CheapestFastestMost eco-friendly
Train	Average Price$362 - $541	Average Duration2d 17h	CO₂ emissions 270kg CO₂e1 out of 5 stars

Busbud recommends taking the bus from Oakland to Chicago

Among the sustainable travel choices, the bus stands out as the good way to reach Chicago. The journey takes about 2 days, 16 hours 40 minutes and with fares starting at just $111, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

29bus per day

2d 16hAverage Duration

$111Cheapest ticket

74kgCO₂ emissions

Bus Oakland to Chicago: Trip Overview

Average ticket price$235

Average bus trip duration2d 16h

Number of daily buses29

Earliest bus departure7:00am

Distance1841 miles (2968 km)

Latest bus departure11:50pm

Compare bus companies

Greyhound

3.5/587,303 reviews

Staff3.6

Timeliness2.9

Cleanliness3.3

Wifi2.4

Greyhound Lines offers the most comprehensive intercity bus services in the United States. They operate a modern, environmentally friendly fleet that serves more than 2400 destinations and carries nearly 16 million passengers annually. When traveling with them, you can expect free WiFi, onboard entertainment, bathrooms, power outlets and decent legroom. One of the great perks of Greyhound is that they connect big cities and smaller towns in the US, where you usually can't get to by train or plane. If you're looking for safe and affordable transportation, Greyhound is a great choice.

Amtrak

4/55,506 reviews

Staff4.7

Timeliness3.8

Cleanliness4.6

Wifi3.6

Based on 5506 reviews, the company was rated 4.1 stars on Busbud. Travelers were especially satisfied with the seats and the ticket access but often complained with the wifi. Amtrak ticket prices on this trip start at $322

Amtrak Oakland Chicago recent customer reviews

Wish I could go first class I know they had a ball super comfortable and an overall decent ride definitely bringing the kids next time

Yesenia C.

April 1, 2024

FlixBus

3.5/510,812 reviews

Staff4.1

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.1

Wifi2.7

Flixbus is a European bus operator that offers intercity and bus travel in over 38 countries. Known for their easy-to-spot lime green buses and for offering affordable transportation between cities in Europe and the Americas, Flixbus is a good option for those looking for an affordable, reliable bus company. In their buses, you'll find free WiFi, bathrooms, and power outlets. You can also pay extra to choose your seat and get extra legroom, or even buy a snack or drink onboard directly from the driver. You can reschedule your ticket for a small fee, which varies from $1 to $5, depending on how close you are to the departure date.

US bus companies: FlixBus, Greyhound, Tornado Bus, Los Limousines, Tufesa, Valley Transit, Senda Diamante

Oakland to Chicago Bus

With Busbud, comparing and booking tickets for a bus from Oakland to Chicago is a breeze. Browse through an extensive selection of bus fares and bus schedules to find the best deals.

We make sure you can find a bus service from Oakland to Chicago from the most reliable bus companies operating this trip.

Discover how much the bus trip from Oakland to Chicago will cost you. Use our filters and sorting features to find the cheapest bus tickets or luxury buses.

Where are the popular stops in Oakland and Chicago?

Stops in Oakland

A - Emeryville Station

B - Oakland Bus Station

C - West Oakland BART Station

D - Greyhound Station

Stops in Chicago

A - Downtown Greyhound Station

B - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

C - Polk St & Canal St

D - Tornado Bus S Kedzie Ave

E - Cumberland CTA

F - Turimex California Ave

Frequently asked questions for your trip Oakland - Chicago

What is the travel distance from Oakland to Chicago?
What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Oakland to Chicago?
What are the best sights and things to do in Chicago?

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

10/05

$285

10/06

$345

Today

$403

10/08

$15

10/09

$239

10/10

$260

10/11

$236

10/12

$246

The cheapest trip from Oakland to Chicago was searched and found on Oct 8, 2025 with a price of $15

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from Oakland to Chicago, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $15 to $1,517 for a bus ticket from Oakland to Chicago based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $15 which is on 2025-10-08.

Usually Amtrak will charge you higher prices for tickets closer to the departure date. To find the best prices, you should be flexible on your date of travel.

About Bus Travel

Bus Travel Tips

Meet and talk to locals at the bus stations while traveling from Oakland to Chicago.There is no better way to get inside travel information while exploring a new city than to go straight to its people.

Start sightseeing the minute your bus leaves the station. If you're on the night bus from Oakland to Chicago, get comfy and count the stars.

Buses have one of the smallest carbon footprints of motorized transport modes. A bus going from Oakland to Chicago will emit less CO2 than a car or an airplane.

Create your own real life musical score by curating a personalized bus travel playlist - the perfect accompaniment to your bus ride from Oakland to Chicago.

Did you know?

The Superbus, created by a Dutch engineer is the world's fastest bus with 250 km/h. Too bad it's only a prototype for now.

It takes 27 hours to go by bus from Lima to Cusco, one of the craziest bus trips on the world. This route is used daily by locals and backpackers.

The bus driver with the longest career in the world drove more than 2,000,000 miles and is a happy World Record holder.

What's the cheapest way to go from Oakland to Chicago?

The bus is the cheapest travel choice for this destination

Vehicle Type	Travel Time	Avg Price	Daily Departures
Vehicle TypeBus	Travel Time2d 16h	Avg Price$235	Daily Departures29
Vehicle TypeTrain	Travel Time2d 17h	Avg Price$437	Daily Departures3

Will you be returning to Oakland by bus?

Bus from Chicago to Oakland

You can also go to Chicago by train

Train from Oakland to Chicago

Top traveled bus routes

Why choose Busbud?

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Bus Tickets from Oakland to Chicago