Grand Central Terminal to Upper West Side by subway

Ask Cobblehop

By Cobblehop · November 7, 2026 · Source: MTA schedules (fall 2026), checked November 7, 2026

Step by step

1. Walk about 5 minutes from Grand Central Terminal to Grand Central-42 St.
2. Take a Hudson Yards-bound 7 train from Grand Central-42 St to Times Sq-42 St. It's 2 stops, about 3 minutes.
3. At Times Sq-42 St, walk about 5 minutes to Times Sq-42 St for the 2 or 3 train.
4. Take an uptown 2 or 3 train from Times Sq-42 St to 72 St. It's 1 stop, about 4 minutes.
5. From 72 St, walk about 2 minutes to Upper West Side.

Other ways to go

• Take the M42 bus from E 42 St/Park Av to W 42 St/7 Av, then take an uptown 2 or 3 train from Times Sq-42 St to 72 St: about 23 minutes.

Which one is faster depends on when you leave. Cobblehop compares them with live times.

Times and frequency

From the MTA's fall 2026 schedule. Typical trip is the door to door time in the middle of the day.

Late at night

This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 25 minutes, and the 2 or 3 train comes about every 6 minutes.

Tips for this trip

• Take the first train that comes. The 2 and 3 trains all stop at both Times Sq-42 St and 72 St.
• UWS = Upper West Side. (source, checked 2026-11-04)
• LIRR trains stop at Grand Central Madison, on the west side of Grand Central Terminal, under Vanderbilt Avenue. (source, checked 2026-11-04)

Step-free access

For the subway part of this trip: Grand Central-42 St (7 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Times Sq-42 St/Port Authority Bus Terminal (7 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Times Sq-42 St/Port Authority Bus Terminal (2 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; 72 St (2 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations. Elevators can be out of service, so check elevator status on mta.info before you go.

What it costs

• Subway and local bus: $3 per ride with OMNY (tap a contactless card or phone) or a MetroCard. One transfer within 2 hours to the subway or a local bus is included.

Fares as of November 2026. Check the official fares page before you ride.

Grand Central Terminal to Upper West Side: common questions

Related routes

• Grand Central Terminal to 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Grand Central Terminal to Statue of Liberty ferry at Battery Park
• Grand Central Terminal to Central Park
• JFK Airport to Upper West Side
• LaGuardia Airport to Upper West Side
• Penn Station to Upper West Side
• All New York routes

Sources

Cobblehop is independent. It is not affiliated with the MTA or any transit agency. Schedules on this page come from the MTA's public GTFS data; check these pages for the latest service:

• MTA: developer data (the GTFS schedules used on this page)
• MTA: subway and bus fares
• MTA subway stations, with accessibility (data.ny.gov)
• Upper West Side: visitor information
• Grand Central Terminal: visitor information

Transit data: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Cobblehop is not affiliated with or endorsed by the MTA.

Published November 7, 2026. Times were computed from the MTA fall 2026 schedules for 2026-11-18 (weekday), 2026-11-21 and 2026-11-22. Planned work and holidays change service, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.