The Best Megabus Routes in the US Midwest
Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis and St. Louis — ranked by frequency, fare floor, and creature comfort.
The Midwest is Megabus's home turf. The brand launched in Chicago in 2006 and built out from there, and that history shows in the depth of coverage. The best Midwest corridors offer multiple daily departures at fares competitive with anywhere in the country, often beating Amtrak by hours and cars by tens of dollars.
Chicago to Milwaukee
The flagship Midwest corridor. Five to seven daily Megabus departures, fares $9 to $24. Travel time is 1h 45m to 2h 15m. Direct competition with Amtrak's Hiawatha service keeps prices honest.
Chicago to Indianapolis
Six to eight daily departures, fares $9 to $29. Travel time is 3h 15m to 3h 45m. Much faster than Amtrak's Cardinal (5h, three days a week) and considerably cheaper than driving once you account for parking in either city.
Chicago to St. Louis
Three to four daily Megabus departures plus FlixBus competition. Fares $19 to $45. Travel time is 5h 15m to 5h 45m. Comparable to Amtrak's Lincoln Service in time, $20 to $40 cheaper.
Chicago to Detroit
Three to five daily departures, fares $19 to $45. Travel time is 5h 15m to 6h. Heavy weekend demand; book early.
Chicago to Cleveland
Two to three daily departures, fares $24 to $55. Travel time is 6h 30m to 7h 30m, often overnight.
Chicago to Cincinnati
Two daily departures, fares $19 to $45. Travel time is 5h 30m to 6h.
Chicago to Madison
Three to four daily departures, fares $9 to $24. Travel time is 3h to 3h 30m. Strong weekend demand from UW Madison students.
Chicago to Bloomington (IN)
Two to three daily departures, fares $14 to $32. Travel time is 4h to 4h 30m. Heavy academic-year demand from Indiana University students.
Detroit to Toledo
Three daily departures, fares $9 to $19. Travel time is 1h 30m. Useful connector to Greyhound's onward service to Cleveland and Columbus.
Indianapolis to Cincinnati
Two to three daily departures, fares $14 to $30. Travel time is 2h 15m. Often used as a connection in longer Megabus chains.
Conclusion
The Midwest's intercity bus network is best understood as a hub-and-spoke pattern radiating from Chicago, with secondary hubs in Detroit, Indianapolis and Minneapolis. The biggest predictor of fare and frequency is whether your trip touches Chicago — if it does, you have options at all hours and prices. If it does not, you may have one or two daily departures and limited price competition.