The Short Answer
Among the 13 Westchester stations compared here, the fastest scheduled weekday morning trains to Grand Central leave from Pelham on the New Haven Line at 30 minutes (31 under the schedule that starts October 5, 2026), Bronxville on the Harlem Line at 31 minutes and Scarsdale at 32 minutes. On the Hudson Line, Hastings-on-Hudson is fastest at 36 minutes.
The fastest train is the wrong number to shop on. All 12 of Pelham’s morning peak trains are scheduled at 30 to 34 minutes. Scarsdale’s best is 32 minutes, but six of its 16 peak trains are locals at 46 to 52. Tarrytown’s best is 40 minutes, yet its median peak train takes 49.
Choose in three passes. First the line, for the setting you want: inland on the Harlem, the river on the Hudson, Long Island Sound on the New Haven. Then the station, by its median train and how many trains it gets. Then the last mile: a walk to the platform or a parking permit.
Shop on the Median, Not the Fastest Train
Every station has one train that makes it look close to Manhattan. The number that describes your week is the median, the middle trip time of all morning peak trains. A 32-minute express surrounded by 50-minute locals is a different commute from 32 minutes every time.
All train times in this guide: Metro-North weekday timetables for the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines, as of March 29, 2026 (Harlem rev. 4/11/26; New Haven rev. 7/13/26). Monday to Thursday trains scheduled to arrive at Grand Central between 6 and 10 AM, the MTA’s morning peak window. Checked against MTA schedule data for Tuesday, September 22, 2026. From October 5, 2026, it shows Pelham’s fastest at 31 minutes.
Harlem Line: Inland, With the Most-Served Station Here
The Harlem Line gives Bronxville and Scarsdale two of the three fastest trips in this guide, and it gives White Plains more morning peak trains than any other station here: 32.
| Station | Fastest | Median | Peak Trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronxville | 31 min | 37 min | 14 |
| Scarsdale | 32 min | 35.5 min | 16 |
| Hartsdale | 35 min | 39 min | 16 |
| White Plains | 38 min | 41 min | 32 |
| Chappaqua | 53 min | 57 min | 14 |
Metro-North Harlem Line timetable, as of March 29, 2026 (rev. 4/11/26). Monday to Thursday trains arriving at Grand Central 6 to 10 AM. Median is the middle scheduled trip of those trains.
Scarsdale runs two kinds of train: ten of its 16 peak trains take 32 to 37 minutes, and six locals take 46 to 52. Hartsdale, one stop north, has the same shape, with ten trains at 35 to 41 minutes and six at 49 to 55. At both, the train you catch matters more than the station.
White Plains is the opposite case. Its fastest train is 38 minutes, but 26 of its 32 peak trains take 38 to 44, so a missed train costs little. Bronxville’s peak trains run 31 to 43 minutes. More in our Moving to Scarsdale guide.
Hudson Line: River Villages, Fewer Fast Trains
Hastings-on-Hudson is the fastest of the four rivertown stations here, at 36 minutes for its quickest train and 40 at the median, and medians lengthen going north.
| Station | Fastest | Median | Peak Trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings-on-Hudson | 36 min | 40 min | 15 |
| Dobbs Ferry | 38 min | 43 min | 15 |
| Irvington | 43 min | 47 min | 15 |
| Tarrytown | 40 min | 49 min | 17 |
Metro-North Hudson Line timetable, as of March 29, 2026. Monday to Thursday trains arriving at Grand Central 6 to 10 AM.
Tarrytown needs a closer look. Only two of its 17 peak trains take 40 minutes, leaving at 7:00 and 7:24 AM, and the slowest take an hour. Irvington, the next stop south, never beats 43 minutes but has the lower median. More in our rivertowns commuter guide.
New Haven Line: The Sound, and the Steadiest Commute
Pelham has the fastest and most consistent morning commute in this guide: every one of its 12 peak trains is scheduled at 30 to 34 minutes.
| Station | Fastest | Median | Peak Trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham | 30 min | 32 min | 12 |
| Larchmont | 33 min | 39 min | 13 |
| Mamaroneck | 37 min | 42 min | 13 |
| Rye | 40 min | 46.5 min | 14 |
Metro-North New Haven Line timetable, as of March 29, 2026 (rev. 7/13/26). Monday to Thursday trains arriving at Grand Central 6 to 10 AM. From October 5, 2026, MTA schedule data shows Pelham’s fastest and median at 31 and 32.5 minutes and Rye’s median at 47. Penn Station Access status from the MTA project page, updated June 1, 2026.
Ten of Larchmont’s 13 peak trains take 40 minutes or less. Rye’s run 40 to 52 minutes, with the two 40-minute trains leaving at 6:03 and 8:27 AM. For a New Haven Line city against a Harlem Line village, see Rye vs. Bronxville.
