How to get to/from Citi Field

You’ve figured out how you’re getting to New York, and you’ve figured out where you’re going to stay. Next up: figuring out how you’re going to get to and from Citi Field.

Hopefully you’ve already concluded that having a car in New York is a recipe for anguish. Which would leave you with the other options: walking, mass transit, and taxis/rideshares. In this chapter, we’ll go over all of your options, and let you know how to navigate one of the most confusing transit cities in the world.

Is there anywhere you can stay that you can walk to Citi Field?

So, believe it or not, walking to Citi Field is a legit option, but only if you’re staying in Flushing. While it’s not the most scenic walk, we’ve done it many times, and during the day, we consider it to be safe, and if it’s a nice day, why not? The entire walk is via sidewalk, but much of it runs along the side of busy streets (and over a highway), so you’re not going to see anything of note along the way. But if you’d rather stretch your legs for 20 minutes than take the subway, the option is there.

We do not, however, suggest walking back to Flushing after a night game. It’s not that we think it’s particularly dangerous – it’s just that the path isn’t full of other pedestrians, and it’s not well lit, and being on your own in New York in random places at random times of the night is simply not an appropriate thing to do. So go ahead and take the subway one stop from Citi Field to Flushing after the game if that’s where you’re staying.

Beyond Flushing: Taking the subway to Citi Field

If you’re staying anywhere other than Flushing, you’ll have three choices for getting to Citi Field: the subway, the Long Island Railroad, or taxis/rideshares. 

So let’s say this first: your absolute best strategy for getting to Citi Field is by using the subway or the Long Island Railroad.

Is the New York subway system safe?

If you’re from somewhere that doesn’t have mass transit, and/or you’ve been watching a lot of news or social media content that has you worried about taking it, it’s understandable that you might be worried about taking mass transit in New York. In recent months, certain high-profile incidents have scared all of us.

But despite those things, we want to reiterate: this is how people get around New York. There are around four million rides taken on the subway in New York City each day, which means… wait for it… 1.5 billion trips per year. So when you add up all of those incidents that you’ve seen on Instagram or TikTok, you need to know that the percentage of incidents to riders is astronomically small. Every time you walk out of your door in the morning there’s a risk of something bad happening. But that doesn’t stop you from walking out the door. And, similarly, it shouldn’t stop you from taking the New York subway.

Having said that, the most likely issue you might encounter may be related to homelessness, which is a problem here like it is in so many places. The majority of homeless people want to be left alone and New Yorkers have a PHD in minding their own business. We suggest that if you do the same, you shouldn’t have any problems. If you’re on a train and someone is having an “episode,” just follow other people’s leads: walk to the far side of the train, wait for the next stop and quickly change cars. Just make rational decisions and you’ll be fine.

Having said all of that… if you are simply determined to avoid taking the subway in New York, rideshares are a viable, albeit expensive and time-consuming alternative, and the Long Island Railroad is a great but frequently overlooked option by tourists.

Taking the subway, Step 1: Download the Citymapper App

The simplest way to guide you on your train journey is to download the free Citymapper app. The app is one of the most useful tools at your disposal while trying to navigate the city, since it was built specifically for big city / metropolis navigation. Not only will it give you directions from wherever you’re going, a la Google and Apple maps, but it will also tell you which subway car is the best to ride on, and show your travel time and how many stops you have until you arrive at your final destination. We recommend entering your hotel for the start location and Citi Field for the end destination and pre-map out your journey. This will give you a sense for what you’re doing before you even leave your hotel room.

How long will it take to get to Citi Field?

Here are the estimated travel times from each of our seven preferred hotel zones to Citi Field:

Navigating your way to Citi Field

Although the New York subway system can be overwhelming, there’s one easy thing about taking it to Citi Field, which is this: there is only ONE train line that runs to the ballpark, and that is the 7-train (unlike Yankee Stadium, which has multiple trains that go there, which creates more transit variables to navigate). The 7 runs from Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan, through Times Square, through Grand Central Terminal, through Long Island City, and then, finally, to Flushing. The Mets-Willets Point station is the second to last station on the line, so in the event that you happen to forget to get off the train at the proper stop, you won’t be able to go more than one stop further before you have to turn around. Also, it is important to point out that much of your time on the 7 is above ground.

You’ve entered the station – now what?

Most subway stations have a Metro Transit Authority employee who will help answer any questions you may have. That said, you’ve done your homework so you can skip right into purchasing your fare. In 2024, almost all subway stations allow you to pay at the turnstile by scanning Apple / Google Pay on your phone or tapping your credit / debit cards for entry. If you’re feeling nostalgic and want an MTA card as a souvenir you can buy one at a ticket machine. A single ride will cost you $2.90.

If you’re staying for a week or longer and feel like you will be riding the subway consistently, we recommend purchasing a 7-day unlimited pass to save some money. It’ll run you $34 and you get unlimited swipes. But you have to buy those passes from a machine to get this discount: tapping your credit card at the turnstile will always result in a full single-ride fare being charged.

