Englewood sits closer to Manhattan than the commute time suggests. The road distance to Midtown is about 12 miles. The catch is not the distance. It is which door you walk through on the Manhattan side. Most people pick one route and never test the others. That is how you end up with a 70 minute trip when a 50 minute trip was sitting right there.

1. NJ Transit Route 178 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station

Route 178 is the everyday workhorse for Englewood. The line runs Hackensack to Englewood to New York at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, with stops along Grand Avenue, Palisade Avenue, and West Englewood Avenue. It runs all day, seven days a week, which is the part that matters. You are not locked into rush-hour-only service.

Plan on roughly 30 to 40 minutes to the GWB station depending on traffic. This is your best bet if you work in Washington Heights or anywhere uptown. It is also the launch point for the A train, which is how most Englewood commuters reach Midtown and downtown without a car.

2. A One-Seat Bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown

If your office is in Midtown and you want a seat the whole way, NJ Transit runs a direct bus from Palisade Avenue in Englewood to the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd Street. Departures run roughly every 15 to 30 minutes, every day. Route 166 serves Englewood with the widest daily span of any line, from before dawn to after midnight.

The full ride runs about an hour and ten minutes. That is longer than the bus-plus-subway combo, but you trade the transfer for a one-seat trip. For a lot of commuters, no transfer is worth more than the clock. Verify the current schedule on njtransit.com before you build your morning around it.

3. The A Train From the GWB Station for Downtown and the Financial District

Here is the route most newcomers miss. The George Washington Bridge Bus Station connects by an indoor pedestrian tunnel to the 175th Street A train station. You never step outside. From there, the A runs express down Eighth Avenue to Columbus Circle, 42nd Street, 34th Street at Penn Station, West 4th Street, and then Fulton Street, Chambers Street, and the World Trade Center.

That makes the Financial District reachable from Englewood without a car. Take the 178 to the GWB station, walk the tunnel, and ride the A to Fulton Street in roughly 30 to 35 minutes. Door to door, you are looking at about an hour. For anyone working in Lower Manhattan, this is the answer.

4. NJ Transit Route 171 Express Along the Corridor

Route 171 runs Paterson to New York at the GWB station as an express, moving along the Route 4 and River Road corridor through Englewood and Fort Lee. During peak hours it adds frequency on the same uptown approach as the 178.

Treat the 171 as a rush-hour supplement, not your only plan. When you are heading in during the morning crush or back out in the evening, more buses on the corridor means less time on the curb.

5. Drive Over the George Washington Bridge

The drive is short on paper. Englewood to Midtown is about 12 miles and roughly 20 minutes off-peak. The bridge feeds two clean paths once you cross. The Henry Hudson Parkway and West Side Highway carry you down the west side toward Hudson Yards and Lower Manhattan. The Harlem River Drive and FDR carry you down the east side.

Two honest caveats. Rush hour erases the time advantage fast, and the bridge tolls plus daily Manhattan parking add up quickly. Driving makes sense for off-peak trips, flexible schedules, or days you need the car on the other side. It rarely beats transit for a fixed nine-to-five.

6. Park-and-Ride and Drive-to-Transit

You do not have to choose between all-car and all-bus. A lot of Englewood commuters drive the first leg, park near a GWB-area lot or a stop with parking, then ride the bus or the A train into the city. You skip the Manhattan parking bill and the bridge crawl while keeping your car close to home.

This is the practical middle path for households with one commuter and one car. Drive to transit, ride the rest, and keep the worst part of the trip off your plate.

7. Drive to the Edgewater Ferry for a Waterfront Commute

Englewood does not have its own ferry. What it has is a 15 minute drive to the Edgewater landings on River Road. From there, NY Waterway runs across the Hudson to Midtown at West 39th Street, with downtown service to Brookfield Place and Pier 11 at Wall Street from the nearby Hudson River terminals. Free connecting shuttle buses link the Manhattan ferry slips to the subway.

The ferry is the move for downtown workers who want to skip both the bridge traffic and the subway crowds. It costs more than the bus, and it adds a short drive on the front end. What you get back is the calmest commute on this list. Check current routes and times on nywaterway.com, since seasonal schedules change.

Which Route Fits You

Match the route to your destination, not your habit. Working uptown in Washington Heights? The 178 to the GWB station is the whole trip. Working in Midtown? Choose between the one-seat 166 to the Port Authority and the 178 paired with the A train, and let frequency decide on any given morning. Working downtown in the Financial District? Take the 178 to the GWB station and the A to Fulton Street, or drive to the Edgewater ferry and ride to Wall Street.

Plan the Move, Not Just the Commute

Commute time is not just a daily annoyance. It shapes what a home is worth and how you live in it. My work with homeowners in Englewood and across the George Washington Bridge corridor is built on three connected steps, because where you live and how you get to work are the same decision.

New to the area? Start with what first-time buyers should know about Englewood, a look at Englewood as a cultural hub in Bergen County, and how commute time affects home value and lifestyle in Northern NJ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to commute from Englewood to Midtown Manhattan?

The fastest no-car option from Englewood to Midtown is usually NJ Transit Route 178 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, then the A train, which runs about 50 minutes total. A one-seat bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal takes about an hour and ten minutes but requires no transfer.

Can you get to the Financial District from Englewood without driving?

Yes. Take NJ Transit Route 178 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, walk the indoor tunnel to the 175th Street A train, and ride the A to Fulton Street near the World Trade Center. The full trip runs about an hour door to door.

Does Englewood have a ferry to New York City?

Englewood does not have its own ferry terminal. The nearest NY Waterway service is about 15 minutes away by car at the Edgewater landings on River Road, with crossings to Midtown at West 39th Street and downtown connections to Brookfield Place and Wall Street.