Artūras Kokorevas
The 7 Train to Flushing
The subway route every US Open regular takes — 40 minutes from Midtown Manhattan, no transfers, drops you at the gates
The 7 train runs from Hudson Yards on the far west side of Manhattan, along 42nd Street, through Times Square and Grand Central, then east under Queens Boulevard and finally elevated above the streets of Flushing, terminating at Main Street, Flushing. The US Open stop — Mets-Willets Point — is one stop before the end of the line and sits directly next to Citi Field, the Mets' stadium.
The journey
Board the 7 at any station between Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza. Times Square (7 at 42nd Street, accessible from multiple subway lines) is the busiest and most useful boarding point for most visitors. Grand Central (42nd Street and Park Avenue) works equally well. The journey takes around 38–42 minutes from Times Square, running express during rush hours and local at other times — the express skips several Queens stations but not Mets-Willets Point.
Exit at Mets-Willets Point. The platform is elevated and you'll see Citi Field directly to your right. Follow the signs — there's a clear walking path through the parking areas to the USTA complex. The walk takes around 10 minutes and is clearly marked; stay with the crowd.
Why not Uber or taxi
Traffic around Flushing Meadows during the US Open is serious. Roads that are typically clear become backed up as the session approaches, and the drop-off area near the venue can add 20–40 minutes to a journey that would have taken 15 minutes by subway. Ride-share surge pricing during sessions adds cost on top of the time penalty. The 7 train costs $2.90 regardless of demand, runs every few minutes, and deposits you closer to the gates than any car can.
The return journey
After the session ends, the platform fills quickly. Trains run frequently. The crowd is good-natured after a long day; people compare match notes on the platform and the ride back to Manhattan is social in the way that post-match public transit tends to be. If you're staying in Flushing, you exit at Main Street, the final stop — one more minute.
The ride itself
The 7 is worth noticing. It runs elevated through Queens for most of its length, and the view looking south from the elevated section — rooftops, the Citi Field stadium, the towers of Manhattan in the distance — is the specific view of New York you get from a subway, which is to say the real one. Jackson Heights, Woodside, Flushing pass under the train, each a different density and character. By the time you reach Mets-Willets Point you've had 40 minutes of Queens.
Why it's special
The 7 train to the US Open is not just a practical instruction — it's part of how the tournament works. The pilgrimage quality of the ride, the way the train fills with people in tennis hats and carrying racket bags, the view of Citi Field as you pull in to Mets-Willets Point: it's the transition that marks you as arriving at something rather than just reaching a venue.
Every major New York sporting event has a correct way to travel to it that the locals know. For the US Open, the correct answer is the 7 train, and it has been the correct answer since the tournament moved to Flushing in 1978.
Insider tips
- 1
Board at Times Square (42nd Street) or Grand Central (42nd Street and Park Avenue) for the most convenient join. Both are on the 7 line and have frequent service.
- 2
The express 7 runs during peak hours and skips several Queens stations but still stops at Mets-Willets Point. Take it when available — it saves 5–8 minutes.
- 3
Allow 50–55 minutes total from Times Square to the USTA gates: 38–42 minutes on the train plus a 10-minute walk from the platform to the entrance.
- 4
You can tap a contactless credit or debit card directly at the turnstile (OMNY system) — no MetroCard needed. The fare is $2.90 each way.
- 5
The return platform fills quickly after sessions end but trains are frequent. Don't sprint out of the stadium on the last point to catch a train — the next one is 3–4 minutes behind it.
Practical info
What to avoid
Don't take a taxi or ride-share on session days. Traffic around Flushing Meadows in the hour before and after sessions is serious, and ride-share surge pricing during peak demand compounds the cost. The 7 train costs $2.90, runs every few minutes, and deposits you closer to the gates than any car can reach. Don't exit at Main Street Flushing instead of Mets-Willets Point thinking it's closer to the tournament — it's not; Mets-Willets Point is the correct stop and the walk from there is straightforward. And don't wear headphones for the whole ride — the elevated section through Queens, with Citi Field and eventually the USTA complex visible out the window, is the arrival sequence that tells you you're actually going to the US Open.
