Getting Around Paterson

Getting Around Paterson

Paterson is a compact city, and its status as a major transit hub for Passaic County and North Jersey means a visitor can get around reasonably well without a car. Many bus lines serve the city frequently enough that you can travel in and out of Paterson by public transport, and the downtown train station gives you a direct rail link to the wider region.

Rail

Paterson has a train station on Market Street in the Downtown area. It sits on NJ Transit's Main Line, which is the rail option for reaching the city by train. From this station you can take a train to Hoboken or to Suffern, New York, making it a practical anchor for trips into and out of Paterson.

Buses and Jitneys

NJ Transit operates the core bus network, with routes running both within Paterson and out to neighbouring cities and New York. The city is well connected by bus, and this is the main way visitors move around without driving.

• To New York City: Routes 161, 190, and 171 provide service from Paterson to New York City.
• To Newark: Route 72 runs from Paterson to Newark's Penn Station.
• Around the city: Routes 74, 702, 703, 704, 707, 712, 722, 742 (Saturdays only), 744, 746, and 748 provide service throughout Paterson.

In addition to the NJ Transit buses, dollar bus vans (jitneys) offer express service from Paterson to Clifton, Passaic, Union City, and Times Square in Manhattan. You can catch these vans along Main Street and Broadway. They also serve Garden State Plaza and the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in Upper Manhattan.

Reaching Paterson from New York

If you are arriving from Manhattan, you have several options. Jitneys run along Route 4 from the Port Authority George Washington Bridge terminal in Upper Manhattan. NJ Transit buses also depart from the main Port Authority terminal near Times Square. By train, NJ Transit's Main Line stops in Paterson.

By Car

Paterson is easily accessible by car via Route 80 and Route 4 in New Jersey. Having a car can be more convenient for getting around, though parking in some parts of the city is difficult, so plan for that if you drive.

Walking

Paterson is a small city in area, which makes walking a realistic option in and around the centre, particularly the Downtown area near the Market Street train station. For longer trips across town or to surrounding communities, the frequent bus and jitney services are the practical alternative to a car.