Upper East Side to Midtown Manhattan by subway
Quick answer: Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 51 St, then take a downtown F train from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr. The trip takes about 27 minutes door to door on a weekday. The 6 train comes about every 4 minutes during the day. The F train doesn't run from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr on weekends; the trip then uses another line. The F train doesn't run from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr between about 1 and 5 am; then the trip uses another line.
Upper East Side to Midtown Manhattan
- 6
- F
- Walk 2 minto 77 St
- 6 6 trainFrom 77 St, downtown3 stops, about 5 min
- Change at 51 StWalk about 10 min
- F F trainFrom Lexington Av/53 St, downtown2 stops, about 4 min
- Get off at 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr
- Midtown ManhattanWalk about 2 min
Weekdays, fall 2026 MTA schedule · First and last trips
Step by step
- Walk about 2 minutes from Upper East Side to 77 St.
- Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 51 St. It's 3 stops, about 5 minutes.
- At 51 St, walk about 10 minutes to Lexington Av/53 St for the F train.
- Take a downtown F train from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr. It's 2 stops, about 4 minutes.
- From 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr, walk about 2 minutes to Midtown Manhattan.
Other ways to go
- Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 59 St, then take a downtown M train from Lexington Av/63 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr: about 25 minutes.
- Take the M102 bus from Lexington Av/E 77 St to Lexington Av/E 64 St, then take a downtown M train from Lexington Av/63 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr: about 26 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.
| Day | First trip | Last trip | Typical trip | 6 train in the daytime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | Around the clock (another line late at night) | 27 min | About every 4 minutes | |
| Saturday | Around the clock (another line late at night) | 27 min | About every 6 minutes | |
| Sunday | Around the clock (another line late at night) | 27 min | About every 6 minutes | |
Late at night
This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 21 minutes. The F train doesn't run from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr between about 1 and 5 am, so at that hour the trip uses another line.
Step-free access
For the subway part of this trip: 77 St (6X platform) is not on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Lexington Av/51-53 Sts (6X platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Lexington Av/51-53 Sts (F platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr (F 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.
Upper East Side to Midtown Manhattan: common questions
How do I get from Upper East Side to Midtown Manhattan by public transit?
Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 51 St, then take a downtown F train from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr.
How long does it take?
About 27 minutes door to door on a weekday.
Do I have to change along the way?
Yes, once: at 51 St.
Does it run all night?
This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 21 minutes. The F train doesn't run from Lexington Av/53 St to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr between about 1 and 5 am, so at that hour the trip uses another line.
How much does it cost?
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.
Related routes
- Upper East Side to JFK Airport
- Upper East Side to LaGuardia Airport
- Upper East Side to Financial District
- Financial District to Midtown Manhattan
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum to Midtown Manhattan
- Brooklyn Bridge (Manhattan side) to Midtown Manhattan
- 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 East Side: 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.
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