From Amtrak, we have a collection of Presidential hometowns that are linked by railroads. It’s time to remember our presidents and reflect on all things POTUS. Amtrak pulled together their fun presidential list. Here is Amtrak’s list of presidential hometowns they can take you to.
New York City, NY
As the youngest president to take office (he was 42 years old), Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., hails from the city that is also our busiest station in the Amtrak system, New York City. Before he became our nation’s 26th president, he wore many hats, including New York City Police Commissioner. Today, fourteen Amtrak routes pass through Roosevelt’s hometown, including the Northeast Regional, Adirondack, Crescent and many others.
Cincinnati, OH
Served by our Cardinal/Hoosier State, our 27th president, William Howard Taft, called Cincy home. While he didn’t take one of our trains when he traveled to The District to take office, he is the only person to serve as president and chief justice of the United States. How’s that for a fun fact!
Omaha, NE, and Grand Rapids, MI
Leslie Lynch King, Jr., was our 38th president, our 40th vice president and known to you as Gerald Ford. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, President Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, making him a two for one on our presidential hometown list. Frequent Amtrak riders know that our California Zephyr, one of our most scenic routes, makes a daily stop in Omaha. While his home base in Grand Rapids is the last stop on the Pere Marquette, which is part of our Michigan Services routes.
Hope, AR
Back in April 2013, we expanded service on our Texas Eagle to include Hope, Arkansas, which happens to be the birthplace of William Jefferson Clinton, our 42nd president. Our Texas Eagle is one of our longest routes, traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and making stops in numerous Texas cities including Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
New Haven, CT
Our 43rd president is typically associated with the state of Texas, but New Haven, Connecticut, gets the honor of being the birthplace of George W. Bush. When he lived in DC, our Acela or Northeast Regional would have been the routes of choice for a quick getaway to New England. But as a resident of Texas once again, our Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited are the routes that can take him on his own Amtrak adventure.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
