Are you thinking of moving to the New York suburbs? If you are planning to commute from the suburbs to New York City every day, then it is important to move to a town with the shortest commute.
Our advice to you is, as much as possible, to try to shave minutes off your daily commute to New York City. Even if you cut your commute down by 15 minutes each way, it will feel significant because you are looking at saving 30 minutes off your commute times everyday.
We looked at suburban towns in Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut to find the New York Suburbs with the shortest commute to New York City.
Below you will find the New York suburbs with the shortest commute to NYC.
Featured Photo Credit: Joyita Bandyopadhyay
New York Suburbs with Shortest Commute to NYC
Bronxville has the Shortest Commute to New York City
Bronxville is the New York suburb with the shortest commute to New York City. It only takes 31 minutes via Metro-North train to get from Bronxville to New York’s midtown Manhattan.
If you are looking for a walkable suburban town, then you will like Bronxville. You can easily walk to town or train in this Westchester village of one square mile. Bronxville has a population of approximately 6,300 people.
It is an affluent suburb of New York City with a mean income of $358,224 and 71% of residents are white-collar workers in finance, business or management field. The majority of the households are dual-income households with 38.7% stay at home moms.
The Bronxville Union Free School District is a top-ranking Westchester County school district. It is a highly ranked school in Niche.com’s Best School Districts in Westchester.
Check out our article: The Truth About Living in Bronxville
Great Neck, NY to New York City is 32 Minutes
Great Neck is a Long Island town with the shortest commute to NYC.
The commute from Great Neck to Manhattan is an easy 31 minutes on the LIRR train.
Great Neck is also known for its excellent schools with Niche.com rating Great Neck Public School District as the best school district in New York state!
On top of that, Great Neck is relatively affordable with a median home price of $829,538.
With amazing schools, a quick 31-minute train ride to NYC, and a median home sale price of $829,538, it’s a combination that’s hard to beat.
Check out Long Island Towns with Best Schools and Short Commute
Montclair, NJ to New York City is 33 minutes
Montclair, NJ is a New Jersey town with one of the shortest commute to NYC.
Direct train service from Montclair to NYC is only 38 minutes.
Montclair residents are lucky to have not just one but six train stations right in town! And Montclair is an NJ town with direct trains to NYC- no need to transfer trains!
Aside from direct trains to NYC, there are also NJ Transit buses to NYC in Montclair. It only takes just 33 minutes from Montclair to NYC.
Aside from being a town with an easy commute to NYC, Montclair also has a great downtown. There are lots of shops, restaurants and bars downtown. Plus the downtown is walkable.
With a median sale price of homes of $895,231, Montclair’s bustling downtown and easy commute to NYC, it makes Montclair one of the best NYC commuter towns in NJ.
Check out our list of the Best Commuter Town in New Jersey to NYC
Pelham to New York City is 33 Minutes
If you are looking to move to a suburb with a short commute to New York City, then Pelham is another New York suburb to consider. The commute on the Metro-North from the Pelham station to Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal is only 33 minutes.
Pelham is a small village in Westchester County with a population of approximately 6,900 residents. Compared to other Westchester communities, Pelham is diverse with 66.2% White, 14.9% Hispanic, 11.4% Asian and 12.1% African American.
The median income is $136,389 where 27% of residents work in the Management, Business and Finance fields. Most of the households in Pelham are dual income households with 25.6% stay at home moms.
The Pelham Union Free School District is a top ranking Westchester County school district. It is highly ranked in Niche.com’s Best School Districts in Westchester.
Check out our list of the Most Affordable Towns in Westchester County
Scarsdale to New York City is 34 Minutes
Scarsdale is another Westchester town to consider if you are looking for a town in the New York suburbs with the shortest commute to New York City. The Metro-North train commute from Scarsdale to New York City is only 34 minutes.
Scarsdale has a population of approximately 17,000 with 81.2% white and 14.2% Asian. Most of Scarsdale’s residents commute to New York City with only 37.1% working within Westchester County.
Scarsdale is an affluent town with a mean income of $516,361 of which 30.9% of the residents work in the Management, Business and Finance fields. 61.4% of the households are dual-income households.
