How To Get To Yankee Stadium – Best Visitor’s Guide

New York City being the nub of world activity that it is, there are plenty of ways to get to Yankee Stadium, all with their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re a newbie, the MTA subway or Metro-North railroad is the easiest and best way to get to Yankee Stadium. Taking your car can be done, but driving a car in NYC is not for the faint of heart, and you won’t like parking prices.

So I’ll start with your public transit options, but I’ll cover everything else too. (Need more Yankee Stadium help? Learn how to choose a great seat, what to eat at the game, and some tips for newbies on this site!)

There’s a lot of valuable info here, so I’m breaking it down for you:

From Manhattan, Brooklyn + NYC Boroughs: MTA Subway
From Northern NYC Suburbs and Connecticut: Metro-North Rail
Connecting From Long Island: LIRR
Connecting From New Jersey: NJ Transit Rail + Bus
Arriving By Car + Parking
From Other NYC Boroughs, Part 2: MTA Bus
From Other Cities: Amtrak + Megabus
Using Taxicab, Uber + Rideshares (And Why You Shouldn’t)
Arriving By Bicycle
Ways To Save Money Getting To Yankee Stadium

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How To Get To Yankee Stadium, From Manhattan and NYC Boroughs, Part 1: MTA Subway.

The MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) B and D trains on the west side of Manhattan, and the 4 train on the east side, all stop right at the Yankees – East 161st Street Station, at the Hard Rock Cafe entrance. All three train lines extend through Manhattan and Brooklyn, and connect with the rest of the extensive NYC subway system. Coming from Manhattan, the Bronx is always an “Uptown” train.

You should not have to transfer more than once from anywhere in the city, and most transfers are within the subway station and free. Trains get very crowded on game days, adding more fans with each stop, so your chances of having a seat on the ride improve if you get on further south of Grand Central or Times Square.

B trains only operate on weekdays and stop at Yankee Stadium during rush hour. D trains will stop at Yankee Stadium on weekends, but do not stop at the Stadium during rush hour (I have read accounts that it does on game nights, but the MTA doesn’t publicize this).

Here’s a trick for you: going to the game from Manhattan, if you use the express D instead of the B, you can get off at Tremont Avenue and then take a B or a D back–either will stop at Yankee Stadium. You’ll probably have a seat on the ride, and it actually could be a little quicker. (This also works if the D zooms by the Stadium.)

“See that building over there? That’s it.”

The 4 (Lexington Avenue Line) is an express until the late evening when it stops everywhere, so if the game ends late plan for a long trip back, but the 4 always stops at Yankee Stadium. I prefer the 4 for another very good reason…it emerges from underground just before the Yankee Stadium station, so you get a sweet view of the ballpark. I’ll walk a few blocks to get to a 4 for that.

After the game, there WILL be a large crowd waiting for trains. You may have to wait a couple of trains to get on one, but there’s no need to wait for an express train. Also, definitely get your added value MetroCard in advance, and avoid the lines buying tickets after the game.

New York’s subway system is perfectly safe everywhere, so long as you use basic common sense. There are always plenty of riders, and if you get lost, which is not hard to do, you can always ask someone. Trains run 24/7/365.

Featuring fans actually sitting down on the way to the game!

How To Get To Yankee Stadium, From Northern Suburbs and Connecticut: The Metro-North Railroad.

To celebrate the opening of the new Stadium, MTA built a Metro-North railroad stop a short walk from the venue, with game day service on rail lines that extend into the northern suburbs and Connecticut. The Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines all stop at Yankee Stadium – East 153rd Street Station on game days.

Most Metro-North stations have free or inexpensive parking, especially on weekends, but not all of them do. Some of them, like Tarrytown, will charge on game days. (Tip: You can book parking near a station with SpotHero!)

Metro-North runs game day service from directly to the Stadium on the Hudson Line, and there is a shuttle train that runs from both Grand Central Terminal and the Harlem 125th St. stations in Manhattan. It’s a quick 16 minute ride from midtown, and these are far less crowded trains than the MTA lines.

Much like the LIRR to Citi Field, Metro-North a MUCH more pleasant ride than the subway, and it’s well worth the few extra bucks. The Hudson Line is particularly popular for its Hudson River scenery on the way to the city.

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Unfortunately you do still need tickets.

A peak time travel ticket is required between 4:00 and 8:00 PM, but traveling on the New Haven or Harlem lines you can buy an off-peak travel ticket while transferring to the shuttle. Tickets are cheaper when bought in advance.

Extra trains run after the game, so no need to worry about extra innings, but don’t dilly-dally too much. The last post-game train leaves 45 minutes after the last out.

