The New Year’s Eve ball drop at One Times Square takes place in Times Square in Manhattan.
Times Square is the major commercial intersection and entertainment district formed by the meeting of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Its illuminated advertising signs and dense crowds make it a natural setting for a highly visible public countdown. The annual ball descends from a flagpole atop One Times Square shortly before midnight on December 31.
The area was called Longacre Square until 1904, when it was renamed Times Square after The New York Times moved its headquarters there. The newspaper later moved away, but the name remained. One Times Square is the specific building associated with the ball, while Times Square is the broader location. This distinction helps avoid confusing the celebration with other New York countdown sites, including Central Park and waterfront fireworks displays.