New York City Subway service began in 1904 when the first city-operated underground line opened.
The inaugural route ran from City Hall in Lower Manhattan north through Midtown and then west and north to 145th Street. It was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company under a contract with the city, rather than by the modern Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The opening ceremony took place on October 27, 1904, and regular public service began the following day. This line formed the foundation of what became the IRT system. Later subway construction by the BMT and IND created the larger network known today.
The subway’s history is sometimes confused with earlier elevated railways and rapid-transit proposals. Elevated lines were already operating before 1904, but the date refers specifically to the opening of the first underground subway route in New York City.