The Scarsdale Union Free School District is considered one of the best Westchester County school districts. It consistently ranks as Niche.com’s Best School District in Westchester.
Check out our article: It Costs over $14,000 a month for a Family of four to Live in Scarsdale
Ardsley to New York City is 34 Minutes
Ardsley is another Westchester town to consider if you are looking to move to the New York suburbs with the shortest commute to New York City.
Ardsley does not have its own Metro-North station but Ardsley residents take the train out of the Scarsdale Metro-North station. The train ride from Scarsdale to New York City is 34 minutes.
Ardsley has approximately 4,400 residents with 69.6% White, 18.4% Asian and 11.7% Hispanic. Most of the residents work within Westchester County and approximately 33.4% commute to New York. Most of the households are dual-income households with 24.8% stay at home moms.
The Ardsley Union Free School District is a highly regarded Westchester County school district. It is highly ranked in Niche.com’s Best School Districts in Westchester.
Does it really cost $10,000 to live in Westchester? Check out our Westchester Cost of Living Calculator.
Glen Ridge, NJ to New York City is 35 minutes
Glen Ridge is a New Jersey commuter town with one of the shortest commutes to New York City.
It only takes 35 minutes to commute from Glen Ridge to NYC. Commuting from Glen Ridge is hassle-free because there are direct trains to New York Penn Station from Glen Ridge station. There is no need for Glen Ridge commuters to transfer trains!
And to add to the commuting convenience, Glen Ridge train station is within walking distance of most Glen Ridge residents because it’s a small town of just over 1 square mile.
However, Glen Ridge isn’t just a convenient commuter town. It’s also a desirable place to live in its own right with a median home price of $834,000.
Glen Ridge is an affluent suburb in New Jersey with tree-lined streets, stately pre-war colonials and Victorian homes.
Check out the Best Suburbs of New Jersey
Englewood, NJ to New York City is 35 minutes
Englewood is another New Jersey town with one of the shortest commutes to NYC.
Located just across the George Washington Bridge, Englewood has express buses to NYC. The bus ride from Englewood to New York’s Port Authority is only 35 minutes on Bus 166.
Englewood is also one of the most affordable NJ commuter towns with a median sale price of $487,192.
Aside from being a town with an easy commute to NYC, Englewood has a bustling downtown and is close to Paramus Mall and Bergen Town Center Mall.
Plus Englewood is home to Englewood Hospital, recognized as one of the best hospitals in NJ.
Leonia, NJ to New York City is 36 minutes
Leonia is another New Jersey town with a short commute to NYC.
It only takes 36 minutes on Bus 166 from Leonia to NYC’s Port Authority. The commute to NYC from Leonia is fast because Leonia has easy access to major highways and multiple NJ Transit bus routes.
Leonia is also known for its top-rated schools. The Leonia Public Schools system is consistently ranked in the top 15 best school districts in New Jersey.
Leonia is also a relatively affordable NYC commuter town in Bergen County with a median sale price of homes in Leonia is $700,000.
The combination of great schools, fast commute to NYC, and relatively affordable housing prices make Leonia an attractive NJ commuter town for families.
Check out the Best Beach Towns near NYC
Short Hills, NJ to New York City is 38 minutes
Short Hills is an affluent NJ town with one of the shortest commutes to NYC.
Commuting from Short Hills to NYC is easy because there are direct NYC trains from the Short Hills train station. This makes it possible for commuters to reach Midtown Manhattan in just 38 minutes!
Beyond commuting convenience, Short Hills is also one of the best NJ commuter towns for families because of its top-rated schools.
Short Hills school district, Millburn Township Public Schools, is consistently ranked as the best school district in New Jersey.
Living in Short Hills comes with a hefty price tag with the median sale price of homes at $2,070,000!
Short Hills is also famous for its shopping. The Mall at Short Hills, known for its luxury stores, is one of the most prestigious shopping malls in New Jersey.
Check out the Richest Towns of New Jersey
Source: American Community Survey, Census, Niche.com and Metro North Schedule