On what date did the New York City Subway open to passengers in 1904?

The New York City Subway opened to passengers on October 27, 1904.

The first route was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, or IRT. It ran from City Hall in Lower Manhattan to 145th Street and Broadway in Harlem, with a branch toward Bronx Park. The opening transformed urban travel by providing a fast electric railway beneath busy streets.

The ceremony attracted enormous public attention, and regular service began later that day. This opening is often described as the start of the modern New York City Subway, although earlier elevated railways had already served the city.

The original IRT system used shorter, narrower cars than the later IND and BMT lines. That difference eventually became the basis for the subway’s A Division and B Division, which still use different train clearances today.