Heartland Flyer With Kids: Every Stop, Upstairs Seats and Kids Fares
Want a half-day train ride that still feels like a real trip? The Heartland Flyer fits: one train a day each way runs between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth in about 4 hours, with five stops in between, and kids 2 to 12 ride at half the adult fare with an adult. Its double-decker Superliner coaches put most seats upstairs with big windows, and the ride crosses the Arbuckle Mountains and the Red River, the border between Oklahoma and Texas. Here's every stop, what's running in fall 2026 and the best short rides.
The short version
- One round trip a day: south from Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m., north from Fort Worth at 5:25 p.m., about 4 hours each way.
- Double-decker Superliner coaches with upstairs seats and a small cafe. Coach only: no Business Class, no sleepers.
- Kids 2 to 12 ride for half the adult price with a grown-up 18 or older, and a lap baby under 2 is free, one per adult.
- Worried it might get cut? Texas approved money in August 2026 to keep the daily train running. The Kansas extension is still only a plan.
- There is no checked baggage, so pack only what you can carry on.
- Steam engine fans: Pauls Valley shows a 1911 Santa Fe locomotive next to its old depot.
Heartland Flyer at a glance
- Runs between
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas
- States
- Oklahoma and Texas
- Distance
- about 206 miles
- End to end
- about 4 hours
- Trains
- One round trip per day, every day
- Train cars
- Two or three double-decker Superliner coaches
- Upstairs seating
- Yes, most seats are on the upper level
- Food
- Small cafe on the lower level of one coach
- Business Class
- None, coach only
- Sleeper rooms
- None, this is a daytime train
- Checked bags
- Not offered; carry-on bags only
- Top speed
- 79 mph
Look inside the book
Oklahoma to Texas by train? Save Rally a window seat.
Rally Takes the Train takes about five minutes to read, a good warm-up before the Arbuckle Mountains. Have a look inside below.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Do kids need a ticket on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes, every child 2 to 12 needs one. They pay half the adult fare when riding with a grown-up 18 or older, and a baby under 2 rides free on your lap, one per adult. The Amtrak with kids guide has the general rules; these are the Heartland Flyer details.
- Two states pay for it. Oklahoma and Texas fund the train together. In April 2026, the Texas Department of Transportation had to send a discontinuance notice because the state budget left out its share. In August 2026, Texas approved a $4.2 million transfer to keep the daily train running while lawmakers work on the next budget.
- Coach is the only class. There’s no Business Class and no sleeper, so everyone buys a coach ticket. Seats are open, not assigned, so get there early if you want your crew sitting together upstairs.
- Check the October 18 notice. Amtrak listed Heartland Flyer service adjustments starting October 18, 2026. We couldn’t read the details, so check your date on amtrak.com before you tell the kids it’s happening.
- Game weekend is over for 2026. Each October, the Big Game Train runs on past Fort Worth to Dallas for the Oklahoma and Texas football game. In 2026 it was scheduled for October 9 to 11; the rest of the year, the train ends in Fort Worth.
Free for train families
Print the free Heartland Flyer activity book
A stop tracker for all 7 stops, a word search full of Heartland Flyer stops, window bingo, a maze, a ticket to fill in and a page to draw the view. It fits in a folder with a few crayons and weighs nothing in the diaper bag.
Get the free Heartland Flyer activity bookEvery Heartland Flyer stop, from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth
The Heartland Flyer stops at 7 stations from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, and every train stops at all of them. A planned extension north into Kansas isn’t running.
Oklahoma- Oklahoma City (Santa Fe Depot)Look for: Before you board, find the metal and glass sculpture called "Connectivity" over the west entrance of the 1934 Art Deco depot. Can they pick out the wheels, pistons and cow catchers? The OKC Streetcar stops here too.
- NormanLook for: Look for the 1909 brick and limestone Santa Fe depot, built in Mission style. Storm-loving kids will like knowing the National Weather Center in Norman holds a storm chaser car show each year.
