Times Sq/Theatre District (Zone 230): NYC Taxi & Uber Data

Times Square/Theatre District (TLC zone 230) is the 2nd-busiest pickup zone in Manhattan and the one with the most airport trips. Between September 2025 and August 2026, 4,208,384 trips began in this zone (about 11,530 a day). Uber and Lyft had 68.5% of pickups and yellow taxis 31.5%. Pickups spike at 9–10 p.m. on weekdays, and 15.2% of app pickups go to an airport, more than in any other Manhattan zone.

Times Square/Theatre District at a glance

On TLC's map, zone 230 covers the Times Square area, roughly from 42nd Street up to the mid-50s. Its neighbours are Midtown Center (161), Midtown North (163), Midtown South (164), Garment District (100) and Clinton East (48). It ranks 4th of all 263 zones by pickups, after LaGuardia Airport, JFK Airport and Midtown Center. The "Yellow Zone" tag in TLC's lookup table is a data label, not a legal line.

When rides start: the 9 p.m. spike

The weekday curve rises slowly all day and then jumps. Pickups are about 480 an hour in the early afternoon, about 680 at 6 p.m., then 1,089 at 9 p.m. and 1,009 at 10 p.m. That late spike is sharper than in any neighbouring zone. Saturdays peak at 10 p.m. (about 1,015) and 11 p.m. Sundays peak earlier, at 5 p.m.

Arrivals come earlier. Weekday drop-offs peak at 6 p.m. (about 918). On Saturdays they peak at 7 p.m. (about 1,088), with a second peak at 1 p.m. Late nights stay active: about 15% of Saturday pickups and 18.5% of Sunday pickups happen between midnight and 5 a.m.

Month by month

October 2025 was the busiest month (388,663 pickups) and February 2026 the quietest (297,028). July 2026 was strong (371,047), unlike the residential zones uptown, which slowed down in summer.

Where trips go: airports and out of town

The top destination is outside New York City (TLC zone 265, 7.3% of pickups). Next is LaGuardia (6.2%). JFK (3.5%) and Newark Airport (2.6%) are also in the top 10. Yellow taxis carry a smaller share of airport trips: 5.9% of yellow pickups go to an airport.

Arrivals come from the airports too. LaGuardia is the No. 1 origin for trips ending here (8.2% of drop-offs), and JFK is 2nd (5.0%).

For airport rules and fees, see LaGuardia, JFK and Newark. Without justifiable grounds, a taxi driver may not refuse a passenger going to Newark Airport (Rule 80-20(a)(1)).

Fares and pay

App trips from zone 230 are the most valuable in Manhattan's "Yellow Zone" group by median fare: $33.88 (3.51 miles, 22.1 minutes). The median driver pay is $23.53, the app tip rate is 7.1% and the average tip is $3.25. Yellow trips are short (1.66 miles, 14.3 minutes), with a $14.90 median meter fare and a 23.4% card tip rate. TLC's app pay figure excludes tips and tolls. "Pay per engaged hour" counts passenger time only, so it is not an hourly wage.

Congestion fee and hail lines

• MTA Congestion Relief Zone: zone 230 is deep inside the Congestion Relief Zone. In the data, 99.7% of app pickups and 98.8% of yellow pickups were charged. As of 2026-10-12 the per-trip amount is $1.50 on app trips and $0.75 on taxi, green cab and other FHV trips, collected from the passenger.
• NYS congestion surcharge: a run to JFK or LaGuardia stays in New York State, so it pays the state surcharge ($2.50 taxi, $2.75 FHV, as of 2026-10-12). A run to Newark does not, because the surcharge covers only trips that begin and end in the state.
• Hail Exclusionary Zone: green cabs made only 148 pickups here in a year. Times Square is inside the Hail Exclusionary Zone, so they may not take hails. For FHVs, a street pickup here is an 80-19(c)(2) violation, with fines starting at $500.

Taxi stands and FHV-only curbs

Current DOT sign records (nfid-uabd, updated October 11, 2026) show taxi-stand signs on 14 street segments in this zone. They are mostly on Sixth and Seventh Avenues and the side streets from 44th to 54th. Three more segments are signed "For-hire vehicles only" for evening hours, on West 43rd Street, Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. DOT lists no relief stand in zone 230.

With 14 stand blocks in one zone, the 100-foot rule matters here: a taxi may not cruise for passengers within 100 feet of an authorized stand (80-19(a)(4)(ii)), and must take the rear position on the line (80-19(d)(4)). FHV drivers may not load at the stands (80-19(d)(2)). The three blocks signed "For-hire vehicles only" carry evening hours. Before stopping anywhere else, check the curb rules.