NYC Taxi Fare Calculator 2026: Estimate a Yellow Cab Fare
Estimate a standard New York City yellow-taxi fare before you ride. Enter the trip distance and an optional slow/stopped-traffic buffer, then add the official time-of-day and Manhattan surcharges that apply. The result is a planning estimate, not a guaranteed meter total.
How the standard NYC taxi meter works
The standard city rate begins with a $3 initial charge. The meter then adds $0.70 for each 1/5 mile while the taxi is traveling at or above 12 mph, or $0.70 for each 60 seconds while it is moving below 12 mph or stopped.
The meter combines distance and time as conditions change, which is why two trips with the same map distance can produce different totals.
Why this calculator shows a baseline and a traffic buffer
A map can give you trip distance, but it cannot know exactly how many meter units will accrue by distance versus slow-moving time. The distance-based result is therefore the cleanest baseline for a mostly moving trip.
If you expect meaningful gridlock or stopped time, add a slow/stopped-minute buffer. That second result is deliberately conservative and should be treated as a planning cushion rather than a prediction of the exact taximeter.
Manhattan can add two different congestion charges
A yellow taxi trip that begins, ends or passes through Manhattan south of 96th Street can include the $2.50 New York State congestion surcharge.
A separate $0.75 Congestion Relief Zone taxi toll applies when the trip enters the tolled Manhattan street network south of and including 60th Street, subject to the official excluded-roadway rules.
Time of day changes the fare
The standard yellow-taxi fare adds a $1 nighttime surcharge for trips beginning after 8 p.m. and before 6 a.m.
A $2.50 rush-hour surcharge applies to trips beginning after 4 p.m. and before 8 p.m. on weekdays, excluding legal holidays.
Airport trips need special handling
Trips between JFK and Manhattan use the separate $70 yellow-taxi flat fare plus applicable surcharges, tolls and tip, so use NYC Dayline’s JFK Taxi Fare Calculator for that route.
LaGuardia uses the standard city meter plus a $5 airport surcharge and, for yellow-taxi pickups at LGA, a $2 Airport Access Fee. Newark has a separate surcharge and out-of-city toll rules and is outside this standard-city estimator.