In what year did the New York City Subway open?

The New York City Subway opened in 1904. Its first underground line began operation on October 27 of that year, launching the rapid-transit system that would eventually spread across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

The original route ran about 9.1 miles from City Hall north to 145th Street in Harlem. It was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, or IRT, under contracts with New York City. More than 150,000 passengers paid the five-cent fare on opening day, a remarkable demonstration of the demand for fast urban transportation.

The 1904 date refers specifically to the first underground subway. New York already had elevated railways: the earliest elevated line opened in 1868 and later became part of the IRT Ninth Avenue Line. This distinction explains why some accounts mention an earlier date when discussing New York’s rapid-transit history.

The modern subway is the product of later consolidation. The IRT, Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit system, and city-built Independent Subway System were eventually brought together, creating today’s lettered and numbered network.