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CalculateTaxiFare

New York City · US · verified Apr 30, 2026

Taxi Fare in New York City

Real OpenStreetMap routing meets the official NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission tariff. See the base fare, every surcharge and a min–median–max range so you know what to expect on the meter.

Base fare
$3.00
Per mile
$3.50
Per minute
$0.70
Currency
USD

01Definition

What is a taxi fare in New York City?

A taxi fare in New York City is the metered price of a regulated for-hire car ride within the city limits. New York City taxi rates are set by NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and combine three components: a base fare of $3.00 (the amount on the meter when the trip begins), a distance rate of $3.50 per mile, and a slow-traffic rate of $0.70 per minute that applies when the cab is stopped or moving slowly. Surcharges, taxes and tip can shift the final amount by another 10–30%.

02Attributes

New York City taxi tariff at a glance

Below is the live New York City taxi tariff exactly as published by NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission. Every figure is dated; the most recent verification was on 2026-04-30. Use the calculator above to apply these numbers to your specific trip.

New York City taxi tariff attributes
Base fare
$3.00
On the meter when the ride begins
Per-mile rate
$3.50 / mile
Charged for distance travelled
Per-minute rate
$0.70 / min
Slow-traffic switch speed: 19 km/h
Minimum fare
Not specified
Floor that the meter cannot fall below
Currency
USD
Distance unit
mile
Timezone
America/New_York
Vehicle classes
2
standard, large

03Calculator

Calculate your fare in New York City

Type any pickup and destination inside New York City. We pull the real OpenStreetMap distance and apply the tariff above.

Calculate a fare in New York City

Local addresses, the New York City tariff applied automatically.

05Airport routes

New York City airport ↔ city centre

Airport ↔ city-centre rides are the most predictable taxi trips in New York City because their distance is fixed. Where the regulator imposes a flat fare, the meter is bypassed and the price is locked. Otherwise the standard tariff applies and the estimate below reflects realistic departure-hall waiting plus the metered ride.

06Vehicle classes

New York City vehicle classes and rates

New York City licenses 2 vehicle classes (standard, large). Larger vehicles command higher base or per-mile rates because their fuel and licensing costs are higher. Ride-sharing apps also offer parallel categories (UberXL, Lyft XL) that compete with the licensed taxi minivan tier.

Vehicle classes and rates in New York City
Vehicle classBasePer milePer minMin fare
Standard sedan
Yellow medallion taxi. Per mile when traveling 12 mph or more, otherwise per minute.
$3.00$3.50$0.70—
Large / SUV
Standby Vehicle (SUV) — surcharge variant.
$3.50$4.50$0.90—

07Surcharges & taxes

Every extra charge on a New York City taxi fare

On top of the base meter, New York City taxi fares can include a night surcharge, rush-hour windows, city or state taxes. Every charge below is reproduced verbatim from NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, with the trigger condition (time, day, equipment) shown alongside.

Surcharges, taxes and fees on New York City taxi fares
ChargeWhen it appliesAmountCategory
Night surcharge20:00 → 06:00, every day$1.00Surcharge
Rush-hour surcharge16:00 → 20:00, days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5$2.50Surcharge
MTA State SurchargeApplied to base fare only$0.50Tax
Improvement SurchargeApplied to base fare only$1.00Tax
Congestion Surcharge (Manhattan, S of 96th)Applied to base fare only$2.50Tax
Flat fare JFK ↔ MANHATTANRegulator-imposed, bypasses the meter$70.00Flat fare
Flat fare MANHATTAN ↔ JFKRegulator-imposed, bypasses the meter$70.00Flat fare

08Tipping

Tipping etiquette in New York City

Basic

15%

Functional service — you got there.

Standard

18%

What most riders give for ordinary service.

Excellent

22%

Helpful with bags, smooth driving, knew the route.

Tipping is expected in New York City. The conventional range is 15% (basic), 18% (standard) and 22% (excellent service). A tip line is built into card terminals; for cash, simply round up to a convenient amount.

09Side by side

Taxi vs Uber vs Lyft in New York City

Rideshare apps (Uber, Lyft and local equivalents) compete with metered taxis in New York City on price, but their tariffs swing with surge multipliers. A taxi’s price is fixed by the meter and the regulator — there is no surge. For routine rides our data typically shows rideshare 10–25% cheaper than taxi outside surge windows, and 20–60% more expensive at peak. Airport routes are the exception: many cities (including New York City where applicable) cap airport ↔ centre as a flat fare that beats both.