The MTA website contains more detailed info, such as where connecting services are and which train is the last to leave. They call the game day trains “Yankee Clippers”.

So those are the main rail routes to get to Yankee Stadium; here’s a bit about some connecting services:

Even the Mets will point you to how to get to Yankee Stadium!

How To Get To Yankee Stadium, From Long Island: Long Island Railroad.

From Long Island, most all lines of the LIRR eventually connect to Penn Station or Grand Central Station. From Grand Central you can use Metro-North or a 4 train.

From Penn it’s a short walk to 34th Street-Herald Square and a B or D train to Yankee Stadium. You can also use an A or C train from Penn and transfer to the B/D at 59th (from the A, you can switch at 145th for a quicker ride), or take the 2 to 149th St./Grand Concourse, and transfer there to a 4.

It’s usually better to use the Herald Square, since the 4 will be crowded by 149th, and 149th isn’t the prettiest of stations from what I’ve read.

As with the Metro-North Railroad, LIRR tickets are cheaper bought in advance than on board.

If there’s one thing New Jersey excels at, it’s helping you get out of New Jersey!

How To Get To Yankee Stadium, From New Jersey: NJ Transit.

From New Jersey, riders can get to Yankee Stadium using the NJ Transit trains to Penn Station, where you can follow the Long Island Railroad directions just described. Coming back, the last train leaves Penn Station at about 1:00 AM.

NJ Transit also circulates several buses from suburbs and park-and-ride stations to the Port Authority Terminal, where an A or C train can be taken to the B/D at 59th Street. The North Bergen and other park-and-rides are packages with parking and the round trip ride included, and it’s considerably cheaper than actually driving into the city, especially for one or two people. There are several budget hotels nearby for out-of-town visitors.

Buses should run late enough to get you back, but check the schedules. I barely made the last bus one night coming from an extra-inning Mets game.

The real PITA of driving to Yankee Stadium is that you have to park your own car.

How To Get To Yankee Stadium, By Car + Parking:

The only interstate highway that borders Yankee Stadium is I-87, also called the Major Deegan Expressway. Most routes to the Stadium use the Deegan; traffic obviously gets worse on game days. Access to the Stadium can be at Exits 3-4 northbound and 5-7 southbound; unless you’re very early you’ll likely slow to a crawl no matter which exit you use.

The Yankees provide directions from all of the boroughs, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut on their website. If you arrive early enough, traffic and parking isn’t too bad at all, but after the game it can be rough exiting.

There’s a lot you should know about driving to the Stadium, especially where to park…so if you’re trying this, check out my extensive Yankee Stadium parking guide, with alternate routes, pluses and minuses of various spots, and even some free street parking you can use.

But my #1 piece of advice, as always, is to book your parking lot beforehand, and my friends at SpotHero are a big help. (My #2 piece of advice…arrive as early as you can, preferably at least two hours before the first pitch.)

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Keep in mind that the bus driver won’t be using any shortcuts.

How To Get To Yankee Stadium, From Manhattan + Other Boroughs, Part 2: MTA Bus.

NYC buses are considerably slower than trains and aren’t the most pleasant of rides. The only reason I can think of to ride the bus is if you want a view of the city. But I’m adding this just in case.

The MTA Bx6 and Bx13 routes drop riders off directly on the corner of 161st and River Avenue, right at the front door of Yankee Stadium. The Bx1 and Bx2 from stop at 161st and the Grand Concourse near the ballpark, as does the express BxM4 from Midtown.

The Bx6 runs all day and all night, but after 1:00 AM there is about an hour wait between buses. The Bx13 picks up fans after the game until about 1:00 AM, so you should be safe. Use a MetroCard or exact change to ride an MTA bus. You can find the routes for the buses on MTA’s website.

There are also express buses that run from other boroughs to Manhattan, where you can use a subway train to the game:

– From Brooklyn, the X28, X29, BM2, and BM3 run to Grand Central Station where you grab a 4 or a Metro-North train.

– From Queens, the QM1, QM1A, QM2, QM2A and QM4 buses run on 34th Street in Manhattan to several locations where you can get on a B, D, or 4 train.

Again, the routes and schedules are on MTA’s website. Bus to subway transfers are free.

Okay, let’s not get carried away here. No one’s paying $1,200 a ticket to ride on Amtrak.

How To Get To Yankee Stadium, From Other Cities: Amtrak + Megabus.

If you’re using Amtrak to get to a Yankees game, there are a bunch of services that stop at Penn Station; from there you can get on the B or D to Yankee Stadium.

