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Short answer: about 15 trips a day. In 2025, NYC yellow taxis made 131,133 trips a day and about 8,722 taxis were on the road each day, so the average taxi on the road did roughly 15 trips (TLC industry indicators, our division). From January to July 2026 it was about 14. In 2010 the same math gives 39, and in 2019 22.
The numbers and how we got them
TLC publishes, for every month, the average trips per day and the average vehicles per day — taxis that "recorded at least one trip in a day" (dictionary). Dividing one by the other gives trips per taxi per day. We averaged the monthly results for each year.
What the number does and doesn't mean
- It is per car, not per driver. A medallion taxi can run two shifts with two drivers. Per driver, TLC reports trips in 7.5 hours a day on 23.1 days a month in 2025.
- It counts only taxis that worked that day. Taxis parked all day are left out, so it is not "trips per medallion."
- Hours mean hours with a trip. TLC counts hours "in which a vehicle recorded a trip," not time cruising for a fare.
- Why it fell: yellow trips dropped from about 463,000 a day in 2010 to 131,000 in 2025 as app rides grew (see taxi and Uber trip statistics). Taxis also spend fewer hours a day on the road, so trips per taxi per hour fell less: from about 2.7 in 2010 to about 1.7 in 2025.
The line also shows the pandemic. In 2020 the average taxi on the road did only about 14 trips in under 8 hours. Trips per taxi recovered to about 18 in 2021 and 2022, then fell again to 14–15 from 2023 as more taxis returned to the road (about 7,000 a day in 2023 and 8,700 in 2025) faster than riders did. In other words, more cabs are now sharing a market that is still far smaller than before 2019, so each one gets fewer trips.
For comparison, app cars averaged about 11 trips per vehicle per day from August 2025 to July 2026 with the same method. Trips per day also change by season — August is the slowest month for yellow taxis — see demand by weekday and season.
What to do next
What a trip is worth: yellow fare per trip and card tips. How long trips are: trip length data. Income: how much yellow taxi drivers make. How many cars are out: how many Ubers and taxis are on the road each day. Compare with apps: taxi vs Uber fares. What a medallion is, and more in the money hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many trips does a NYC yellow cab make in a day?
About 15 in 2025: TLC's industry indicators show 131,133 yellow trips per day and 8,722 taxis on the road per day, on average. January–July 2026 averaged about 14.
Was it always this low?
No. In 2010 the same calculation gives about 39 trips per taxi per day, and in 2019 about 22. Taxis are also on the road fewer hours a day: about 8.6 hours with trips in 2025, against 14.7 in 2010.
Is that per driver or per car?
Per car. A taxi can be driven by two drivers on day and night shifts. Per driver, TLC reports trips in about 7.5 hours a day in 2025.
How does this compare with Uber and Lyft cars?
With the same method, app cars averaged about 11 trips per vehicle per day in mid-2025 to mid-2026. App drivers often work fewer hours per day than taxi drivers.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC Monthly Data Reports (industry indicators CSV) nyc.gov
- TLC Data Dictionary – Monthly Industry Indicators nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: TLC Industry Indicators (v6kb-cqej) data.cityofnewyork.us
- TLC Trip Record Data (yellow, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026) nyc.gov
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.
TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.