Goethals Bridge Toll 2026
The Goethals Bridge toll for a passenger car is $16.79 with E-ZPass at peak times, $14.79 with E-ZPass off-peak, or $23.30 by Tolls by Mail. It carries Interstate 278 between Elizabeth, NJ and Staten Island and shares the identical Port Authority tariff with the George Washington Bridge.
The bridge is cashless and tolled only eastbound into Staten Island. The return trip to New Jersey is free.
PANYNJ 2026 tariff effective 4 January 2026 | Verified 7 July 2026 | Source: panynj.gov 2026 tolls schedule
2026 Goethals Bridge Car Toll
Passenger car (2-axle). The Goethals Bridge charges the same Port Authority rate as the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel.
| Payment Method | Car Toll | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| E-ZPass (NY/NJ), peak | $16.79 | Weekdays 6-10 AM & 4-8 PM, weekends 11 AM-9 PM |
| E-ZPass (NY/NJ), off-peak | $14.79 | All other times |
| Mid-Tier | $19.55 | E-ZPass tag improperly positioned on a NY/NJ account |
| Tolls by Mail (no E-ZPass) | $23.30 | License plate captured, bill mailed to registered owner |
Port Authority of NY & NJ tariff effective 4 January 2026. E-ZPass discounts apply to NY- and NJ-issued accounts only; out-of-state tags pay the $23.30 Tolls by Mail rate. Larger vehicles pay the same per-axle schedule as the GWB, see our truck & commercial toll page.
One Direction Only, Entering Staten Island
The Goethals Bridge is tolled in one direction: eastbound, when you enter Staten Island from Elizabeth, New Jersey. Driving the other way, westbound back into New Jersey, is free. This has been the arrangement since August 1970, when the Port Authority abolished the westbound toll and doubled the eastbound one. So a round trip across the Goethals costs the same as a single crossing, because you only pay going in. The bridge is fully cashless: there are no toll booths and no cash lanes. You either have an E-ZPass tag, which is charged at highway speed, or a camera reads your plate and mails a $23.30 Tolls by Mail bill to the registered owner.
Peak, Off-Peak and the 2027 Phase-Out
The $2.00 off-peak E-ZPass discount works exactly as it does on the GWB. Peak hours are weekdays from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, plus Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM; all other times are off-peak. The discount applies to E-ZPass only, never to Tolls by Mail. The Port Authority has approved a four-year phase-out of the off-peak E-ZPass discount starting January 2027: the off-peak rate rises 50 cents a year until it equals the peak rate of $16.79 in 2030, ending the discount. See our full peak vs off-peak schedule for the year-by-year figures.
Same Tariff as the George Washington Bridge
The Goethals Bridge is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the same agency that runs the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln Tunnel, the Holland Tunnel, the Bayonne Bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing. All six charge an identical passenger-car toll: $16.79 with E-ZPass at peak times, $14.79 with E-ZPass off-peak, $19.55 Mid-Tier for an improperly positioned tag, and $23.30 by Tolls by Mail. The schedule took effect on 4 January 2026. So if you have already looked up the GWB toll, you know the Goethals Bridge toll too.
Goethals or GWB? Which Crossing to Use
Because the toll is the same, the choice between the Goethals Bridge and the George Washington Bridge comes down to route, not price. The Goethals carries Interstate 278 and feeds Staten Island and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge toward Brooklyn, while the GWB feeds upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Drivers heading from central or northern New Jersey toward Brooklyn or Long Island usually save time on the Goethals, even though crossing the Verrazzano adds a second, MTA-operated toll. Drivers bound for Manhattan almost always want the GWB, the Lincoln Tunnel or the Holland Tunnel instead. Our Staten Island bridges page compares the Goethals with the neighboring Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing.
About the Goethals Bridge
The Goethals Bridge connects Elizabeth, New Jersey with Howland Hook on the northwestern shore of Staten Island. Today it is a pair of cable-stayed spans, the eastbound opening in 2017 and the westbound in 2018, which replaced the original 1928 cantilever truss bridge. It is named after Major General George Washington Goethals, who supervised construction of the Panama Canal and served as the first consulting engineer of the Port Authority. It was one of the two original Port Authority crossings, opening the same day as the Outerbridge Crossing in 1928.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Goethals Bridge toll?
The Goethals Bridge toll for a passenger car is $16.79 with E-ZPass during peak hours, $14.79 with E-ZPass off-peak, and $23.30 by Tolls by Mail (no E-ZPass). A Mid-Tier rate of $19.55 applies to an E-ZPass tag improperly positioned on a NY/NJ account. These are the same Port Authority rates as the George Washington Bridge, effective 4 January 2026.
What is the Goethals Bridge toll price in 2026?
For 2026 the Goethals Bridge charges a car $16.79 E-ZPass peak, $14.79 E-ZPass off-peak, $19.55 Mid-Tier and $23.30 by Tolls by Mail. The schedule took effect 4 January 2026 and is identical across all six Port Authority interstate crossings. The peak E-ZPass rate is held flat, but the off-peak discount begins a four-year phase-out in January 2027.
Do you pay the Goethals Bridge toll both ways?
No. The Goethals Bridge toll is collected in one direction only, eastbound when entering Staten Island (New York) from Elizabeth, New Jersey. Driving westbound back into New Jersey is free. The bridge has been tolled one-way since August 1970, when the westbound toll was abolished and the eastbound toll was doubled.
Is the Goethals Bridge cashless?
Yes. The Goethals Bridge is fully cashless, with no toll booths and no cash lanes. If you have an E-ZPass transponder the toll is deducted electronically at highway speed. If you do not, a camera photographs your license plate and a Tolls by Mail bill for $23.30 is sent to the registered owner at the higher no-E-ZPass rate.
Is the Goethals Bridge toll the same as the George Washington Bridge?
Yes. The Goethals Bridge shares the identical Port Authority of New York and New Jersey passenger-car tariff with the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing. A car pays $16.79 E-ZPass peak, $14.79 E-ZPass off-peak, $19.55 Mid-Tier and $23.30 by mail at all six crossings, effective 4 January 2026.
Where does the Goethals Bridge go?
The Goethals Bridge carries Interstate 278 between Elizabeth, New Jersey and Howland Hook on the northwestern shore of Staten Island, New York. The current pair of cable-stayed spans opened in 2017 and 2018, replacing the original 1928 cantilever bridge. It is named after Major General George Washington Goethals, who supervised construction of the Panama Canal and was the first consulting engineer of the Port Authority.