Getting from Penn Station to Times Square is one of the shortest and most common trips in New York City — about six-tenths of a mile, straight up Seventh Avenue — and yet travelers overthink it every day. They queue for taxis to go eight blocks, or stand confused in front of the subway map, or pay a rideshare surge for a ride that takes longer than walking. This 2026 guide lays out every real option — walking, subway, taxi, rideshare, bus — with honest times and costs, so you can pick the right one in thirty seconds and get on with your day.
The context: you have just arrived at Penn Station — Amtrak, LIRR, or NJ Transit, possibly through the Moynihan Train Hall — and Times Square sits due north at 42nd Street. Everything below assumes that starting point. If you’re flying in instead, our best airport for Times Square guide covers which airport to choose in the first place.
Penn Station to Times Square at a glance
| Option | Time | Cost (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk | 10–13 min | Free | Light luggage, good weather, no mobility issues |
| Subway | 10–15 min door to door | $3.00 | Heavy bags, bad weather, late night |
| Taxi | 8–15 min (traffic) | ~$8–$14 metered + surcharges | Groups of 3–4, lots of luggage |
| Rideshare | 10–20 min (wait + traffic) | ~$10–$20, surge higher | When taxis are scarce |
| Bus | 15–25 min | $3.00 | Rarely the right call on this route |
The honest summary most guides won’t give you: for this specific trip, walking is usually the fastest option. The subway saves your legs, not your time. Taxis make sense only with heavy luggage or a group. Everything else is situational.
Walking: the 10-minute option everyone underestimates
The walk from Penn Station to Times Square is almost embarrassingly simple: exit onto Seventh Avenue, turn left (north), and walk eight blocks to 42nd Street. That’s it. No turns, no navigation, one straight line. At a normal pace it’s 10–13 minutes; the distance is roughly 0.6 miles.
What makes the walk genuinely pleasant, not just fast, is that Seventh Avenue between 34th and 42nd is one of the most interesting stretches of Midtown. You’ll pass the Fashion District’s storefronts, cross 40th Street by Bryant Park’s southern edge (two minutes west if you want the detour), and arrive at Times Square from the south — which means the lights hit you all at once as you cross 42nd. Arriving on foot gives you the reveal that a subway exit can’t.
The honest caveats: this is a bad idea with more luggage than you can comfortably carry for ten minutes, in a downpour, or if anyone in your party has mobility limitations. Seventh Avenue sidewalks are wide but crowded, and the 42nd Street approach funnels into the densest pedestrian traffic in the city. At night the route is well-lit and busy — it’s one of the safest walks in Manhattan — but keep the standard city awareness: bags zipped, phone in a pocket at the 42nd Street scrum.
Subway: the $3.00 workhorse for Penn Station to Times Square
If you’d rather not walk, the subway is one stop and $3.00. From 34th Street–Penn Station you have three good choices, and the right one depends on which station entrance you’re nearest:
The 1 train (red line). Board the uptown 1 at 34th St–Penn Station, ride one stop, get off at Times Sq–42nd St. This is the simplest option — one stop, no transfers, and the Times Square station complex drops you directly into the action at 42nd and Broadway.
The 2/3 trains (red express). Same stations as the 1 — 34th St–Penn Station to Times Sq–42nd St, one stop. Slightly faster between stations, though on a one-stop ride the difference is seconds.
The A/C/E (blue line). One stop from 34th St–Penn Station to 42nd St–Port Authority Bus Terminal, which puts you at 42nd and Eighth Avenue — the west edge of Times Square, a two-minute walk to the center. Useful if you’re staying on the west side or connecting to buses at Port Authority.
Pay with OMNY — tap your contactless card or phone at the turnstile for the $3.00 fare; no MetroCard needed anymore. Door to door, including the walk down into Penn’s subway mezzanine and back up at Times Square, budget 10–15 minutes. That’s the detail that surprises people: the train ride itself is about two minutes, but the station navigation on both ends eats the savings versus walking.
Late-night note: the subway runs 24 hours, which makes it the default choice after midnight when walking feels less appealing and taxis thin out. The Times Sq–42nd St complex is staffed and busy around the clock; the standard advice applies — stay in well-lit areas, keep valuables out of sight, and trust your instincts.
Taxi: when it’s worth it for Penn Station to Times Square
Yellow cabs queue on Eighth Avenue outside Penn Station, and for this trip the honest math is: a group of three or four with luggage should take the taxi; one person with a backpack should not. The metered fare for eight blocks runs roughly $8–$12 before extras, and the extras on a short hop are proportionally significant: $0.50 MTA surcharge, $1.00 improvement surcharge, $2.50 state congestion surcharge (Manhattan below 96th Street), and $0.75 MTA congestion-pricing toll (below 60th Street) — plus a $2.50 rush-hour surcharge on weekday afternoons from 4–8 PM. All-in, expect $13–$20 for the ride. Split four ways, that’s competitive with the subway and far easier with suitcases.