Penn Station Access will add New Haven Line service to Penn Station, with four new stations in the Bronx. The MTA lists it in construction with a current estimated completion date of 2030. Every New Haven Line train in the current timetable runs to Grand Central.
What a Monthly Ticket Costs in 2026
A Metro-North monthly ticket to Grand Central costs $243.50 from Bronxville, $271.50 from Scarsdale, Hastings-on-Hudson or Larchmont, $292.25 from Rye and $313.00 from Tarrytown or Chappaqua. Fares are set by zone, not by line.
| Stations (Zone) | Monthly | Weekly | Peak One-Way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham (12) | $243.25 | $86.50 | $12.25 |
| Bronxville (3) | $243.50 | $86.50 | $12.50 |
| Scarsdale, Hartsdale, White Plains, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington (4) | $271.50 | $96.50 | $13.75 |
| Larchmont, Mamaroneck (13) | $271.50 | $96.50 | $13.75 |
| Rye (14) | $292.25 | $104.00 | $15.00 |
| Tarrytown, Chappaqua (5) | $313.00 | $111.25 | $16.00 |
MTA Metro-North fare tables to and from Grand Central and Harlem-125th Street. New Haven Line New York State stations: effective January 4, 2026. Harlem and Hudson Lines: current MTA table, issued with the fare change that took effect January 4, 2026. Ticket rules from the MTA’s LIRR and Metro-North fares page.
A monthly covers unlimited rides on any train between the listed zones for a calendar month, and the MTA calls it the most cost-effective ticket if you ride three or more days a week. For fewer days, compare the Day Pass, which replaced the round-trip ticket in January 2026. From a Zone 4 station a weekday Day Pass costs $24.75, so the monthly pays for itself at about 11 commuting days.
Zone Lines, Not Miles, Set the Fare
Irvington and Tarrytown are neighboring Hudson Line stops, but Irvington is in Zone 4 and Tarrytown in Zone 5, so a Tarrytown monthly costs $41.50 more, or $498 a year. A Rye monthly costs $20.75 more than one from Larchmont or Mamaroneck. Price the zone before you settle on a street.
The Last Mile: Walk to the Platform or Park
A walk to the station is worth more than a few minutes of train time, because station parking is run by each municipality, priced separately and often rationed. Village size shapes the choice: Bronxville covers roughly one square mile, so much of it is a walk to the platform, while Scarsdale covers about 6.7 square miles, so more of it is a drive and a permit.
| Station | Permit | Annual Price | How It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarsdale | Station Premium Lot, residents only | $2,200 | One-minute walk to the platform; first come, first served; year runs October 1 to September 30 |
| Scarsdale | Freightway Garage | $1,100 | Residents get priority; nonresidents may apply |
| Bronxville | Resident permit plus Kraft or Kensington buyout | $30 plus $1,250 | Buyout covers weekday meters but reserves no space |
| Chappaqua | Town of New Castle resident permit | $600 | Valid to June 14, 2027; no guaranteed spot |
| Hastings-on-Hudson | Zinsser Commuter Lot | $525 | Sold in November; automatic waitlist |
| Larchmont | Lot 1 commuter permit, Village residents only | $800 | One per household; waitlist erased at each May 1 and November 1 sale |
| Rye | MTA commuter lot permit | $1,105 | Sold out; waitlist estimated at 3 to 6 years, $100 to join. Resident-only Highland/Cedar permits, also $1,105, list no waitlist |
Village of Scarsdale Resident Parking page; Village of Bronxville Resident Permit page; Town of New Castle 2026 resident parking registration; Village of Hastings-on-Hudson Resident Commuter Parking Options (2026 permit); Village of Larchmont 2026/27 railroad parking application and parking FAQs; City of Rye parking page (2026 permits). Terms change each permit year, so confirm with the municipality.
Check the Municipality, Not the Neighborhood Name
Resident permits follow municipal boundaries. The Village of Hastings-on-Hudson lists ten streets, including Jackson Avenue and Clarewood Drive, that are in unincorporated Greenburgh and therefore not eligible for a village parking sticker. Larchmont publishes a Street Finder for the same reason. Confirm the municipality for the exact address before you count on a permit.
Trade-offs by Line
The three lines differ in water, land, density and tax structure.
Harlem Line
Inland, with no water frontage, and the widest range of settings: compact Bronxville, larger Scarsdale, unincorporated Hartsdale, the City of White Plains and Chappaqua farther north.
Hudson Line
River villages. Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington and Tarrytown are all villages inside the Town of Greenburgh, with fewer fast trains than the other two lines.
New Haven Line
Long Island Sound. Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Rye front the Sound, Pelham has the steadiest commute here, and Rye is a city rather than a village.
