Cobblehop / New York routes / Washington Heights to Long Island City

Washington Heights to Long Island City by subway

Quick answer: Take a downtown A train from 181 St to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, then take an uptown E train from 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal to Court Sq-23 St. The trip takes about 45 minutes door to door on a weekday (42 to 48 depending on the connection). The A train comes about every 7 minutes during the day. Every line on this trip runs all night.

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Washington Heights to Long Island City

Trip timeabout45min
How oftenAbout every 7 minutes (A)
  • A
  • E
  1. Walk 2 minto 181 St
  2. A A trainFrom 181 St, downtown6 stops, about 20 min
  3. Change at 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal
  4. E E trainFrom 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, uptown5 stops, about 10 min
  5. Get off at Court Sq-23 St
  6. Long Island CityWalk about 4 min

Weekdays, fall 2026 MTA schedule · First and last trips

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

Step by step

  1. Walk about 2 minutes from Washington Heights to 181 St.
  2. Take a downtown A train from 181 St to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal. It's 6 stops, about 20 minutes.
  3. Take an uptown E train from 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal to Court Sq-23 St. It's 5 stops, about 10 minutes.
  4. From Court Sq-23 St, walk about 4 minutes to Long Island City.

Times and frequency

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

DayFirst tripLast tripTypical tripA train in the daytime
WeekdaysRuns all night45 minAbout every 7 minutes
SaturdayRuns all night48 minAbout every 10 minutes
SundayRuns all night48 minAbout every 10 minutes

Late at night

This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 60 minutes, and the A train comes about every 20 minutes.

Tips for this trip

Step-free access

For the subway part of this trip: 181 St (A platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Times Sq-42 St/Port Authority Bus Terminal (A platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Times Sq-42 St/Port Authority Bus Terminal (E platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Court Sq-23 St (E platform) is only partly accessible (Manhattan-bound only). Elevators can be out of service, so check elevator status on mta.info before you go.

What it costs

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

Washington Heights to Long Island City: common questions

How do I get from Washington Heights to Long Island City by public transit?

Take a downtown A train from 181 St to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, then take an uptown E train from 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal to Court Sq-23 St.

How long does it take?

About 45 minutes door to door on a weekday, 42 to 48 depending on the connection. On weekends it's about 48 minutes.

Do I have to change along the way?

Yes, once: at 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Does it run all night?

This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 60 minutes, and the A train comes about every 20 minutes.

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.

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:

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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