Reference ride: a 8 km / 15-minute trip in New York City. Numbers below combine the live tariff (taxi) and crowdsourced per-city rate sheets (rideshare). Apps surge in real time, so we surface min · median · max.

Taxi vs Uber vs Lyft fare comparison in New York City
ServiceProductMedianRange
Metered taxiStandard cab$27.02$24.40$35.30
UberUberX$19.05$18.10$30.48
LyftLyft$18.90$17.95$30.24

10Public transit

Public transit alternative in New York City

For short city-centre trips, public transit in New York City is consistently cheaper than a taxi — a single fare typically costs less than the taxi base alone. The trade-off is travel time: transit is slower door-to-door, runs on a fixed schedule, and may not serve every airport hour. The dedicated transit fare calculator below estimates a single-leg fare on the local subway, metro or bus network using the published zone or flat structure.

Public transit in New York City

For trips inside the central zones, a single transit fare is typically a fraction of even the lowest taxi estimate. The trade-off is travel time and route flexibility.

See transit fares

11FAQ

New York City taxi fare — frequently asked questions

How much is a taxi in New York City?
New York City taxis charge a $3.00 base fare plus $3.50 per mile of distance and $0.70 per minute of slow-traffic time. A typical 5-mile ride costs roughly $22.60 excluding surcharges and tip.
What is the base fare for a New York City taxi?
The drop charge — the amount on the meter when your ride begins — is $3.00. This is set by NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and is identical for every licensed cab in the city.
Are New York City taxi fares metered or negotiated?
New York City taxis are metered. The regulator requires drivers to use the meter on every trip; negotiating off-meter is generally illegal and unwise. Flat fares apply only on a small list of pre-approved airport routes (see the airport routes section above).
Do I tip taxi drivers in New York City?
Tipping is expected in New York City. The conventional range is 15% (basic), 18% (standard) and 22% (excellent service). A tip line is built into card terminals; for cash, simply round up to a convenient amount.
How do night and weekend rates work in New York City?
A night surcharge of $1.00 applies between 20:00 and 06:00 every day, including weekends.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi in New York City?
In free-flow conditions, Uber and Lyft are usually 10–25% cheaper than New York City taxis. During peak demand, surge pricing can push rideshare 20–60% above the metered taxi fare. For airport runs, regulated taxi flat fares often beat both. Use the rideshare comparison above to see today's typical numbers.
Can I trust the calculator above?
Yes. We compute distance and duration from real OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) and apply the published New York City tariff straight from NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission. We always show a min–median–max range so you see how traffic affects the final price.
How long does a 5-mile taxi ride take in New York City?
In free-flow traffic, a 5-mile ride in New York City takes roughly 13 minutes on average city streets. Heavy traffic can double that, which is why our maximum estimate uses a 60% slow-time assumption.
Are credit cards accepted in New York City taxis?
Card acceptance varies by operator. Many regulated taxis in New York City accept major credit and debit cards; always carry cash as a backup, particularly for short journeys. Confirm with your driver before starting the trip, and contact NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission for the current official requirement.
Where do I find the official New York City taxi rates?
The authoritative rate sheet is published by NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission at https://www.nyc.gov/site/tlc/passengers/taxi-fare.page (last verified 2026-04-30). Every figure on this page is reproduced from that source.
Is there a flat airport taxi fare in New York City?
Yes. The route JFK ↔ MANHATTAN has a regulator-mandated flat fare of $70.00 (excluding tip and tolls). Other airport pairs in New York City default to the metered tariff.

12Sources & verification

Sources, last verified

Every figure on this page is reproduced from NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, the recognised authority that sets New York City taxi rates. We re-verify each record at least every 180 days; the timestamp below confirms when this page was last reconciled with the primary source.

Primary source

NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission

Last verified
April 30, 2026
Verification cadence
Every 180 days
Routing data
OpenStreetMap via OSRM

Editorial notes

JFK ↔ Manhattan flat fare $70 + $5 surcharge during peak hours (4–8pm weekdays) is collected separately at the meter top.

Spotted an inaccuracy? Report it and we will reconcile within 48 hours.