Amtrak isn’t the cheapest way to get to the game, but it’s not a bad option for, say, visiting Orioles fans who want to get back to Baltimore without staying overnight. That ride is under three hours most times, which isn’t bad at all, especially knowing you can avoid I-95 traffic and NYC congestion.

Well, when they are in service, they’re pretty good. Just saying.

If you’re saving cash, Megabus is a low cost bus service that drop riders off in a couple of locations in midtown Manhattan. They run buses from several nearby major metropolises, including from Boston and Philadelphia. If you book the ride early enough (as in several months ahead of time) you can ride from Philadelphia or Boston to New York for $1, but even the regular fare is still a big savings over gas, tolls and parking.

Megabus drops you off in midtown Manhattan; from there it’s probably a two train subway ride depending on where you are…the destination address changes from time to time. As I write this it’s close to the 34th Street-Hudson Yards Station…from there you can take the 7 to Grand Central and then get on the 4. (By the way, it’s a single train ride to Citi Field from there.)

Megabus has saved me a ton of cash (I once went from NYC to Boston and back for $2.50 round trip) and they’re comfortable as buses go.

Safely, sure. Quickly, I wouldn’t bet on it even with someone else driving.

How To Get To Yankee Stadium: Taxicab + Ride Sharing.

Taking a cab in New York City is expensive and an ill-advised method of getting to or from Yankee Stadium, but if you need one after the game, you can head to Gate 2 or Gate 4 where there is a car service dispatch. You’ll need it. I saw a few drivers in front of Babe Ruth Plaza, but they took off when I tried to take their picture, so they may not be allowed to hang out there.

If you’re arriving in a cab or Lyft or Uber vehicle, it’s a good idea to ask your driver to drop you off on Jerome Avenue on the opposite side of the Stadium from the B-D-4 madness. There is an Uber pickup area at Jerome and Anderson Avenues.

Word of warning about using a rideshare or taxi, and why I don’t recommend it. While you might be okay without spending an arm and a leg coming to the game, with everyone leaving afterwards there is a LOT of congestion. Getting a ride not only might take a while, but it will cost you mucho dinero leaving the game through the traffic. There’s much easier and cheaper ways to get to Yankee Stadium…as I’ve demonstrated here!

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No, this isn’t the guy you pay to watch your bike. At least I don’t think he is. But he isn’t likely to steal it either.

Unusual Ways To Get To Yankee Stadium: By Bicycle.

The New York City Department of Transportation has a bicycling map of New York City available, or you can get one in any local bicycle store. You shouldn’t have any problem locking up your bike, since the Yankees have enough bicycle racks for 160 bikes. Whether you trust leaving your bicycle here is up to you…most people say if you have a solid lock it will be fine. I have read accounts from people who offer a few bucks to bouncers at Stan’s Sports Bar to watch their bike.

The Bronx isn’t the best of neighborhoods, so if you do this for a night game, you should probably take the subway back afterwards; use the first or last car on the train and be prepared to wait for a few cars before one has the space.

I’ve seen some bicycle paths along the Grand Concourse and such, but closing in on game time crowds around the Stadium get pretty large, so you may end up hopping off as you get closer.

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Some Ways To Save Money Getting To Yankee Stadium

Thanks for sticking with me this far! Here’s a few Tightwad Tips to help you save money getting to the ballpark:

$ – All MTA services feature discounts for seniors, disabled, active duty military and children; three kids under 44 inches tall can ride free with an adult. If you’re in NYC for a few days, a 7-Day Pass will pay for itself in 12 rides (easily done).

$ – The LIRR and Metro-North offer a weekend deal called the CityTicket, for travel at a discounted rate within the city limits. Makes it only slightly more expensive to travel on a much nicer and quicker train coming from, say, Queens.

$ – If you can swing it, try to use the LIRR or Metro-North during off-peak hours (before 4:00 PM on weeknights), where the fare is significantly less.

$ – There are multiple discounts on the NJ Transit website for military members, senior citizens, children of a certain age, etc., so check it out and see if you qualify. Two kids with an adult can ride free on weekends.

Again, if you’re coming by car and looking to save money, consult my Ultimate Yankee Stadium Parking Guide…lots of useful tips there!

And now, you can race me to Yankee Stadium!

So there you go baseball fans…everything you need to know about how to get to Yankee Stadium. If you need more Yankee Stadium help, I’ve got you covered…check out this detailed guide for finding the best seats, the full details about Yankee Stadium food, and even some tips for bringing food into the ballpark. Helpful stuff before you get your Yankees tickets!

Or just check out my complete Yankee Stadium guide here, and if you’re on a baseball trip to NYC, be sure to read my very helpful guide for Citi Field too!

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