United States
New York
Yellow cabs thread the skyscraper canyons. The subway runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
New York City Subway (the subway)
Updated on August 2, 2026
How to ride
- 1Tap your card at the turnstileHold your contactless card or phone against the OMNY reader on the turnstile. When the screen says GO, push through the bar.
- 2No contactless card? Buy an OMNY CardEvery station has vending machines that sell and reload the OMNY Card. They take cash and internationally issued cards.
- 3Check the direction before the platformTrains are named by number or letter. In Manhattan, Uptown means north and Downtown means south - pick the right entrance stair.
- 4Don't tap on the way outJust push through the bar or door on the way out. There is no exit reader and nothing more is charged.
- 5Use the same card to transfer to a busWithin two hours of tapping in, the same card gets you one free transfer to a bus. Switch cards and it counts as a new trip.
- 6Check the map before a late-night rideTrains run all night, but overnight routes and stops differ. Check the MTA app or the station notices before you ride.
Fares
Single fares2
Fare caps1
Card itself1
Children & discounts1
Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026
Payment
Tap to ride 
IC card 
App tickets 
Paper tickets 
Cash Quick facts
Fares
Tourist passNo unlimited pass exists any more - the $35 7-day cap replaced it
Daily fare capThere is no daily cap; the cap works over 7 days, at $35
Transfer discountsOne free subway-bus transfer within two hours on the same card
Facilities
Lifts (step-free)（Limited）More than 150 of the 472 stations are ADA-accessible. Those stations have an AutoGate - a wide gate you can also use with a stroller, a suitcase, or a bike.
Suitcases & luggageTake large bags through the AutoGate at any ADA-accessible station
Free Wi-Fi（Limited）All 281 underground stations have station Wi-Fi and cell service. Above-ground and SIR stations are part of an expansion whose 2026 status we could not confirm.
Toilets（Limited）At some stations only, 7am-7pm, shut noon-1pm for cleaning
Rules
Eating & drinking on boardEating is fine; open liquid containers barred ($25). Alcohol $50, litter $100
Smoking（Banned）Banned in stations and on trains, vaping included - $50 fine
Pets（Limited）Only in a container carried so it doesn't annoy others; service animals exempt
Fare evasion fine（Banned）First time is a warning; then $100, then $150 or a criminal summons
Apps & info
Journey planner app (Google Maps, Citymapper, MTA)
English signageSigns and announcements are English; other languages are rare
Operating hoursThe subway runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year - one of the few systems anywhere that never closes. Overnight, routes and stopping patterns change, and the MTA publishes a separate late-night diagram. The Roosevelt Island Tramway runs 6:00-2:00 Sunday to Thursday and 6:00-3:30 Friday and Saturday, every 7.5 minutes at peak and every 15 minutes otherwise.
Heads-up
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Tapping your whole wallet charges the first card read
Tap your whole wallet on the reader and OMNY charges whichever card it reads first. Take the card you mean to use out of the wallet before you tap.
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PATH is a different operator and takes no OMNY Card
PATH, the line under the Hudson to New Jersey, looks exactly like a subway but is a different operator. Your OMNY Card won't work and no free transfer or 7-day cap carries over; a contactless bank card does work, but through PATH's own TAPP system at PATH's own fare.
Timetable
Route map
Editor Naotaka