Two practical tips. First, at peak arrival times the taxi line on Eighth Avenue can be 10–15 minutes itself — if the line is long and your luggage is manageable, you’re faster on foot. Second, agree on nothing with the driver; it’s a metered trip in Manhattan, meter on, receipt at the end. Anyone quoting a flat “special price” for eight blocks is running a game.
Rideshare and bus: the situational picks
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) works from the designated pickup zones around Penn Station, but for this route it’s the worst of both worlds: you wait 5–10 minutes for the car, then sit in the same Midtown traffic as the taxi, usually at a higher price — $10–$20 before surge, more when it rains. The one scenario where rideshare wins is late at night when the taxi line is empty and you’d rather not walk. Otherwise, skip it for eight blocks.
The bus exists — uptown routes run along Seventh Avenue — but at $3.00 and 15–25 minutes in traffic, it loses to both walking and the subway on every dimension for this trip. The only travelers who should consider it are those who can’t manage stairs and find the bus’s kneeling ramp easier than the subway’s elevators, and even then the subway stations on this route have elevator access.
Inside Penn Station: finding your way out
Penn Station confuses first-timers because it’s really two stations stacked together: the historic underground complex beneath Madison Square Garden and the Moynihan Train Hall across Eighth Avenue, which opened in 2021 as Amtrak’s grand new home with its soaring glass skylight. If you arrived on Amtrak, you’re likely in Moynihan — exit east toward Seventh Avenue for the walk or the 1/2/3 trains. LIRR and NJ Transit still use the older concourses under the Garden; follow signs for Seventh Avenue or the subway.
The station is the busiest rail hub in North America, moving hundreds of thousands of people daily, so the wayfinding is built for volume: color-coded signs, constant foot traffic to follow. If you’re lost, walk toward the light — the main exits dump you onto Seventh or Eighth Avenue, and from either one Times Square is a straight shot north.
Arriving in Times Square: what to know
Times Square draws roughly 50 million visitors a year, and the pedestrian plazas — car-free since 2009 — mean the center of it is a sea of people, street performers, and LED screens. Coming up from the subway at 42nd and Broadway puts you in the middle of it; walking up Seventh drops you at the southern edge, which is the better first impression.
If Times Square is a stopover rather than the destination — you’re headed to a hotel, a theater, or back to the airport — the same logic in reverse applies. And if the airport is your next move, a pre-booked car service beats the taxi line: our JFK to Times Square car service page covers flat-rate options with no surge pricing.
Penn Station to Times Square: FAQ
How long does it take to get from Penn Station to Times Square?
Walking takes 10–13 minutes (about 0.6 miles straight up Seventh Avenue). The subway is 10–15 minutes door to door including station navigation. Taxis take 8–15 minutes depending on Midtown traffic.
What is the cheapest way from Penn Station to Times Square?
Walking is free and usually fastest. The subway costs $3.00 via OMNY tap-to-pay. A yellow taxi runs roughly $13–$20 all-in after the mandated Manhattan surcharges.
Which subway do I take from Penn Station to Times Square?
Take the uptown 1 (or 2/3 express) one stop from 34th St–Penn Station to Times Sq–42nd St. The A/C/E one stop to 42nd St–Port Authority also works, dropping you at the west edge of Times Square.
Can I walk from Penn Station to Times Square at night?
Yes — it’s one of the best-lit, busiest pedestrian corridors in Manhattan at all hours, and the route is a straight line up Seventh Avenue. Standard city awareness applies, especially in the 42nd Street crowds.
How much is a taxi from Penn Station to Times Square?
The meter runs about $8–$12 for the distance; with the $0.50 MTA surcharge, $1.00 improvement surcharge, $2.50 congestion surcharge, and $0.75 MTA toll, expect $13–$20 total (plus $2.50 weekday 4–8 PM rush). It’s metered — never accept a flat “special price.”
Is the Penn Station to Times Square route wheelchair accessible?
Both the 34th St–Penn Station and Times Sq–42nd St subway complexes have elevator access, and the walking route is level sidewalk the whole way. Buses on the avenue offer kneeling ramps as an alternative.
Should I take Uber from Penn Station to Times Square?
Usually not — you’ll wait for the car and then sit in the same traffic as a taxi at a higher price. Rideshare makes sense mainly late at night when taxis are scarce and you’d rather not walk.
Where do I exit Penn Station for Times Square?
Head for the Seventh Avenue exits (from Moynihan Train Hall, go east; from the older LIRR/NJ Transit concourses, follow Seventh Avenue signs). Turn north on Seventh and walk eight blocks — no turns needed.
Sources
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority — subway fares, OMNY tap-to-pay, and station accessibility: new.mta.info
- Times Square Alliance — visitor statistics and pedestrian plaza district information: timessquarenyc.org
- JetBlack Transportation — airport and Times Square transfer guides (companion pages): jetblacktransportation.com/blog/best-airport-for-times-square