- PurcellLook for: Purcell calls itself the Heart of Oklahoma. Tell them two Santa Fe lines met right here at the South Canadian River crossing in 1887.
- Pauls ValleyLook for: Have them look just north of the 1905 wooden depot, now a history museum, for Santa Fe steam engine No. 1951, built in 1911, sitting next to a red caboose.
- ArdmoreLook for: In Depot Park, find locomotive No. 1108. It helped bring the "Mercy Train" of aid from Texas after a 1915 explosion downtown. The depot opened in 1917.
- GainesvilleLook for: The 1902 brick depot has a museum on the ground floor and a recreated Harvey House guest room upstairs. Animal fans: circus performers helped start the Frank Buck Zoo in town.
- Fort Worth Central StationLook for: Count the faces on the 70-foot clock tower (there are four), then find the restored trolley car on display. The Fort Worth Water Gardens, built in 1974, are nearby.
What kids can see from the Heartland Flyer
The Heartland Flyer runs on a line the Santa Fe railroad built in 1887 to haul cattle and passengers between Kansas and Texas. It's the only way to see much of this country by train, and the upstairs windows give kids a front-row view.
The Arbuckle Mountains
North of Ardmore, the train crosses the Arbuckle Mountains, which Amtrak's own timetable has listed as the route's scenic highlight. Ardmore’s first post office sat between the Arbuckles and the Red River. This is the stretch to get everyone back to the window, snacks and all.
Cross the Red River into Texas
Between Ardmore and Gainesville, the train crosses the Red River, the border between Oklahoma and Texas. Gainesville sits about five miles south of the river. Start a countdown when you leave Ardmore, and cheer when you change states.
A train that came back
Passenger trains on this line stopped in 1979, when Amtrak ended the Lone Star. Service came back with the Heartland Flyer on June 14, 1999, and the first year drew about three times as many riders as Amtrak expected. About 80,000 people rode it in fiscal 2025.
What about Kansas?
Kansas is studying a northern extension from Oklahoma City to Newton, with new stops like Wichita, Edmond and Guthrie. As of a February 2026 state update, there was no start date. For now, Amtrak sells a Thruway bus from Oklahoma City to Wichita and Newton, where it meets the Southwest Chief overnight.
Where to sit with kids on the Heartland Flyer
The Heartland Flyer usually runs with two or three Superliner coaches. Most seats are upstairs, two on each side of the aisle, with big windows on both sides. The lower level has wheelchair-accessible seats and the restrooms, so a downstairs seat makes life easier with a baby or a stroller.
Seats aren't assigned, and families who board first at Oklahoma City or Fort Worth get the pick, so be at the station early. Superliner coaches don't have tables. Bring a lap tray or a clipboard for drawing.
There's no Business Class on this train. When the kids need to move, go down to the cafe area on the lower level for a snack break, then head back up. On the narrow stairs, keep one hand on the rail while the train is moving.
If your crew can’t sit together on the Heartland Flyer
Book everyone on one reservation, then treat boarding as the main event. Flyer seats aren’t assigned and the train usually has only two or three coaches, so families who line up first at Oklahoma City or Fort Worth get the pick. On a crowded platform, Amtrak often boards families with young kids first. Upstairs pairs have the views; downstairs is near the restrooms.
Boarding at Norman, Ardmore or Gainesville and upstairs looks full? Check downstairs, then the other coaches, and settle a row apart until something opens. To ask a stranger to switch, ask early, give one line (“We have a 3-year-old”) and offer a seat on the same level, facing the same way. Don’t ask for a Red River window unless you have a window to give, and let a no go with a smile.
The conductor can help too, at the door or during the ticket scan. Tell them the size of your crew and the kids’ ages, then ask whether the other coach has room. Flyer conductors can spot open seats for you and get bags cleared off them, since each ticket gets one seat, but someone already seated keeps it. Even for 22 minutes to Norman, keep small kids next to a grown-up.
