Getting Around Jersey City

Getting Around Jersey City

Jersey City sits directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan, and its transit connections are one of the main reasons visitors find it so easy to explore without a car. The city is served by the PATH rapid transit system, NJ Transit buses, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, ferries, bike-share, and ride-hailing services. For most trips, the best approach is simply to walk and use public transit, planning your journey with a mapping app that offers real-time updates.

PATH: The Backbone of the Network

The PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid transit system is the quickest link between Jersey City, Manhattan, and Newark. It runs 24 hours a day, with frequent trains at rush hour and longer waits late at night. Within Jersey City, PATH serves Exchange Place, Grove Street, Journal Square, and Newport. From Exchange Place, Lower Manhattan is only a few minutes away; Midtown and Newark are also reachable on the same system.

• Connections to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail can be made at Exchange Place, Hoboken, and Newport.
• Journal Square station connects to the Journal Square Transportation Center and a wide variety of bus routes.
• PATH uses its own contactless fare system, TAPP. You can tap a contactless credit, debit, or prepaid card, a smart device with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, or a TAPP card. TAPP cards do not work on the NJ Transit network.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail runs largely north–south through the city, linking the downtown waterfront with Hoboken to the north and Bayonne to the south. It is useful for traveling along the waterfront, reaching Liberty State Park, and connecting to NY Waterway ferries. Key Jersey City stops include Liberty State Park, Jersey Avenue, Newport, Exchange Place, and Marin Boulevard.

• Service starts early and runs until around midnight, with arrivals every 5–20 minutes depending on the time of day.
• Buy tickets from station vending machines before boarding, or through the NJ Transit mobile app. It is a proof-of-payment system, so keep your ticket handy for inspection on board.
• NJ Transit uses its own contactless fare system, FARE-PAY. You can tap a contactless credit, debit, or prepaid card, a smart device with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, or a FARE-PAY card. FARE-PAY cards do not work on the PATH network.

Buses

The bus network covers all corners of Jersey City and connects to nearby New Jersey towns and New York City, with service frequencies varying by route. Most buses run from early morning to late night, and are more frequent on weekdays. You can pay with cash (exact change preferred) or a mobile ticket through the NJ Transit app. Board at the front, exit at the rear, and pull the cord to signal your stop. Printed schedules are available at Journal Square and Hoboken Terminal.

• Notable routes include the 80 along JFK Boulevard, the 87 between Journal Square and Hoboken, the 119 along the waterfront, the 6 and 4 between The Heights and Journal Square, and the 126 to Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal.
• From Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal, NJ Transit routes 125 and 119 go directly to Journal Square. From the Newark Penn Station bus terminal, route 1 goes directly to Journal Square.
• Greyhound and other intercity buses depart from the Journal Square Transportation Center, serving Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, and other East Coast cities.
• Jitney minibuses operate on some routes, sometimes more frequently than NJ Transit, and can be found along Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard.

Ferries

NY Waterway operates several ferry routes connecting Jersey City to Manhattan, with main terminals at Paulus Hook (downtown) and Harborside at 210 Hudson Street. Port Liberté has weekday ferry service to Wall Street. Routes serve both Midtown and Downtown Manhattan, and the crossing to Lower Manhattan takes only a few minutes — often faster than driving at rush hour. NY Waterway offers free Midtown shuttles after docking, and its app provides contactless ticketing.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

Unlike in Manhattan, taxis can be difficult to come by in Jersey City; you often have to call ahead, though taxis are stationed at the Exchange Place, Grove Street, and Journal Square PATH stations. Taxis can run either metered or unmetered (flat rate), and the price is generally the same either way — if going unmetered, ask the price before getting in, or ask the dispatcher when you call ahead.

• App-based ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber operate throughout the city.
• Via has partnered with the city to run an on-demand shared ride service that operates only within Jersey City. Its minivans and SUVs hold multiple passengers and offer wheelchair-accessible rides. It is a discount option, but wait times at its virtual bus stops are typically 15–20 minutes.

Walking and Biking

Walking is one of the best ways to get around Jersey City, particularly downtown. For longer trips, Citi Bike — operated by Lyft — is the exclusive bike-share system, with many docks around Downtown Jersey City and more spaced-out docks farther out. The system is integrated with neighboring New York City and Hoboken, so accounts, passes, and keys work across all three municipalities. Daily rates range from a single ride to a day pass.

• Thanks to local investment, many streets have protected bike lanes, and off-road shared-use trails can be found along the Hudson River waterfront and in Liberty State Park.
• The East Coast Greenway, a bike path running from Maine to Florida, cuts through Jersey City from Newark, eastward through Lincoln Park and city streets, to the ferries and the riverfront walkway running north.
• NJ Transit permits e-bikes and scooters on board for first-and-last-mile connections.

Getting In from the Airport

Jersey City is about a 10-minute ride from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), a major hub for United Airlines and one of the three airports serving the New York metropolitan area. A taxi from EWR to Jersey City costs about $40.

• If you don't have a lot of bags, consider the train: catch the AirTrain from your terminal to the Newark Airport train station, take a New York-bound NJ Transit train one stop to Newark Penn Station, then cross the platform to catch the PATH to Jersey City. On weekdays, you can take the North Jersey Coast Line to Hoboken and transfer to the PATH there. The AirTrain/NJ Transit train and PATH are each paid separately, and the ride takes about 45 minutes.
• The region's other two airports, LaGuardia (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK), are both in Queens, New York City. A cab from either to Jersey City costs about $100. From JFK, you can also take the A or E subway trains from Howard Beach or Jamaica respectively and transfer at World Trade Center to the PATH.

Arriving by Train, Bus, or Car

Amtrak and NJ Transit both serve Newark Penn Station, where you transfer to the PATH to reach Jersey City; NJ Transit also serves Hoboken, with a PATH transfer from there. If you are driving, note that driving into Jersey City is not recommended: while it is only difficult at rush hour, finding on-street parking is a hassle at all times of day, and many streets — particularly downtown and around Journal Square — require parking permits to park for longer than a couple of hours. If you park in a permit zone, your car may be booted, especially with out-of-state plates. Since Jersey City sits at the western end of the Holland Tunnel, your best bet is to take a highway that leads directly to it: on the New Jersey side, Interstate 78, US 1-9, or Interstate 280; from Manhattan, the West Side Highway and Canal Street.