Commute Times to New York City from 7 Popular Suburbs

Whether you just got a job in New York City and are moving to the area for the first time, or you’re a longtime city dweller looking to leave the city in order to buy a home or build a family, if you’re still planning to work in Manhattan, there’s a good chance your commute time is going to be at the top of the priority list when looking for a new home.

The good news: with more than 600,000 people commute into New York City from the surrounding towns each day, quality public transportation is a priority in the area, and accessible by towns stretching into upstate New York, New Jersey, Long Island, and Connecticut. So which towns offer the best train commutes to the city? We’ve put together a list of popular towns for commuters, along with the average commute time and train frequency.

Lyndhurst, New Jersey: Despite the fact that a train to Penn Station from Lyndhurst requires a transfer at Seacaucus Junction, the total one-way commute time to Penn Station is still just 27 minutes.

Larchmont, New York. It doesn’t get much more convenient than Larchmont. Trains run from the sough-after town to Grand Central about every 30 minutes, and take anywhere from 32-42 minutes.

Short Hills, New Jersey: A direct train from this swanky suburb, off of the Morristown and Essex lines, takes roughly 40 minutes.

East Williston, New York. The small Long-Island town is just 41 minutes to Manhattan via express train on the Oyster Bay Branch of the LIRR.

Woodbridge, New Jersey: Trains on New Jersey Transit’s Coast Line run every 20-40 minutes from the popular town of Woodbridge, and take as little as 42 minutes to get to Penn Station.

Freeport, New York. Part of the larger town of Hempstead on the southern coast of Long Island, trains from the Village of Freeport run about every 15 minutes during peak commute times and average about 45 minutes.

Stamford, Connecticut. At about 48-59 minutes, the commute time is slightly longer than from towns in inner Westchester, but trains leave Stamford for Grand Central Station as frequently as six minutes apart during peak commute hours.

Thinking about making the move to one of these New York City suburbs? Get in touch with American Movers today.