Times Square, in Manhattan, is the crossing of Broadway and Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 47th Streets: it is open to the public free of charge, day and night, and it is where the New Year’s Eve ball drops every December 31 at 11:59 pm (New York time). People come for the giant screens, the Broadway theaters and the discounted show tickets at the TKTS booth. This page gives the sunset time over Times Square each month (Destination de Voyage calculation), the official New Year’s Eve rules published by the Times Square Alliance and the mistakes to avoid.
Times Square fits into a stay in the city: our guide to visiting New York covers neighborhoods and budget, and our page on the best time to visit New York gives the climate month by month. See entry requirements for the United States.
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Times Square: key facts
- Access: public space, free, 24 hours a day; at the crossing of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, around 42nd Street.
- Subway: lines 1, 2, 3, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, M, N, Q, R, W and the S shuttle serve the area, according to the Times Square Alliance — checked on 23 October 2026 on timessquarenyc.org
- TKTS (discounted show tickets): under the red steps of Father Duffy Square (Broadway and 47th Street); Sunday 11 am–7 pm, Monday–Tuesday 3 pm–8 pm, Wednesday–Thursday 11 am–8 pm, Friday 3 pm–8 pm, Saturday 11 am–8 pm — checked on 23 October 2026 on timessquarenyc.org
- New Year’s Eve: free event, no ticket, first come, first served; viewing areas open at 3 pm on December 31; ball raised around 6 pm, 60-second drop at 11:59 pm.
- Best time: at nightfall, when the screens take over from daylight (see the table of times below).
Times Square in a few dates
According to the Times Square Alliance, the place was called Long Acre (or Longacre) Square. In 1904, Mayor George B. McClellan renamed it Times Square, after the New York Times, which moved in January 1905 into its new tower between Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 42nd and 43rd Streets. The same year, 1904, saw the opening of the city’s first subway line and the first New Year’s Eve celebration on the square.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1904 | The crossing is named Times Square; first New Year’s Eve party, with more than 200,000 people according to the Alliance |
| 1907 | First New Year’s Eve ball drop from the flagpole of One Times Square |
| 1914 | The New York Times leaves the tower for 229 West 43rd Street |
| 1942 and 1943 | No ball drop, because of the partial wartime blackout |
| 1981–1988 | The ball becomes a red apple for the "I Love New York" campaign |
| 2007 | LED ball for the centennial of the tradition |
| November 2025 | Unveiling of the "Constellation Ball", the ninth ball: 12.5 feet in diameter (about 3.8 m), 12,350 pounds (about 5.6 t), 5,280 crystals and LEDs |
What to see at Times Square
- One Times Square: the former New York Times tower, at the south of the square, from which the ball descends.
- Father Duffy Square: the north triangle, with statues of Father Francis Duffy and the composer George M. Cohan, and the red steps above the TKTS booth.
- Broadway theaters: most theaters settled around Times Square before World War I, the Alliance notes.
- Times Square Arts: the Alliance programs contemporary artists on the square’s screens and pedestrian spaces.
- Events through the year: the Alliance organizes Solstice in Times Square, Love in Times Square, Taste of Times Square and Pride in Times Square, among others; check dates on its calendar.
Best time: sunset over Times Square month by month
Times Square is best seen at night, when the screens light up the square. To know what time to be there, we calculated the sunset time and the approximate end of civil twilight (about 30 minutes later) on the 15th of each month, with the Central Park normals published on our page on the best time to visit New York.
| Month (15th) | Sunset (New York time) | Day length | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4:52 pm | 9 h 35 min | 4.2 °C (40 °F) | -2.3 °C (28 °F) | 92 mm (3.6 in) |
| February | 5:30 pm | 10 h 40 min | 5.7 °C (42 °F) | -1.4 °C (29 °F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| March | 7:02 pm | 11 h 55 min | 9.9 °C (50 °F) | 2.1 °C (36 °F) | 109 mm (4.3 in) |
| April | 7:35 pm | 13 h 18 min | 16.6 °C (62 °F) | 7.5 °C (46 °F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) |
| May | 8:06 pm | 14 h 27 min | 21.9 °C (71 °F) | 12.8 °C (55 °F) | 101 mm (4.0 in) |
| June | 8:29 pm | 15 h 05 min | 26.5 °C (80 °F) | 18.0 °C (64 °F) | 115 mm (4.5 in) |
| July | 8:26 pm | 14 h 49 min | 29.4 °C (85 °F) | 21.2 °C (70 °F) | 117 mm (4.6 in) |
| August | 7:54 pm | 13 h 48 min | 28.5 °C (83 °F) | 20.5 °C (69 °F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) |
| September | 7:05 pm | 12 h 29 min | 24.6 °C (76 °F) | 16.8 °C (62 °F) | 109 mm (4.3 in) |
| October | 6:15 pm | 11 h 09 min | 18.1 °C (65 °F) | 10.8 °C (51 °F) | 111 mm (4.4 in) |
| November | 4:37 pm | 9 h 55 min | 12.2 °C (54 °F) | 5.6 °C (42 °F) | 91 mm (3.6 in) |
| December | 4:29 pm | 9 h 16 min | 6.8 °C (44 °F) | 1.0 °C (34 °F) | 111 mm (4.4 in) |
How to read it: in December and January, night falls around 4:30–5 pm: Times Square is lit up from late afternoon, before an evening Broadway show. In June and July, you have to wait until after 8:30 pm.
