From Northern New Jersey into New York City: Your Ultimate Guide
Whether you live in New Jersey or are just vacationing in New Jersey, you’re probably not aware of how many different ways you can get from the Garden State to the Big Apple.
New Jersey and New York City are separated by a 315-mile long river that originates in the Adirondack Mountains and drains into the Atlantic Ocean. This river, the Hudson River, is offical the boundary between the two states.
Right across the river from New York City lay the most northeastern NJ counties: Bergen County, Hudson County, Union County, and Essex County. These counties are home to some of the most famous and most populated cities in all of New Jersey.
Essex County is home to Newark, Montclair, Fairfield, and other major towns and cities. Union County has some smaller cities like Clark, Rahway, and Elizabeth.
In Bergen County, explore Ridgewood, East Rutherford, Fort Lee, Teaneck, Mahwah, and more! Within Hudson County, you’ll find some really cool cities to explore, including: Jersey City, Hoboken, Secaucus, Bayonne, Weehawkin, and many more. The best part? All of these lie just outside of New York City!
So How Can I Get from New Jersey to New York City?
The best part about travelling into New York City is that there are so many options. Whether you feel like driving into the city yourself, or doing something a little different and hopping on a ferry, the opportunities are nearly endless!
The first thing to consider is where exactly you are looking to travel to. New York City is made up of five different boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. There are different ways to get to each borough, which can make planning a trip very complex. Are you visiting the Bronx Zoo in northern New York City? Are you looking to see the bright lights of Times Square in Manhattan? Do you need to get to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in order to travel from Staten Island into Brooklyn? There are different methods of transportation for all of wherever you are headed to.
Luckily, we have put together a complete guide to every way of getting from NJ to New York City. Decide where you need to end up, then pick your favorite way to explore, and get on over to the City that Never Sleeps!
[button link=”#drive”]Drive[/button] [button link=”#train”]Train[/button] [button link=”#ferry”]Ferry[/button] [button link=”#bus”]Bus[/button] [button link=”#bike”]Bike[/button]
Coming from a Specific City?
Choose your origin city below to get specific transit information and directions to New York City.
Driving into New York City from NJ
Because the Hudson River runs right through the two, the only ways to get directly from New Jersey to New York City in a car are by bridge or tunnel. There are four different bridges leading into New York City: George Washington Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, and Outerbridge Crossing. There are also two tunnels leading into New York City: Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel.
George Washington Bridge
Lincoln Tunnel
An average of approximately 110,000 vehicles pass through the Lincoln Tunnel each day. In the morning during rush hour, the center tube is used by only buses.
All vehicles pay the toll heading into New York City from New Jersey. Those who are travelling westbound into New Jersey from Manhattan do not pay a toll.
Holland Tunnel
The tunnel leads into Lower Manhattan. The New York City portal opens to Canal Street and Hudson Street, just outside of Soho.
Bayonne Bridge
When it was built, the Bayonne Bridge was the longest steel arch bridge in the entire world, and it now is known as the fifth longest. It is 5,780 feet long and stands 148 feet high.
The Bayonne Bridge has less traffic on average than any of the bridges or tunnels, as it only carries about 4,500 vehicles each day. Trucks and commercial vehicles are permitted access to this bridge. Tolls are collected from vehicles when travelling south from New Jersey into Staten Island, but it is always free to travel Northbound back into New Jersey.
Goethals Bridge
This old bridge was closed in 2017 and was replaced with two connected bridges–an eastbound and a westbound span. The bridges are 7,110 feet long and 141 feet high. While it is open for transportation, the project will not be fully complete until 2018.
It is open to trucks and commercial vehicles. I-278 runs over these bridges, which is the same highway that runs over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn.
Outerbridge Crossing
It has a pretty high volume of traffic crossing through each day, and therefore has undergone many repairs and updates in the past few years. In 2017, it was announced that a $230 million study will be done for a potential replacement bridge.
Taking the Train to New York City from New Jersey
One of the most cost-effective ways to travel from New Jersey into New York City is by train. The two main railways entering New York City are PATH and NJ Transit Rail.
