The NYC subway runs 24 hours, 7 days a week — one of the only major transit systems in the world to do that. It has 472 stations across 27 lines and covers Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Staten Island has its own surface railway with a separate fare.
The fare is $3.00 per ride as of January 2026. You pay by tapping any contactless credit or debit card, a phone, or a physical OMNY card directly at the turnstile reader. MetroCard — the magnetic-strip card that defined the subway for 30 years — stopped being sold and reloaded in January 2026 and is in its final phase-out. If you have a contactless card in your wallet, you do not need to buy anything at a machine before you board.
Free transfers apply between subway lines and between the subway and local MTA buses within two hours of your first tap. The more you ride, the better the value: after 12 rides in any 7-day window, all remaining trips that week are free, up to a $35 weekly cap.
Contactless card or phone (simplest): Tap the contactless symbol on your credit card, debit card, or phone at the round OMNY reader near the turnstile. The reader accepts Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover contactless chips, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. The $3.00 fare is deducted automatically. This is the fastest approach for most visitors — no setup, no machine, no card to lose.
OMNY card (optional dedicated card): Buy one at a vending machine in any station. The card costs $2.00 and you load money onto it with cash or card at the machine. It tracks the same 7-day fare cap as a contactless card. Useful if you would rather keep transit on a separate budget or if your card does not have contactless capability.
The fare cap in practice: The 7-day cap works on a rolling window, not a calendar week. Ride 1 through 12 cost $3.00 each; ride 13 onward in the same 7-day window is free, up to the $35 weekly maximum. The cap only applies when you use the same card or device every single time. If you tap your phone Monday and your Visa Tuesday, the system treats them as two separate cap counters. Pick one method and stick to it for the whole trip.
What about the MetroCard? Sales ended January 1, 2026. If you have an old MetroCard with a remaining balance, it may still work at some turnstiles through the final phase-out, but do not plan on it. Buy an OMNY card at the station or use a contactless card.
Get short, interactive stories that make each place easier to remember while you travel.
The subway map looks dense the first time. The two things that unlock it:
Color groups share tracks, not routes. The 1, 2, and 3 (red) all run on the same set of tracks up the west side of Manhattan, but they split off at different points and serve different outer-borough destinations. The same is true for the 4/5/6 (green) on the east side, the A/C/E (blue) on the far west, and the N/Q/R/W (yellow) through Midtown and into Brooklyn. When you are on the platform, always check the train letter or number on the front of the car — not just the color.
Local vs. express: Local trains stop at every station. Express trains skip many stations and are marked on the map with a white circle (local stops have a black dot). The 4 and 5 are express; the 6 is local — all three run up Lexington Avenue. If you are going more than 15 blocks, the express is almost always faster even if it means walking a few blocks at the end. Local trains on the same tracks follow the express every few minutes.
Uptown vs. downtown: Signs at station entrances and staircases say Uptown or Downtown. Uptown = north (toward the Bronx, Upper Manhattan, or northern Queens). Downtown = south (toward Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, or southern Queens). At most two-direction stations, there is a separate platform and staircase per direction — check before you descend.
Grand Central-42nd St (4, 5, 6, 7, S shuttle): The architectural heart of Midtown. The 7 train takes you directly to Hudson Yards (34th St-Hudson Yards), Flushing-Main St in Queens, and Citi Field. The S shuttle connects to Times Square in under two minutes — the fastest way across 42nd Street. The 4/5/6 run up the east side all the way to the Bronx. See the Grand Central Terminal history and visitor guide for the full story of the building itself.
Times Square-42nd St (N, Q, R, W, 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, 7, S): The largest and busiest station in the system and the main transfer hub of Midtown. Every major line except the 4/5/6 passes through here. If you are unsure which train to take, go to Times Square and you will find a connection.
14th St-Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W): Gateway to the Village, Gramercy, and the East Side. The L train runs straight to Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn. This is also the main hub for the downtown 4/5/6 express — faster to the Financial District than changing at Fulton St.