New Year’s Eve at Times Square: the official rules
Each year the Times Square Alliance publishes a FAQ on New Year’s Eve. Here is what it says (edition consulted on 23 October 2026, to be rechecked in December).
| Time (December 31) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Around 4 am | Seventh Avenue closed to vehicles between 42nd and 48th Streets |
| Around 10 am | Times Square-42 St station entrances on the 42nd Street side closed (access via 41st Street) |
| Around 11 am | Broadway and Seventh Avenue closed to vehicles from 38th to 59th Streets |
| Around noon | 49 St (N/R/W) and 50 St (line 1) stations no longer served until about 12:15 am |
| 3 pm | Official opening of the viewing areas |
| 4 pm | Sixth and Eighth Avenues closed to pedestrians and vehicles (crossings at 41st, 44th, 47th, 50th, 54th and 57th Streets) |
| Around 6 pm | Party starts; the ball is raised to the top of One Times Square |
| 11:59 pm | 60-second ball drop |
- No ticket: the outdoor party is free; no places are sold. Only private parties in restaurants and hotels are paid.
- Beware of "multi-venue" or "all access" passes: the Alliance warns that these passes promise access that is not possible; holders have been turned away at police checkpoints, and some passes were counterfeit.
- Where to enter: only via Sixth or Eighth Avenue, at the access points on 45th, 49th, 52nd and 56th Streets. You cannot cross Broadway / Seventh Avenue once the streets are closed.
- Where to see the ball: along Broadway from 43rd to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue up to 59th Street.
- Prohibited: backpacks, large bags, umbrellas, folding chairs, picnic blankets, large coolers, alcohol, drones, weapons. All bags are searched; drinking alcohol in public is illegal.
- Dress warmly: the wait is measured in hours, in temperatures that can be below zero (−2.3 °C / 28 °F average low in January in Central Park).
- From a distance: the Alliance streams the evening live and free on its website, without ads, from 6 pm (New York time), with a captioned version and an American Sign Language version.
Common mistakes
- Getting off at 42 St station on the evening of the 31st: the Alliance notes that the MTA advises against this station that day; get off at a neighboring station and finish on foot.
- Buying a ticket for the outdoor New Year’s Eve party: there is none.
- Buying show tickets from a street seller: prefer theater box offices or TKTS, run by the nonprofit TDF.
- Coming only in daytime: the square comes into its own after dark (see the table).
- Leaving belongings unattended: crowds encourage pickpocketing; our New York page reminds you of the precautions.
What to see nearby
On foot from Times Square: Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building further south and Central Park to the north. For the Statue of Liberty, take the subway to the southern tip of Manhattan.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the ball drop in Times Square?
At 11:59 pm on December 31, New York time; the drop lasts 60 seconds. The ball is raised to the top of One Times Square around 6 pm.
Do you need a ticket for New Year’s Eve in Times Square?
No, the outdoor party is free and ticketless, on a first-come, first-served basis. Only private parties in venues are paid.
What time should you arrive in Times Square on December 31?
The viewing areas officially open at 3 pm and fill up through the afternoon, street by street; the Alliance says it is impossible to predict when each one will be full.
What is the best time to see Times Square?
At nightfall: around 4:30–5 pm in winter and after 8 pm in summer, according to our sunset calculation.
Which subway station for Times Square?
According to the Times Square Alliance (checked on 23 October 2026), lines 1, 2, 3, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, M, N, Q, R, W and the S shuttle serve the area. On December 31, prefer a neighboring station.
Where can you buy discounted Broadway tickets in Times Square?
At the TKTS booth, under the red steps of Father Duffy Square, at the corner of Broadway and 47th Street.
Our sources
- Times Square Alliance (timessquarenyc.org): NYE FAQ, History of New Year’s Eve & the Times Square Ball, History of Times Square, TKTS Times Square, Plan your visit, consulted on 23 October 2026
- NOAA / National Weather Service: 1991–2020 normals, Central Park station (Belvedere Castle), taken from our page on the best time to visit New York
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, IANA America/New_York time zone, applied by Destination de Voyage to the approximate coordinates of Times Square (15th of each month, year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.