PATH – Port Authority of NY & NJ
PATH, Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a transit system running between northeastern New Jersey and lower/midtown Manhattan in New York City. On average, the PATH transports approximately 280,000 riders per day. See the map below for all of the PATH transit lines and stops.
PATH fares are paid with Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, SmartLink, or PATH SingleRide tickets. Each ride on the train costs $2.75, unless trips are bought in bulk using SmartLink. See more information about fares and purchase tickets here.
Because the NJ Transit Railway does not have stops in these areas, the PATH is ideal for those who are in the Jersey City area looking to travel into Manhattan. The stops at World Trade Center, 9th St., 14th ST., 23rd St., and 33rd St. also make transferring to uptown and downtown subways simple.
On Monday-Friday from 11p.m. until 6 a.m. and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, the train system changes a little bit. Rather than having the four different lines, the train only runs on two different lines.See the schedule here.
NJ Transit Rail
NJ Transit has 12 lines that run across mainly central and northern New Jersey, and covering some of southern New Jersey:
- Northeast Corridor
- Raritan Valley Line
- Gladstone Branch
- Morristown Line
- Montclair-Boonton Line
- Main Line
- Bergen County Line
- Pascack Vallet Line
- North Jersey Coast Line
- Atlantic City Line
- River Line
- MTA Metro-North Port Jervis Line
Because schedules and train fares vary depending on the day and destination, see the Train Schedule on NJ Transit’s website.
It is possible to get to New York City from each one of these railway lines.We are happy to show you exactly how to navigate the NJ Transit lines for a successful trip into the city, no matter where in NJ you are coming from!
Travelling from Northern NJ and Transferring to PATH Trains in Hoboken
Luckily, those who are going to Lower Manhattan can transfer to the PATH train at Hoboken Station. There are three lines that go to Hoboken Station:
- Pascack Valley Line
- Bergen County Line
- Main Line
- Bergen County Line
These lines run through Bergen Passaic, Essex, and Hudson counties.
Get on the train at one of the stops listed on the map on the left, or transfer to these lines at Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction.
Once your train arrives at Hoboken Station, hop off and transfer to a PATH Train. From there, you can get off in New York City at either Christopher Street, 9th Street, 14th Street, 23rd Street, or 33rd Street.
Travelling from Northwest NJ and Newark Broad Street Transfers
- Montclair-Boonton Line
- Morristown Line
- Gladstone Branch
The stops for these lines are shown on the map to the right. They primarily run through Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, and Somerset counties before all stopping at Newark Broad Street, Secaucus Junction, and finally New York Penn Station.
Each of these lines do go to New York Penn Station, and no transfer is necessary. Hop on at any one of these stops and stay on until arriving in New York City!
These are also the only three railway lines that stop at the Newark Broad Street stop, so those who need to get on the Newark Light Rail can transfer here.
Travelling from Central NJ and PATH Newark Penn Transfers
- Raritan Valley Line
- Northeast Corridor
- North Jersey Coast Line
These lines run primarily through Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.
All three stop at Newark Penn Station, which is a transfer station to PATH trains. This means if you are looking to get to Lower Manhattan, these trains are perfect for you!
If heading into New York Penn Station works for your trip, all of these lines do run directly into New York City. Hop on the train at the closest stop near you, and hop off when you’re in the city. It’s as simple as that!
Travelling from Southern NJ to NYC
- Pennsauken
- Cherry Hill
- Lindenwold
- Atco
- Hammonton
- Egg Harbor City
- Absecon
- Atlantic City
Once you get on at any of these stops on the Atlantic City Line, you will have to ride the train to Pennsauken then transfer to the River Line.
See the stops made on the River Line (connecting Pennsauken and Trenton stops) below.
From here, the train will continue to Newark Penn Station where you can transfer to a PATH train to ride into the city and get off at a stop in Lower Manhattan. You also have the option to stay on the NJT train all the way until it arrives at New York Penn Station.
