Home/Metro-North/Danbury/Stamford to Grand Central
Stamford → Grand Central
- Travel time
- 64min
- Peak fare
- $17.75
- Off-peak
- $13.25
- Weekday trains
- 99
Trains run direct from Stamford to Grand Central on the Danbury Branch, no change of train. The trip takes 41 to 81 minutes and covers 30.4 miles with 5 stops in between. There are 99 trains each weekday, roughly one every 8 minutes, with the first at 12:56 AM and the last at 12:35 AM. A one-way ticket costs $17.75 at peak and $13.25 off-peak.
This is the inbound direction, into Grand Central. Weekday trains scheduled to arrive between 6:00 and 10:00 AM charge the peak fare, $17.75; the rest of the day and all weekend the off-peak fare, $13.25, applies. In this direction the gap between trains is about 6 minutes in the morning peak and 8 minutes at midday. 64 of the 99 weekday trains skip stops; the fastest run is what the travel-time range below reflects. Going back, Grand Central to Stamford has 100 weekday trains, first at 12:07 AM and last at 11:38 PM, taking 44 to 92 minutes. See the return trip.
Updated 21 Sep 2026 · Metro-North Railroad GTFS · MTA Metro-North fares to Grand Central, effective July 1 2026
The Danbury Branch leaves the New Haven Line at South Norwalk and runs north through Merritt 7, Wilton, Cannondale, Branchville, Redding and Bethel to Danbury.
Calling points
ServiceStamford to Grand Central
FaresZone 16 → Zone 1
Source: MTA Metro-North fares to Grand Central, effective July 1 2026.
How the pass break-even is calculated
Metro-North prices by fare zone, counted outward from Grand Central Terminal and Harlem-125th Street, which are zone 1. The Hudson and Harlem Lines use one series of zones; the New Haven Line uses a separate series that starts at zone 11, so a zone number on its own does not say how far you are from Manhattan. Trips that do not touch zone 1 use intermediate fares, which cost the same on every train.
Peak fares apply on weekday trains scheduled to arrive at Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street between 6:00 and 10:00 AM, to leave them between 4:00 and 8:00 PM, and on trains leaving Grand Central between 6:00 and 9:00 AM. Weekends and holidays are off-peak all day.
Tickets are sold in the MTA TrainTime app, at station machines and ticket windows, and on board at a higher price. Senior, disabled and Medicare fares are reduced but are not valid on weekday morning peak trains into Manhattan. Weekly and monthly tickets cover unlimited travel between two zones. Fares on the Connecticut portion of the New Haven Line and its branches are set with the Connecticut Department of Transportation and published on the same MTA fare charts this site reads.
Stopping pattern
Questions
How long is the train from Stamford to Grand Central?
Between 41 and 81 minutes on the published schedule; the typical run is 64 minutes with 5 stops in between.
Are there express trains from Stamford to Grand Central?
Yes. 64 of the 99 weekday trains skip stops. The fastest makes 0 stops and the fullest 14, which is the difference between 41 and 81 minutes.
Is it cheaper off-peak?
Yes. The one-way fare is $13.25 off-peak and $17.75 on a peak train. Peak means a weekday arrival at the terminal between 6:00 and 10:00 AM.
When is the first and last train from Stamford?
The first weekday departure is at 12:56 AM and the last at 12:35 AM. Weekends run 69 trains on Saturday and 64 on Sunday.
How often do trains run in the morning peak?
Between 6 and 10 AM the gap between departures averages about 6 minutes in this direction.
Are Stamford and Grand Central accessible?
Stamford is listed as fully accessible and Grand Central as fully accessible in the MTA station dataset. Lift outages are not reflected here; check the operator before you travel.
Which fare zones does this trip cross?
Stamford is in zone 16 and Grand Central in zone 1. The fare is set by those two zones, not by the stops in between.
Do I need to change trains?
No. Every train counted here runs direct on the Danbury Branch.