Fulton St (2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z): The hub for Lower Manhattan, two blocks from the World Trade Center and four blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge. All of the Financial District is walkable from here.
Atlantic Ave-Barclays Center (2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R, G): The main hub for getting into Brooklyn. The B, D, N, and Q trains continue to Prospect Park, Coney Island, and Bay Ridge; the G (Brooklyn only — no Manhattan service) connects to Williamsburg and Long Island City in Queens.
Check the train letter, not just the color. The B and D are both orange and both stop at 34th St-Herald Square — but they diverge completely once you leave Midtown. The digital display on the platform edge and the sign on the front of the train tell you exactly which one is coming.
Empty car, stay out. If one car of a crowded train is inexplicably empty, there is almost always a reason — something smells, an air conditioner is broken, or someone is behaving erratically. Walk to the next car.
Service changes happen every weekend. The MTA performs maintenance on Saturday and Sunday nights and mornings, rerouting or suspending individual lines. This catches visitors off guard on a Sunday morning. Before any weekend trip, check the service advisory at new.mta.info or look for the posted paper notices at the station entrance.
First and last cars are less crowded. Most riders cluster near the middle exits. If you want personal space, walk to the front or rear of the platform.
Free Wi-Fi and cell service underground. Most Manhattan underground stations have MTA-provided Wi-Fi and cellular via all major carriers. Some older underground stations in the outer boroughs do not. Download an offline map before you arrive at the airport.
JFK Airport — cheapest option: AirTrain from any terminal to the Jamaica station ($9.25, tap OMNY at the AirTrain reader), then board the A, E, or J train into Manhattan. The A train express takes about 50 minutes to Fulton St in Lower Manhattan or about 60 minutes to 42nd St-Times Square. Total cost: $3.00 subway fare plus $9.25 AirTrain = $12.25. The same OMNY card or contactless card covers both legs.
LaGuardia Airport: No direct rail connection. Take the Q70-SBS bus from any terminal to the 7 or E train (free bus, then $3.00 subway). Alternatively, the M60-SBS bus connects to 125th St for the 4/5/6, A/B/C/D trains. Total travel time to Midtown: 40-60 minutes depending on bus traffic.
Newark Airport (EWR): AirTrain within the airport to Newark Liberty International Airport station, then NJ Transit train to Newark Penn Station, and onward to New York Penn Station (34th St). NJ Transit fare: about $5.50 each way. At Penn Station, the 1/2/3 and A/C/E trains carry you anywhere in Manhattan. Total to Midtown: 45-55 minutes.
Is the subway safe? The system carries roughly 3.5 million riders on a typical weekday. Violent crime is statistically rare relative to ridership. Petty theft — phone grabs in crowded cars, pickpocketing — does happen. Keep your phone in your pocket while in crowded cars. Avoid riding alone in an empty car late at night; stay near other riders.
Does it run all night? Yes. The same lines run at reduced frequency overnight (every 20-30 minutes versus every 5-10 minutes at peak). The S shuttle between Grand Central and Times Square does not run overnight.
Is it accessible? About 30% of stations have elevator access as of 2026. Accessible stations are marked with a blue wheelchair symbol on the printed and digital maps. Check the MTA's real-time elevator status at new.mta.info before planning an accessible route, since elevators go out of service regularly.
What if I lose something on the train? Report lost items at new.mta.info/lostfound. The MTA collects items found on trains and buses and holds them for 30 days at the 34th St-Penn Station Lost Property Office. Response time varies; wallets and phones are more commonly recovered than umbrellas.
Will my old MetroCard still work? MetroCard sales and reloads ended January 1, 2026. Existing cards with a remaining balance may still be accepted at turnstiles through a final MTA phase-out date that had not been announced as of November 2026. Treat it as a maybe, not a plan — have a contactless card or OMNY card ready.