The best first Heartland Flyer ride with kids
With just one train each way per day, every trip turns into a full-day plan, so pick your stop with that in mind. Times come from Amtrak’s October 2026 timetable; check amtrak.com for the October 18 changes.
- Oklahoma City to Norman (22 minutes). Ride train 821 at 8:25 a.m. and reach Norman at 8:47 a.m. Spend the day in town, then catch train 822 back at 8:49 p.m., arriving in Oklahoma City at 9:27 p.m., likely with a sleeping passenger or two.
- Oklahoma City to Pauls Valley (1 hour). Train 821 arrives at 9:25 a.m., steps from the steam engine and depot museum. Train 822 leaves Pauls Valley at 8:03 p.m. for home.
- Fort Worth to Gainesville (about 1 hour). Train 822 leaves Fort Worth at 5:25 p.m. and reaches Gainesville at 6:28 p.m. Stay the night, see the depot museum, and ride train 821 back at 11:03 a.m., arriving in Fort Worth at 12:27 p.m.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Heartland Flyer
One Superliner coach has a small cafe on its lower level with sandwiches, snacks and drinks. It isn't a full dining car, so pack a lunch for the four-hour ride, plus a few free coloring pages for after. The southbound train leaves at 8:25 a.m., so throw breakfast in the bag too.
Restrooms are on the lower level of the coaches. Take kids down before the long run between Pauls Valley and Ardmore, about 50 minutes, and again before Gainesville, so the potty dash doesn't land during the Red River crossing.
There are no sleepers, but the northbound train reaches Oklahoma City at 9:27 p.m., so pajamas and a blanket can turn the last hour into a nap. Connecting to the Texas Eagle in Fort Worth? The southbound Flyer arrives at 12:27 p.m., before the Eagle’s afternoon departures. We found no confirmed changing table on the Flyer, so carry a portable pad for the downstairs restroom.
A train book for the ride
In Rally Takes the Train, Rally gets the window seat and watches a white bird fly by. The upstairs windows on the Heartland Flyer feel made for that page. Read it as the train reaches the Arbuckle Mountains, then have kids keep a bird count until you cross the Red River.
Gainesville and Ardmore both have big, old depots, a lot like the station in Rally's book. Before you leave home, print the free Rally activity pack and coloring pages for the stretch south of Norman.
Pack Rally for the Red River crossingA five-minute picture book about a corgi’s first train ride and his favorite window seat, painted in watercolor for ages 0 to 8. $13.99 on Amazon.
Buy on Amazon
More for train families
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find another train by city or station
- The complete guide to Amtrak with kids: tickets, car seats, changing tables, family tables and what to pack by age
- Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before your trip
- Texas Eagle with kids
- Southwest Chief with kids
Sources
- Amtrak timetable: Heartland Flyer (October 2026)
- Rail Passengers Association timetable: Heartland Flyer (August 2026)
- Amtrak: Service alerts
- Wikipedia: Heartland Flyer
- Railway News: Texas funding secures daily Heartland Flyer service (Aug 2026)
- Progressive Railroading: Texas-Oklahoma Amtrak route in jeopardy again (May 2026)
- ODOT: All aboard the Big Game Train (Sept 2026)
- KDOT: Heartland Flyer Extension Update (Feb 2026)
- Amtrak 2012 timetable: Texas Eagle and Heartland Flyer
- Amtrak Guide: Heartland Flyer
- Great American Stations: Pauls Valley, OK
- Great American Stations: Gainesville, TX
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Heartland Flyer with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes. On the Heartland Flyer, each child 2 to 12 gets a half-price coach ticket when booked with a grown-up 18 or older, and the child's age when the trip begins decides it. Coach is the only class on the Heartland Flyer, so there are no Business Class or sleeper prices to puzzle over. One coach ticket per kid, and you're done.
