How to get to the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Subways, street closures and more

NEW YORK CITY - Going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year and trying to decide how to get there? 

We got you covered.

Here's how to get to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and what streets will be closed for the big event:

Easiest ways to get to the parade:

FOX 5 NY's Ines Rosales said the closest subway stations to the start of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are the 1, 2, and 3​​​ at 72 Street, the 1​ at 79 Street, the ​C at 81 Street, and the ​​​​1, C, A, and D at 59 St-Columbus Circle.

There will also be additional service on the S 42 Street Shuttle as well as increased early morning service on the 1 line to accommodate parade-goers. 

In order to prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms, some subway entrances at 59 St-Columbus Circle will be closed. 

Trains will bypass the 72 St C between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. In addition, select exits and entrances will be closed at Penn Station, and other stations along the Sixth Avenue line. 

There will not be service to 57 Street/6 Avenue on that day as the F is currently rerouted over the E and the M will not be operating to Midtown on Thanksgiving Day.

Subway service:

NYC subways will run on a Sunday schedule.

Subway service to the start of the parade on the Upper West Side would be 1, 2, 3 to 72nd Street. 

1 train to 79th Street; the C to 81 St; or 1, A, C, D to 59 St. Columbus Circle.

The 42nd Street shuttle will have extra service, as well as increased early morning service on the 1 train.   

Subway entrances that will be closed are 59-Columbus Circle, Penn Station Exits and Entrances, and stations on 6 Ave – along the parade route. 

The C train will bypass 72nd St between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.

F trains will be rerouted over the E and there is no M service in Midtown.

LIRR and Metro-north:

The LIRR schedule is supplemented with six extra trains timed perfectly for those attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

There will be six extra westbound trains originating on Long Island between 6 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. (three each on the Babylon Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch), and five extra eastbound trains departing Penn Station between 11:45 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. (two on the Babylon Branch and three on the Ronkonkoma Branch).

Metro-North will provide additional inbound morning service for customers going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. There will also be expanded outbound service starting in the late morning and continuing until mid-afternoon for customers traveling to suburban destinations. Finally, there will be expanded evening service for customers returning to New York City.

Metro-North will be checking tickets prior to boarding at Grand Central Terminal and at Harlem-125th Street. Customers must have tickets from a ticket office, ticket vending machine or mobile ticket, which will be checked before boarding the trains. 

Note: No one without a ticket will be allowed past the gates at Grand Central and Harlem-125th Street between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to ensure every rider has a valid ticket.

Bus service:

Buses will also run on a Sunday schedule. 

Expect delays and detours in Manhattan since they will be rerouted because of the parade such as the M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7, M10, M11, M12, M20, M31, M34 SBS, M34A SBS, M42, M50, M55, M57, M66, M72, M79 SBS, M103, M104, Q32, BxM1, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BXM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11,, QM2, QM4, QM5, QM6, SIM1C, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM33C, X27, X28.

The 79th Street Transverse Road will be closed from noon Wednesday, Nov. 23, to noon Thursday, Nov. 24, and buses will not be permitted to cross.

Stay with the MTA for the latest details by clicking here for service status.

 What streets will be closed? 

The following streets will be closed for the Thanksgiving Day Parade at the discretion of the NYPD, according to the city:

Formation:

• Columbus Avenue between 72nd Street and 83rd Street
• Central Park West between 81st Street and 86th Street
• 82nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 76th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• 59th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue

Route:

• Central Park West between 81st Street and East Side of Columbus Circle/59th Street
• Columbus Circle between 59th Street and Broadway
• 59th Street between Columbus Circle and 6th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 59th Street and 34th Street
• 34th Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue

Dispersal:

• 33rd Street between 6th Avenue and 10th Avenue
• 34th Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue
• 34th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 35th Street between 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue
• 36th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 37th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 38th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 39th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 40th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 41st Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue
• 7th Avenue between 31st Street and 41st Street
• Broadway between 45th Street and 34th Street

Miscellaneous (Formation and Dispersal):

• 58th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 43rd Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway
• 40th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 39th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 38th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 37th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 36th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 32nd Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 32nd Street and 34th Street
• 8th Avenue between 40th Street and 33rd Street
• Broadway between 33rd Street and 34th Street
• Grand Army Plaza between 59th Street and Plaza Street

Additional Locations

• 86th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 85th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 84th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 83rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 73rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 70th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 69th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 67th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 66th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 65th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 64th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 63rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 62nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway
• 61st Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway
• 60th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• Grand Army Plaza between 59th Street and 58th Street
• 58th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 57th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 56th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 55th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 54th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 53rd Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 52nd Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 51st Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 50th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 49th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 48th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• Rockefeller Plaza between 51st Street and 48th Street
• 47th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 46th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 45th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 44th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 43rd Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 40th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 39th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 38th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 37th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 36th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 35th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 33rd Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 33rd Street and 32nd Street
• Columbus Avenue between 72nd Street and 58th Street
• Columbus Avenue between 86th Street and 83rd Street

Note: This year's parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET, half an hour earlier than in previous years.