Fastest way from NYC to Montauk on a Friday
On the winter timetable the shortest scheduled ride to Montauk on a Friday is the LIRR express that leaves Penn Station at 4:07 PM and arrives at 6:38 PM, 2 hours 31 minutes later.
Fares and schedules checked October 2026.
The LIRR's Friday express from Penn Station is the shortest scheduled ride to Montauk on the winter timetable: it leaves at 4:07 PM and arrives at 6:38 PM, 2 h 31 min later. The shortest Jitney ride that leaves Midtown after 11 AM takes 3 h 15 min, and the earliest arrival is 3:15 PM. For the route page with the full timetables, see NYC to Montauk.
Shortest scheduled ride, leaving the city after 11 am
LIRR: 2 h 31 min to Montauk
It starts at Penn Station at 4:07 PM and arrives at 6:38 PM. The earliest arrival of any option is 2:26 PM, on a LIRR that leaves at 11:41 AM. This is a timetable comparison; it does not include getting to the station or stop, waiting, or the ride at your end.
Every Friday option after 11 AM
| Mode | Leaves | From | Arrives | Scheduled | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIRR | 11:41 AM | Jamaica | 2:26 PM | 2 h 45 min | Mon–Fri; change at Jamaica |
| Jitney | 12:00 PM | 40th St. | 3:15 PM | 3 h 15 min | Daily |
| Jitney | 1:45 PM | 40th St. | 5:00 PM | 3 h 15 min | Daily; Ambassador coach |
| Jitney | 2:15 PM | 40th St. | 5:30 PM | 3 h 15 min | Daily |
| Jitney | 3:00 PM | 40th St. | 6:30 PM | 3 h 30 min | Thu, Fri & Sun; Ambassador coach |
| LIRR | 4:07 PM | Penn Station | 6:38 PM | 2 h 31 min | Fri |
| Jitney | 4:00 PM | 40th St. | 7:30 PM | 3 h 30 min | Daily |
| LIRR | 4:30 PM | Hunterspoint Avenue | 7:41 PM | 3 h 11 min | Mon–Fri |
| Jitney | 5:00 PM | 40th St. | 8:25 PM | 3 h 25 min | Daily; Ambassador coach |
| LIRR | 5:13 PM | Penn Station | 8:30 PM | 3 h 17 min | Mon–Fri |
| Jitney | 6:00 PM | 40th St. | 9:20 PM | 3 h 20 min | Daily |
| LIRR | 6:31 PM | Jamaica | 9:27 PM | 2 h 56 min | Mon–Fri; change at Jamaica |
| Jitney | 6:30 PM | 40th St. | 9:45 PM | 3 h 15 min | Mon–Fri & Sun; Ambassador coach |
| Jitney | 7:00 PM | 40th St. | 10:15 PM | 3 h 15 min | Daily |
Jitney rows for Montauk are Midtown departures from the Montauk or Westhampton Line schedule effective October 15, 2026 to January 6, 2027. LIRR rows are Montauk Branch trains in MTA's timetable data through February 28, 2027, and include trains that start at Jamaica. Fares: Jitney $43 prepaid; LIRR $33.00 peak.
What the Jitney schedule says about Friday
The Jitney builds traffic into its own timetable. Its fastest early-day trip to Montauk is scheduled at 3 h 00 min, while the slowest Friday trip leaving between 1 and 6 PM is scheduled at 3 h 30 min. That 30 min gap is the operator's own allowance for afternoon conditions.
By car on a Friday
It is 115.9 miles from Midtown to Montauk, and the OpenStreetMap router puts that at 2 h 59 min with no traffic. We do not publish a Friday driving time because we have no official traffic data to base one on. What can be checked: the Long Island Expressway's HOV lane runs from exit 32 to exit 64 and is restricted to buses, motorcycles and vehicles with two or more occupants from 6 to 10 AM and 3 to 8 PM on weekdays. Live conditions are on 511NY. The Friday traffic guide explains how to read both.
Montauk is the longest ride on the South Fork: the Jitney is scheduled at 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes from Midtown, and the last Friday trips arrive after 9 PM. For a no-car weekend, the Montauk town guide covers what is next to the station and the bus stop.
If you can leave Thursday
For Montauk, Thursday is the alternative if you can leave a day early. The Thursday versus Friday comparison shows which trains and buses run on Thursday on the current timetables, and the Cannonball's travel time to Westhampton in summer 2026 was 92 minutes on Thursdays against 96 on Fridays.
Common questions
What is the fastest way from NYC to Montauk on a Friday?
On the winter timetable, the LIRR express leaving Penn Station at 4:07 PM arrives at 6:38 PM. See the table for every bus and train.
Does the schedule to Montauk change in summer?
Yes. Summer timetables add and change trains and buses to Montauk, including the LIRR Cannonball, and are published in spring. The tables here use the winter data now in effect.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Operators revise schedules and fares; use the official pages below for the final word.
- Hampton Jitney: schedule viewer (Montauk, Westhampton and North Fork lines)
- Hampton Jitney: fares (effective June 25, 2026)
- MTA Long Island Rail Road GTFS timetable feed (version GO202_26, published October 26, 2026)
- MTA: LIRR station fares chart, effective January 4, 2026 (PDF)
- OpenStreetMap contributors, routed with OSRM (distances and free-flow times, no traffic)
- Hamptons Key: Hamptons rentals