Do babies ride free on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes. Between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, one baby younger than 2 rides free on each full-fare adult's lap. A second baby with the same adult, or a baby who gets their own seat, pays the child fare. With only two or three coaches on this train, don't expect a spare seat for the baby; one is only theirs if no paying rider wants it.
Do I need a car seat on the Heartland Flyer?
No. The Superliner coach seats on the Flyer can't hold a car seat in place, so it can only use an empty seat a ticketed rider doesn't need, and a baby under 2 might ride on your lap with the seat put away. The Heartland Flyer has no checked baggage either, so a car seat is one more thing to carry up and down. Bring it only if a car is waiting in Fort Worth or Oklahoma City.
Are there changing tables on the Heartland Flyer?
We couldn't confirm changing tables on the Heartland Flyer's Superliner coaches. Amtrak has no official diaper-changing policy, availability varies, and Amtrak says its new cars will have tables in accessible restrooms. The restrooms on this train are on the lower level, where the accessible seats are, so try the larger accessible one there and bring a portable changing pad.
Where are the bathrooms on the Heartland Flyer?
On the lower level of the coaches. Most seats are upstairs, so a bathroom trip means the narrow Superliner stairs, one hand on the rail. Each coach has its restrooms down there, with a light to show when one is busy. Head down with any young kid, and give them fair warning about the loud flush. Plan a trip before the roughly 50-minute run from Pauls Valley to Ardmore.
Can I bring a stroller on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes, a folding one. There's no checked baggage on the Heartland Flyer, so it rides with you, and a folding stroller or car seat can replace a regular carry-on at no charge. Bringing a baby under 2? One more infant item, like the diaper bag, doesn't count against you. A big jogging or double stroller is a hard fit here, and since most seats are upstairs, a lower-level seat with the stroller is easiest.
Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes. Oklahoma and Texas, like every state, allow breastfeeding in public, so nurse wherever you're sitting, upstairs or down. There's no dining car on this train, just a small cafe on the lower level of one coach, so bring formula, water and clean bottles for the four hours. The southbound train leaves Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m., so pack for a morning feed too.
Is there food for kids on the Heartland Flyer?
There's a small cafe on the lower level of one coach with sandwiches, snacks and drinks, but no dining car. Pack lunch for the four-hour ride, and breakfast too if you're on the 8:25 a.m. train out of Oklahoma City. A walk downstairs to the cafe makes a good snack break when the kids need to move, then everybody heads back up.
How do I keep kids entertained on the Heartland Flyer?
Point them at the windows. North of Ardmore come the Arbuckle Mountains, and between Ardmore and Gainesville the train crosses the Red River into Texas, so start a countdown. Have them spot the steam engine at Pauls Valley and keep a bird count from the upstairs seats. South of Norman, pull out a lap tray, the Rally book and the activity pack you printed free.
Can we sit together on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes, if you get there early. Seats on the Heartland Flyer aren't assigned, and families who board first at Oklahoma City or Fort Worth get the pick. Most of the Flyer's seats are on the upper level in pairs, with wide windows on both sides. With a baby or stroller, the lower level has accessible seats near the restrooms. Superliner coaches have no tables, so pack a lap tray.
What if the Heartland Flyer is full and we're not sitting together?
Sit near each other first, a row apart if needed, with your youngest beside you, then check both levels of every coach. With only two or three cars, it doesn't take long. Riders get off at stops like Norman and Ardmore, so check again once you pass them. Asking someone to trade? Offer a matching seat on the same level, and don't push if they'd rather stay.
Can I ask the Heartland Flyer conductor to help us sit together?
Yes, and since seats aren't assigned, it's worth asking. Catch the conductor on the platform step or at the ticket check, mention the size of your family and your kids' ages, and see if another coach has space. They can direct you to open seats and get bags moved off them, one seat per ticket, but won't move someone already sitting there.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Heartland Flyer?
