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Major city · United States

Jersey CityJersey City, New Jersey

Stay 1–2 nights if you want cheaper beds with a 10–20 min PATH ride into Manhattan; skip as a sightseeing base if you want to walk to New York's sights.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Jersey City is New Jersey's second-largest city, on the Hudson across from Lower Manhattan. Most travellers use it for cheaper accommodation and a fast PATH commute, but the waterfront has real draws: Liberty State Park, the Colgate Clock, brownstone downtown blocks and skyline views back across the river. It is a base, not a full sightseeing destination.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, wind off the river), Jul–Aug (humid)
Airports
EWR · JFK · LGA
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Jersey City911 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Jersey City, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeUS$4–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner, mainAdd 18–22% tip and NJ sales tax.US$18–35
  • Street or quick mealDeli sandwich or slice of pizzaUS$6–12
  • BeerDraught beer in a barUS$7–9
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi Grove Street to Journal SquareAbout US$10
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personUS$55
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomUS$230
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomUS$420

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$85 · Mid US$160 · High US$300

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Liberty State Park and Manhattan skyline viewsPATH trains to Manhattan in about 10–20 minHistoric Downtown brownstonesCheaper beds than Manhattan
Airports
EWR Newark Liberty International (Closest airport, about 10–15 min by taxi; AirTrain plus NJ Transit plus PATH is the cheap route, about 45 min) · JFK John F. Kennedy International (Taxi about US$100; subway plus PATH is far slower with bags) · LGA LaGuardia (Taxi about US$100; no direct rail link)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    4°C (39°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    6°C (43°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    10°C (50°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    16°C (61°F)

  5. May

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    29°C (84°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    28°C (82°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    19°C (66°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    13°C (55°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    7°C (45°F)

Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jan–Feb, Jul–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (29°C (84°F)), coolest Jan (−3°C (27°F) low), wettest May (12 rain days), driest Feb (8). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Jersey City: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C (39°F)

−3°C (27°F)

9 rd

Feb

6°C (43°F)

−2°C (28°F)

8 rd

Mar

10°C (50°F)

2°C (36°F)

10 rd

Apr

16°C (61°F)

7°C (45°F)

11 rd

May

21°C (70°F)

12°C (54°F)

12 rd

Jun

26°C (79°F)

17°C (63°F)

11 rd

Jul

29°C (84°F)

21°C (70°F)

10 rd

Aug

28°C (82°F)

20°C (68°F)

10 rd

Sep

25°C (77°F)

17°C (63°F)

9 rd

Oct

19°C (66°F)

11°C (52°F)

9 rd

Nov

13°C (55°F)

6°C (43°F)

9 rd

Dec

7°C (45°F)

1°C (34°F)

10 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk plus PATH. PATH runs four stations here — Exchange Place, Grove Street, Journal Square and Newport — with Lower Manhattan about 7 min away and Midtown about 15 min. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail links the waterfront, Hoboken and Bayonne. Buses cover the rest; taxis are scarce and often flat-rate, so agree the price first. Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) and the city-partnered Via minivans fill the gaps.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Manhattan, New Yorkgo

Door to door: 10–20 min

PATH from Grove Street or Exchange Place

The whole point of basing here; runs late but not 24 h on every line — check the last train.

Hoboken

go

Door to door: 10–25 min

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail or a 20-min walk north along the waterfront

Washington Street bars and cafés; easy half-day.

Bayonne

caution

Door to door: About 25 min

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail south

Mostly residential; go only for a specific stop.

Union City

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

Bus or rideshare north

Cuban and Latin American food strip on Bergenline Avenue; no rail link.

Weehawken

go

Door to door: 20–35 min

Light Rail to Port Imperial, then NY Waterway ferry

Ferry to Midtown is the scenic way across.

Secaucus

skip

Door to door: About 30 min

NJ Transit from Hoboken or Newark

Outlet mall and rail junction only.

Harrison

skip

Door to door: About 40 min

PATH to Newark Penn, then NJ Transit one stop

Nothing for a visitor beyond the Red Bull Arena on a match day.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Historic Downtown (Grove Street, Harsimus Cove, Van Vorst Park)

Brownstones, cafés and the Grove Street PATH station; best all-round base for first-timers.

Waterfront / Newport

High-rise hotels and Newport Mall, Exchange Place and Newport PATH stops; fastest to Manhattan, least neighbourhood feel.

Journal Square

Cheapest beds and the main bus terminal; 25 min to Newark, more commercial, thinner evening options.

The Heights

Residential, Victorian houses and Palisades views; no PATH station, so you need a bus or rideshare to reach the train.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
US$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
US$130–200 excl. bed
High
US$250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 2 nights × US$230US$460
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$160US$640
PATH single ride2 × US$3 · checkUS$6
AirTrain plus NJ Transit from EWR, one way2 × US$8 · checkUS$17
Citibike day pass2 × US$15 · checkUS$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$119
Trip total≈ US$328 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,312

2026 estimate in US dollars; flights excluded. Prices are shown before sales tax. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeUS$4–6
Deli sandwich or slice of pizzaUS$6–12
Sit-down dinner, mainAdd 18–22% tip and NJ sales tax.US$18–35
Draught beer in a barUS$7–9
PATH rideUS$2.75 (check)
Taxi Grove Street to Journal SquareAbout US$10
Via rideshare, starting fareFrom US$2 (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The Downtown, waterfront and Journal Square areas are busy and generally fine by day and evening; use normal city sense, avoid Greenville after dark, and keep to lit streets around the PATH stations.
  • Do not drive in: on-street parking in Downtown and Journal Square needs a permit and out-of-state plates get booted.
  • PATH and NJ Transit use separate tap systems (TAPP vs FARE-PAY); a card for one does not work on the other.
  • Taxis are unmetered in places — ask the total before you get in.
  • Greenville, in the south, is the roughest area; there is no reason to base there.
  • Summer heat and river wind are the main comfort issues, not crime, in the tourist zones.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Jersey CityJersey City, New Jersey

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Jersey City; consulates-general are in Manhattan, and most national embassies are in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • PATH Jersey City → World Trade Center: US$2.75, about 7 min (check)
  • PATH Jersey City → 33rd Street: US$2.75, about 15 min (check)
  • Taxi EWR → Jersey City: About US$40
  • Taxi JFK or LGA → Jersey City: About US$100

Say or show

  • Where is the PATH station? — Where is the PATH station?
  • One ticket, please — One ticket, please
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Next stop, please — Next stop, please (used on dollar vans to signal your stop)

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Jersey City. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, wind off the river), Jul–Aug (humid) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources