Kirkwood, MO (KWD)

110 West Argonne Drive
Kirkwood, MO 63122-4202

Station Hours

Annual Station Ridership (FY 2025): 60,213

• Ownerships
• Routes Served
• Contact
• Local Community Links

• Facility Ownership: City of Kirkwood
• Parking Lot Ownership: City of Kirkwood
• Platform Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad
• Track Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad

• Missouri River Runner

Marty Sandoval
Regional Contact
governmentaffairschi@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

• City of Kirkwood
• Amtrak Missouri River Runner
• Kirkwood station rental information
• Historic Kirkwood Train Station Foundation
• Metro Transit buses
• Kirkwood Case Study: Civic Pride

The Romanesque Revival-style Kirkwood depot was built in 1893 by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. For townspeople, it represents more than just a place to alight and depart – it is the heart of the community. Kirkwood owes its existence to the railroad and was named for the chief engineer of the Pacific Railroad, James Pugh Kirkwood. In 1852, land was acquired from Owen Collins by the Pacific Railroad for a right-of-way, and the track from St. Louis to Kirkwood was completed the following year.

On May 11, 1853, the first train pulled into Kirkwood for an auction sale of lots, and regular service commenced on July 19 of that year. The town subsequently became the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi River. More than a decade later, in 1865, the rail line was completed across the state between St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.

The original depot was a wood frame structure built in 1863, but it only survived for 30 years. In 1893, the Missouri Pacific Railroad (which had incorporated the former Pacific Railroad) hired contractor Douglas Donovan to replace it with a more permanent stone building. The depot exhibits many similarities to the work of famed Boston architect Richard Hobson Richardson, whose buildings were usually constructed with unfinished stone in dark red, tan, brown and gray hues. The asymmetrical compositions were pierced by deep-set, round arches reminiscent of Medieval Romanesque structures found in Europe.

Constructed of random ashlar, light colored, rock-faced limestone, the Kirkwood depot features a porte-cochere and a main entrance on the north facade set within a large round arch accented by decorative voussoirs. A curved bay facing the tracks is topped by a turret with a conical roof and finial.

The interior originally featured a common arrangement in the late 19th century: waiting rooms for men and women separated by a central ticket office. Each waiting room had an entryway from the platform. From the curved bay on the south facade, the station master could monitor traffic along the rail line. A baggage room was located on the west side of the building; its large wooden doors allowed carts laden with bags and packages to be moved between the depot and the train, while small windows high on the wall offered light but also provided security for the goods stored within.

A turn-table nearby was used to turn engines for the return trip to St. Louis. Heavy freight trains pulled by steam locomotives frequently used helper engines to endure the grades of the “Kirkwood Hill” prior to dieselization.

In 1941, the depot underwent a substantial modernization by the Missouri Pacific that reorganized the interior. Down came the walls, creating one large waiting area where all passengers gathered. As part of the refreshed decor, knotty pine wainscot was placed on the lower walls while the ceiling received ornamental cypress beams. A new ticket counter installed in front of the southern bay created a more open arrangement that allowed station staff to look out onto the waiting area.

In 2003, Amtrak discontinued station agents at Kirkwood at the state’s request, in order to cut costs, yet the depot did not remain closed for long. Then-City Administrator Mike Brown led an initiative to buy the depot from the Union Pacific Railroad and then instituted a pioneer management program. The city called for volunteers to staff the Amtrak station, and 199 citizens showed up at an initial meeting, ready to perform their civic duties.

One year later, Amtrak presented station volunteers with the 2004 President’s Service and Safety “Champion of the Rails” Award. Not only do station volunteers continue to provide arrival and departure times, they meet and greet customers, beautify the station, host civic gatherings and parties, provide tourist information, and run a lending library for passengers. The depot can also be rented for events throughout the year.

As a continuing sign of the community’s dedication to its station, the Historic Kirkwood Train Station Foundation was formed in the early 2010s to seek ongoing funding sources for maintenance and construction projects.

A city-led, nearly $5 million rehabilitation project got underway in 2025 and concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September 2026. On the exterior, the project scope included extension of the platform canopy east toward Kirkwood Rd., reproducing a section that was removed in 1941; replacement of the slate and copper roof; tuckpointing and cleaning of the stonework; rehabilitation of exterior woodwork and windows; redesign and installation of an outdoor plaza and landscaping; drilling and setup of geothermal wells for a new heating and cooling system; and reconstruction of the parking lot. Inside, crews expanded the restrooms; restored and repainted woodwork, flooring and lighting, and installed modern fire suppression systems.

The rehabilitation project was overseen by Mackey Mitchell Architects of St. Louis. Funding was obtained through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, administered through the East-West Gateway Council of Governments and the Missouri Department of Transportation, federal American Rescue Plan Act funds granted to Missouri, and fundraising efforts by the Historic Kirkwood Train Station Foundation.

Today, the city is called the “Queen of the St. Louis Suburbs.” Kirkwood is often likened to Bedford Falls, the fictional town in the film, It’s a Wonderful Life, because of its stately tree-lined avenues, vibrant downtown and historic homes. Attractions in Kirkwood include the Powder Valley Nature Center, The Magic House, downtown shops and restaurants, beautiful parks and a variety of festivals.

The Missouri River Runner is financed primarily through funds made available by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Station Building (with waiting room)