Every line mixes municipality types, and the type sets the tax layers. A village remains part of its town, and its residents are taxpayers of that town as well as the village. A city, unlike a village, is not part of a town. Hartsdale is unincorporated Greenburgh with no village layer; the four rivertowns carry one. Rye and White Plains are cities; Bronxville, Pelham and Larchmont are villages. Compare the full bill for the specific property, as our Westchester property tax guide explains.
Municipal structure: New York State Department of State, Local Government Handbook; Town of Greenburgh. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm a specific property’s bill with the assessor or an attorney.
How to Shortlist
Build the shortlist from your door-to-door morning, not from a single fast train.
- Set a door-to-door limit. Add the trip to the station, parking and the walk from Grand Central to the train time.
- Pick the line by setting. Inland, river or Sound.
- Compare medians and train counts. Many peak trains forgive a missed one; a few fast trains among many locals do not.
- Price the zone. Monthly tickets here run from $243.25 at Pelham to $313.00 at Tarrytown and Chappaqua.
- Check parking with the municipality. Price, permit year, waitlist rules, and whether the exact address qualifies.
- Ride it on a weekday. Take the train you would actually catch; a few trains run differently on Fridays.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the current Metro-North timetables, the fastest scheduled weekday morning trains from the 13 stations in this guide are Pelham at 30 minutes (New Haven Line, 31 from October 5, 2026), Bronxville at 31 and Scarsdale at 32 (Harlem Line), and Hastings-on-Hudson at 36 (Hudson Line). Mount Vernon West, just over the city line, is faster still at 25 minutes.
Stations differ more than lines. The fastest station on each here is Pelham at 30 minutes (31 from October 5, 2026) on the New Haven Line, Bronxville at 31 on the Harlem Line and Hastings-on-Hudson at 36 on the Hudson Line. White Plains, on the Harlem Line, has the most morning peak trains of any station here: 32. Hudson Line rivertown medians run 40 to 49 minutes; New Haven Line medians run from 32 at Pelham to 46.5 at Rye.
Under the fares effective January 4, 2026, a monthly to Grand Central costs $243.25 from Pelham, $243.50 from Bronxville, $271.50 from Scarsdale, Hartsdale, White Plains, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Larchmont and Mamaroneck, $292.25 from Rye and $313.00 from Tarrytown and Chappaqua. Weeklies for these stations run $86.50 to $111.25.
Scarsdale’s fastest scheduled weekday morning train takes 32 minutes, and ten of its 16 peak trains take 32 to 37 minutes. The other six are locals at 46 to 52 minutes, putting the median at 35.5. Times are from the Metro-North Harlem Line timetable as of March 29, 2026, for Monday to Thursday trains arriving at Grand Central between 6 and 10 AM.
Rye’s fastest scheduled weekday morning trains take 40 minutes, leaving at 6:03 and 8:27 AM, and its 14 peak trains range from 40 to 52 minutes, with a median of 46.5. A Rye monthly ticket costs $292.25. The City of Rye’s MTA commuter lot permits cost $1,105 and are sold out, with a waitlist the City estimates at 3 to 6 years; its resident-only Highland/Cedar commuter permits cost the same and list no waitlist.
Hastings-on-Hudson, among the four rivertown stations compared here, with a 36-minute fastest train and a 40-minute median. Dobbs Ferry follows at 38 and 43, Tarrytown at 40 but with a 49-minute median, and Irvington at 43 and 47. Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry and Irvington are in fare Zone 4 at $271.50 a month; Tarrytown is in Zone 5 at $313.00.
The MTA calls the monthly the most cost-effective ticket for riding three or more days a week. For fewer days, compare the Day Pass, which replaced the round-trip ticket in January 2026 and is valid until 4 a.m. the next day. From a Zone 4 station such as Scarsdale, a weekday Day Pass costs $24.75 and a monthly $271.50, so the monthly pays off at about 11 commuting days.
It depends on the municipality, since each runs its own lots. Rye’s $1,105 MTA commuter lot permits are sold out, with a waitlist estimated at 3 to 6 years, though its resident-only Highland/Cedar permits list none. Hastings-on-Hudson sells its $525 Zinsser lot permits in November and waitlists the rest. Larchmont erases its waitlist at each May and November sale. Bronxville’s $30 resident permit reserves no space.
The MTA’s Penn Station Access project page, updated June 1, 2026, lists the project in construction with a current estimated completion date of 2030. It adds four Bronx stations and New Haven Line service to Penn Station over Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line. Until then, every New Haven Line train in the current timetable runs to Grand Central.
A morning peak train is a weekday train scheduled to arrive at Grand Central between 6 and 10 AM, when peak one-way fares apply. The trip times in this guide cover exactly those trains on the Monday to Thursday schedule, since a few trains run differently on Fridays. Monthly and weekly tickets are valid on any train between the listed zones, peak or off-peak.
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