The Heartland Flyer usually runs just two or three coaches, and we couldn't confirm whether one of them is a Quiet Car. If a car is marked as one, the rules are low voices, no phone calls and no sound from devices. With a toddler excited about the Red River, we'd skip it, sit in a regular coach and bring headphones for any show.
What should I pack for a toddler on the Heartland Flyer?
Pack carry-on only for about four hours, since there's no checked baggage. Every adult gets two bags and a personal item, plus a free diaper bag when a baby under 2 is along. Fill them with diapers and wipes, a changing pad, clean clothes, breakfast, lunch, water, a lap tray, headphones, one favorite toy per kid and our free window-drawing and tracing pages. Keep it light enough to carry upstairs.
Can kids nap on the Heartland Flyer?
Yes, in their coach seats, since the Flyer runs by day and has no sleepers. With one train each way, timing is fixed: train 821 leaves Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m. and reaches Fort Worth at 12:27 p.m., and train 822 leaves Fort Worth at 5:25 p.m., arriving in Oklahoma City at 9:27 p.m. Pajamas and a blanket can turn that last hour north into sleep.
What's the best first ride with kids on the Heartland Flyer?
Oklahoma City to Norman, just 22 minutes. Ride train 821 at 8:25 a.m. and you're in Norman at 8:47 a.m. The catch is the ride home: train 822 doesn't leave Norman until 8:49 p.m., reaching Oklahoma City at 9:27 p.m., so plan a full day in town. Check the October 2026 times and the October 18 changes on amtrak.com first.
Can kids ride the Heartland Flyer alone?
No one 12 or younger can. For ages 13 to 15, Amtrak's unaccompanied minor option needs a phone booking at 1-800-USA-RAIL, daytime travel, staffed stations, no transfers and an adult ticket. Ask whether the northbound train, which reaches Oklahoma City at 9:27 p.m., counts as daytime. Teens 16 and 17 can ride alone.
How early should we get to the station for the Heartland Flyer?
About 30 minutes early, and earlier if seats together matter. Seats aren't assigned, so families who board first at Oklahoma City or Fort Worth get the pick of the upstairs windows. When the platform is crowded, Amtrak often boards families with young kids first. In Oklahoma City, have the kids find the wheels and pistons in the Connectivity sculpture over the depot's west entrance while you wait.
What if my child gets scared on the Heartland Flyer?
Prepare them for the big moments. The Flyer's horn is loud, and the Red River crossing and the Arbuckle Mountains are big, new sights. Hold them close, name each sound and let them cover their ears. If the upstairs feels like too much, a lower-level seat is calmer. Rally's tunnel page helps too: the dark, noisy part passes, then the sun comes back.
Is the Heartland Flyer safe for kids?
Yes, with a few double-decker habits. Hold hands on the Oklahoma City or Fort Worth platform and keep well back from the edge until the Flyer stops. On the narrow Superliner stairs, keep one hand on the rail while the train moves, and carry anyone too small to climb. Kids should sit or hold on while you're rolling, keep shoes on for cafe trips and hold a hand between cars.
What if the Heartland Flyer is delayed?
Before you head out, open the Amtrak app to find the Flyer on its map, and read whatever advisories Amtrak has posted, especially since Amtrak listed Heartland Flyer service adjustments starting October 18, 2026. Pack extra snacks, diapers and a printable Rally maze. If you're connecting to the Texas Eagle in Fort Worth, the southbound Flyer arrives at 12:27 p.m., before the Eagle's afternoon departures, so a long delay could squeeze that connection.
Is the Heartland Flyer still running in 2026?
Yes, it runs daily between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth. Texas sent a discontinuance notice in April 2026 after its budget left out funding, but in August 2026 the state approved a $4.2 million transfer to keep it going. It only reaches Dallas for the Big Game Train each October, and the planned Kansas extension has no start date yet.