While it does involve a few more stops than other regions, this is still a trip worth taking for those who prefer taking trains over buses and driving. Bring along a good book or a fun game to play, and you’ll be in New York City before you know it!
Take a Ferry to New York City from New Jersey
Try something different on your next trip to New York City, and take a ferry from New Jersey. There really is no cooler way to cross the Hudson River than on a boat, and if the weather is gorgeous it makes for amazing photo opportunities.
We put together a list of all of the ferry companies that can bring you from NJ to NY. Choose the best one for your trip based on where you are coming from and where in the city you are headed.
NY Waterway
Ferries leave from four different ports in New Jersey: Edgewater being the most northern, the Port Imperial Weehawkin, Lincoln Harbor, and Hoboken North.
The boats stop at three different ports in NYC, randing from Midtown Manhattan to Lower Manhattan and Two Bridges. Ferries stop at Pier 79 at West 39th St., World Financial Center, and Pier 11.
With boats arriving to Pier 79 from three different NJ ports, there are a few different options. Pier 79 is right near Midtown Manhattan. Get off the ferry here and check out Bryant Park!
See more information about NY Waterway ferries.
Seastreak
The boat leaves from ports in both Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. The ride takes about 40 minutes and you’ll arrive in New York City at Pier 11.
Here, you can see the breathtaking views of Two Bridges, the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge.
See more information about Seastreak ferries.
BillyBey
With boats leaving from many ports in Hudson County NJ, there are many options for getting to where you are going. These NJ ports include Hoboken, Paulus Hook, Liberty Harbor, and Port Liberte.
The BillyBey Ferry makes stops at three different ports in NYC: Pier 79 (West 39th Street), World Financial Center, and Pier 11. Head over to Pier 79 if you’re looking to explore Midtown Manhattan. The port at World Financial Center is in a great spot, as it is located right next to the World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. Pier 11 is right near Two Bridges, which provides an absolutely amazing view of the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge (it’s even better at night!).
See more information about BillyBey and NY Waterway.
Liberty State Park Water Taxi
Liberty Landing Marina is in Jersey City, NJ. The ferry arrives in New York City right near the World Financial Center and Brookfield Place. These are also right next to the World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial. From here, you can venture out into Tribeca and enjoy a night full of great meals.
See more information about the Liberty State Park Water Taxi.
Take a Bus to New York City from New Jersey
Along these routes, some buses also let people off at Secaucus Junction and Newark Penn Station, where you can catch trains to New York as mentioned above.
For bus schedules and fares, please visit the NJ Transit website.
NJT even offers an Advanced Trip Planner for those who are looking to take more than one form of public transportation in one trip.
Walk or Bike to New York City from New Jersey
This is something that if you haven’t done before, you have to try at some point! It sounds crazy, but its doable. The views are breathtaking and it feels super rewarding. This will also be a story that you’ll tell your friends and family for years to come!
If you were looking for something romantic to do on a night with beautiful weather, this is it! The George Washington Bridge has a pedestrian walking and bike path.
As long as you’re not afraid of heights, you can conquer it! Pedestrians are allowed to walk on the south side of the bridge between 6 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. It takes about 20 minutes to leisurely walk one way across the bridge.
Access the Bridge from Fort Lee NJ
Head over to Fort Lee and take on the challenge of walking across the bridge. You can also check out Fort Lee Historic Park, which surrounds the opening of the George Washington Bridge.
Bring your bike for even more fun, as once you bike across the bridge you can continue biking through Washington Heights and into Upper Manhattan. This is an awesome day trip idea!
Get On Over to the City of Dreams
Whether you decide to drive, take the train, float along on a ferry, hop on a bus, or daringly walk across the GWB–the best part about New York City is that the opportunities are endless!
There is so much to do and see in every part of New York City, and we don’t have enough time in our lifetime to see it all.
If you’re travelling to the tri-state area, we highly recommend staying in one of the best hotels in New Jersey that are near New York City.
Find fun things to do in New Jersey.