/ Published in New York City

New York City by the Numbers

New York City is a fascinating place and there are lots of fun facts about it. Here are some of the most interesting numbers about New York City
Photo of a dog on a New York City subway car

Photo of Subway Car, New York City (modified) © H.L.I.T.

  • An average of 4.9 million people ride the subway each every weekday.
  • The population of New York City is 8.4 million.
  • It is the number 1 most densly populated city in the United States.
  • It is 305 square miles (790 km2).

Photo of New York City's 5 boroughs
Photo of 5 Boroughs, New York City (modified) © Julius Schorzman

  • New York City consists of 5 boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island.
  • Nearly 50% of New York City residents over the age of 5 speak a language other than English at home.
  • In 1992, it became legal for women to go shirtless, just as men do, in New York City.

Photo of the Wyckoff House Museum in New York City
Photo of Wyckoff House Museum, New York City (modified) © Dmadeo

  • The oldest building in New York City is the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum (construction started around 1652).
  • About 1.34 million people commute into Manhattan every week day.
  • An estimated 800 languages are spoken in New York City.
  • From 1789 to 1790, New York City was the capital of the United States.

Photo of Central Park in New York City
Photo of Central Park, New York City (modified) © Martin St-Amant – Wikipedia – CC-BY-SA-3.0

  • Central Park is 1.317 sq miles (3.41 km²).
  • More than 54 million people visited New York City in 2013.
  • There is more than 660 miles of subway track in New York City connecting 468 subway stations.
  • In 1776, the longest battle of the American Revolution, The Battle of Long Island, took place in Brooklyn.

Photo of the Statue of Liberty in New York City
Photo of Statue of Liberty, New York City (modified) © Thomas Faivre-Duboz

  • The Statue of Liberty was erected on Liberty Island (the known as Bedloe’s Island) in 1886.
  • New York City’s population is more than 39 of the 50 states.
  • There are an estimated 113 museums in New York City.

Photo of taxi cabs in New York City
Photo of Taxi Cabs, New York City (modified) © Felix Morgner

  • There are 13,437 medallions – licenses to run a yellow taxi – in New York City in 2014.
  • A typical taxi travels 70,000 miles per year.
  • 20 blocks in New York City is about 1 mile (1.6 km).

Photo of New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York City
Photo of New Year’s Eve, Times Square, New York City (modified) © Anthony Quintano

  • Around 1 million people gather in Times Square every New Year’s Eve.
  • It costs over $289,00 a year for a permit to sell hot dogs in Central Park
  • New York City’s roots dates back to 1624 when it was a trading post under the Dutch and called New Amsterdam.

    • What you can read next

    Secrets of New York City: Grand Central Terminal
    Cool Facts About New York City
    New York City’s Radio City Music Hall