Directions, road closures

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take over the streets of Manhattan on Thursday with parade-goers, floats, giant balloons, music and more.

The 98th annual parade begins at 8:30 a.m. along the 2.5-mile route at West 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession then heads towards Columbus Circle, where the procession turns into Central Park South.

When the parade reaches Sixth Avenue, it continues to 34th Street. The route ends with its final turn before stopping in front of Macy’s Herald Square.

The parade ends around noon with an appearance by Santa Claus to kick off the Christmas season in the city.

Since many streets in the area are expected to be closed due to the parade, public transportation is the best way to reach the route if you plan to attend the parade. Here’s what to expect on your commute.

Traveling to the parade by public transport

On Thanksgiving Day, subways and buses throughout the city will operate on a Sunday schedule and the Staten Island Railway will operate on a Saturday schedule, the MTA said.

Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road will provide additional trains for commuters before and after the parade, the MTA said.

The closest subway stations to the parade are Stations 1/2/3 at 72nd Street; the 1 station on 79th Street; and the A/C/D train at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle stop.

MTA says there will be additional service on the 42nd Street Shuttle and increased morning service on the 1 Train. The A/C trains will pass the 81st Street-Museum of Natural History station between 4 a.m. and 11 a.m., the MTA said.

To prevent overcrowding on platforms, the MTA said some subway entrances at 59th Street-Columbus Circle and Penn Station will be closed. Some entrances will also be closed at other stations along Sixth Avenue, the MTA said.

Bus service in Manhattan may experience delays and service will be affected by detours, detours and/or exclusion zones, particularly on routes operating near the parade. Check new.mta.info for additional information.

Road closures

Below are the streets that will be closed for the parade at the NYPD’s discretion, according to the city’s Department of Transportation.

Education:

• Columbus Avenue between 72nd and 83rd Streets

• Central Park West between 81st and 86th Streets

• 83rd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 82nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 76th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

• 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway

• 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway

• 59th Street between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue

Route:

• Central Park West between 81st Street and the east side of Columbus Circle/59. Street

• Columbus Circle

• 59th Street between Columbus Circle and Sixth Avenue

• Sixth Avenue between 59th and 34th Streets

• 34th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues

Dissipation:

• 33rd Street between Fifth and 10th Avenues

• 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues

• 34th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 35th Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenues

• 36th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue

• 37th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue

• 38th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue

• 39th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue

• 40th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue

• 41st Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue

• Seventh Avenue between 31st and 41st Streets

• Broadway between 45th and 34th Streets

Other (formation and spread):

• 58th Street between Ninth and Fifth Avenues

• 43rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues

• 40th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue

• 39th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue

• 38th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue

• 37th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue

• 36th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue

• 32nd Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue

• Sixth Avenue between 32nd and 34th Streets

• Eighth Avenue between 41st and 33rd Streets

• Broadway between 32nd and 34th Streets

• Broadway between Columbus Circle and 58th Street

• Eighth Avenue between Columbus Circle and 58th Street

• Grand Army Plaza between 59th Street and Fifth Avenue

Other locations:

• 86th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 85th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 84th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 73rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 70th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 69th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 67th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 66th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 65th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 64th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 63rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• 62nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway

• 61st Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway

• 60th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

• Grand Army Plaza between 59th and 58th Streets

• 57th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 56th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 55th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 54th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 53rd Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 52nd Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 51st Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 50th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 49th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 48th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• Rockefeller Plaza between 51st and 48th Streets

• 47th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 46th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 45th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 44th Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 43rd Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 42nd Street between Seventh and Fifth Avenues

• 41st Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue

• 40th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 39th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 38th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 37th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 36th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• 33rd Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

• Sixth Avenue between 33rd and 32nd Streets

• Columbus Avenue between 86th and 83rd Streets

• Columbus Avenue between 72nd and 59th Streets

• Ninth Avenue between 59th and 58th Streets

• Broadway between Columbus Circle and 65th Street