You’re on the train. Now what?

Well, sit down and relax, because it’ll be a little while. The good news is that there’s no transfer required to go from our seven hotel zones to Citi Field. The bad news is that it can take 30-50 minutes, depending on your starting point. So try to get a seat, settle in, and make sure you’ve got a full charge on your phone so you have something to do.

Alternative to the subway: Taking the Long Island Railroad

The Long Island Railroad is a commuter railway that runs from Long Island to both Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. From New York City, you will need to take the Port Washington line to Mets/Willets Point. This lets you out right at the stadium. It’s about a 20-minute ride from Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal to Citi Field and the LIRR runs on a specific schedule.

Note: only some trains go direct to Citi Field, while others require a transfer. If you are a savvy traveler, the transfer is an easy one. However, if you want to ensure you take a train with a direct route to the stadium, be sure to check the schedule carefully and select the trains bound for Port Washington that run directly to Citi Field/Willets Point. 

The other thing to note about the LIRR is that, unlike the subway which runs constantly, the LIRR is on a set schedule, with trains departing every 25-40 minutes, depending on the time of day. The good news is that you know exactly when the train is going to leave, so you can make a travel plan around it. But on the flip side, if you miss that train, you’ll be waiting a while for the next one, and that could impact your ability to get to the stadium on time. 

If you’re at Grand Central station, you can always just walk over to the subway and catch the 7 train to Citi Field. But if you’re at Penn Station, you’d have to either take the subway or walk to the Times Square stop, which will add time to your journey.

So if you’re taking the LIRR, just be sure to be there on time so you can catch the right train.

The fare to take the LIRR is $6.75 during off-peak times, and $9.25 during peak times. For seniors/military/disabled, it’s $4.50 at any time. So it’s quite a lot more than the $2.90 subway fare, but it’s nicer and faster, so it’s up to you if it’s worth it.

Going back to the city from Citi Field

You can simply retrace your steps back to midtown from Citi Field by taking either the 7 subway once again, or take the Long Island Railroad back to Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal. You will once again be able to follow the crowd. Following the game, you will never be on your own, even if you decide to leave a little early. And there is NYPD throughout all subway and railroad stations. Believe us… when you’re at a New York City stadium for an event, you’re just about as safe as you can be in this city.

Taking rideshares or taxis to Citi Field

Can we say again that the subway or train are the ways to get to Citi Field? Ok, well now that we’ve said it again, if you’re absolutely intent on avoiding public transit and would rather go via car, it’s certainly something you can do. So what can you expect if you decide to take a car?

Well, using Times Square as an example, if you want to take a rideshare to Citi Field, you can expect it to take 35 minutes at the absolute best, but perhaps 1:15 at worst (sitting through stop and start traffic). Oh, and then there’s the cost: prices can fluctuate a lot, but a rideshare will cost you anywhere from $70-$100, and a taxi will cost a minimum of $60 based on distance and tolls (but will cost more in idle time when sitting in traffic, which you are almost guaranteed to do). Compare that to a per-person fare of $2.90 to ride the subway or $4.50-$9.25 on the LIRR.

If you’re coming in for a weekend, you’ll likely have better luck on the weekend when there’s no rush hour traffic. But anything during the week is going to be terrible. Not only is there the typical rush hour gridlock, but there are all of the New Yorkers fleeing for the beaches on the shore as well. Trust us – a Friday afternoon will be the worst of all.

The good news is that the Mets have set up a designated rideshare dropoff zone to the north of the stadium. So when it’s time to return, you’ll know exactly where to have them pick you up. And we definitely recommend using the rideshare zone. The area around Citi Field isn’t the most convenient place to meet an Uber or Lyft, so stick with the pickup zone. 

So if you really, really, really want to avoid the subway, you certainly can. Just make sure to leave yourself a lot of extra time for transit, just in case, and be ready to pay up.

Parking at Citi Field

If there’s one easier part of driving your own car to Citi Field, it’s the parking. You don’t usually see huge acres of land devoted to parking space in New York City (at least that isn’t a garage), but the Mets have a huge parking lot for fans (see the map above). The cost is $40, and while that’s not cheap, by New York standards, it’s sort of a bargain. We recommend purchasing your parking pass ahead of time – there’s no reason to deal with the hassle of doing it when you get to the stadium, and we wholeheartedly don’t suggest parking anywhere else, so the team lot is where you’re going to end up.

Bottom Line

Yeah, transit is confusing here. But if you’re coming in for multiple games, take our word for it: once you’ve done the subway or train once, the second time is much easier, and by the third time you’ll feel like a pro. If you’re staying in Manhattan, Citi Field is definitely a haul; 45 minutes on the subway can be a bit exhausting. But that’s just life in the big city. If you really hate the idea of the commute, and aren’t planning on doing any sightseeing in New York, then you can stay in Flushing or Long Island City and significantly reduce your transit time. Otherwise, just stay focused, have a plan, and make it happen. By the time you’re done, public transit will be a part of your trip story.