Queens-Midtown Tunnel Toll 2026
The Queens-Midtown Tunnel toll for a passenger car is $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass, or $12.03 by Tolls by Mail, per crossing. The tunnel is tolled in both directions, so a NY E-ZPass round trip is $14.92.
It carries Interstate 495 under the East River between Long Island City and midtown Manhattan. It is an MTA crossing, not a Port Authority Hudson crossing, so the rate differs from the GWB.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels schedule effective 4 January 2026 | Verified 22 August 2026 | Source: MTA
2026 Queens-Midtown Tunnel Car Tolls
Passenger car (2-axle), per crossing. The tunnel follows the flat MTA Bridges and Tunnels schedule; there is no peak / off-peak split for cars on the tunnel toll itself. The toll is charged each way.
| Payment Method | Car Toll (each way) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NY E-ZPass (NYCSC tag) | $7.46 | New York-issued E-ZPass; charged each way |
| E-ZPass from another state | $12.03 | Non-NY tags are billed at the Tolls by Mail rate |
| Tolls by Mail (no E-ZPass) | $12.03 | License plate captured, bill mailed to the registered owner |
Rates set by MTA Bridges and Tunnels. The Queens-Midtown Tunnel shares one schedule with the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and the Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck, Verrazzano-Narrows, and Robert F. Kennedy (Triborough) bridges. Trucks pay by number of axles under the MTA commercial schedule.
Into Manhattan: the Tunnel Toll Plus Congestion Pricing
The tunnel's Manhattan portal is near 37th Street, deep inside the Congestion Relief Zone south of 60th Street. Driving in from Queens therefore puts you in the zone. To avoid charging you twice, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel is one of four tunnels that earns a crossing credit against the congestion charge: up to $3 for a passenger car with E-ZPass during the peak period. So a peak entry is the $7.46 tunnel toll plus the $9 congestion charge minus the $3 credit.
This is a key difference from the RFK (Triborough) Bridge, which lands north of the zone and carries no congestion charge at all. See our congestion pricing explainer and the full NYC crossing comparison.
Quick Facts
A Different Authority From the GWB
The Queens-Midtown Tunnel is run by MTA Bridges and Tunnels, not the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. That is why its toll, $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass in 2026, is less than half the $16.79 George Washington Bridge rate: the two crossings serve different corridors under different agencies. The tunnel carries Interstate 495 under the East River between Long Island City in Queens and midtown Manhattan, while the GWB spans the Hudson between New Jersey and Manhattan.
The tunnel opened on 15 November 1940 under chief engineer Ole Singstad, who also engineered the Holland Tunnel's ventilation system. For most of its life it took cash at a toll plaza; today it is fully cashless, with overhead gantries reading E-ZPass tags and license plates as traffic runs through at speed.
How the Toll Is Charged
A New York E-ZPass (an NYCSC tag) is charged $7.46 per crossing. If you have no E-ZPass, or an E-ZPass issued by another state, a camera reads your license plate and you pay the $12.03 Tolls by Mail rate, billed to the registered owner. There is no peak / off-peak split for passenger cars on the MTA tunnel toll itself, so the base rate is the same at all hours.
The important difference from the George Washington Bridge is direction. The GWB is tolled eastbound only, so the return into New Jersey is free. The Queens-Midtown Tunnel is tolled both ways, so a NY E-ZPass round trip is $7.46 plus $7.46, or $14.92. Budget for both crossings when you plan a return trip.
Congestion Pricing: the Tunnel Lands Inside the Zone
Unlike the RFK Bridge, which lands at 125th Street north of the zone, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel surfaces in Manhattan near 37th Street, well inside the Congestion Relief Zone that covers everything south of 60th Street. Driving in from Queens therefore triggers the Manhattan congestion charge on top of the tunnel toll.
To keep tunnel drivers from paying twice, the tunnel is one of four crossings, along with the Hugh L. Carey, Lincoln, and Holland tunnels, that earns a crossing credit against the congestion charge. For a passenger car with E-ZPass the credit is up to $3 during the peak period (weekdays 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). A peak entry into the zone is therefore the $7.46 tunnel toll plus the $9 congestion charge minus the $3 credit, or $13.46. Overnight there is no crossing credit, but the congestion charge itself drops 75 percent to $2.25, so an overnight entry is $7.46 plus $2.25, or $9.71. The credit requires a valid E-ZPass; drivers billed by mail do not receive it.
Trucks and Vehicle Types
Trucks are permitted in the tunnel, which carries Interstate 495, subject to height and hazardous-material limits, and pay the MTA commercial toll by number of axles rather than the flat car rate. Motorcycles pay a reduced MTA rate. As with every MTA crossing, out-of-state E-ZPass tags are billed at the higher Tolls by Mail rate rather than the $7.46 NY E-ZPass fare, so a visiting driver pays $12.03 each way unless their tag is on a New York account.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Queens-Midtown Tunnel toll in 2026?
The 2026 Queens-Midtown Tunnel toll for a passenger car is $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass and $12.03 by Tolls by Mail per crossing. The tunnel is fully cashless and tolled in both directions, so a NY E-ZPass round trip is $14.92. These are MTA Bridges and Tunnels rates, effective 4 January 2026.
Do you pay the Queens-Midtown Tunnel toll both ways?
Yes. Unlike the George Washington Bridge, which is tolled eastbound only, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel charges a toll in both directions. Each crossing is billed separately, so a NY E-ZPass round trip is $7.46 plus $7.46, or $14.92 in total.
Does congestion pricing apply when I use the Queens-Midtown Tunnel?
Yes, but with a credit. The tunnel's Manhattan portal is near 37th Street and Second Avenue, well inside the Congestion Relief Zone south of 60th Street, so driving in from Queens does put you in the zone. To avoid double-charging, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel is one of four tunnels that earns a crossing credit: up to $3 for a passenger car with E-ZPass entering during the peak period. So a peak entry is $7.46 tunnel toll plus the $9 congestion charge minus the $3 credit, or $13.46 in total.
What is the crossing credit and when does it apply?
The crossing credit reduces the Congestion Relief Zone charge for E-ZPass drivers who enter Manhattan through the Queens-Midtown, Hugh L. Carey, Lincoln, or Holland tunnels. For a passenger car it is up to $3 during the peak period (weekdays 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). There is no crossing credit overnight, but the overnight congestion charge is already 75 percent lower at $2.25, so an overnight entry is $7.46 plus $2.25, or $9.71.
Is the Queens-Midtown Tunnel cheaper than the George Washington Bridge?
The tunnel toll alone is: $7.46 with NY E-ZPass versus $16.79 at the GWB. But the two are not interchangeable. The Queens-Midtown Tunnel is an MTA crossing carrying Interstate 495 between Long Island City, Queens, and midtown Manhattan under the East River, and it lands inside the congestion zone, so a Manhattan trip adds the congestion charge on top. The GWB is a Port Authority crossing between New Jersey and Manhattan over the Hudson, tolled one way only.
Which E-ZPass tags get the $7.46 rate?
Only E-ZPass transponders issued by the New York Customer Service Center (NYCSC) pay the $7.46 car rate. An E-ZPass from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or any other state is billed at the $12.03 Tolls by Mail rate, and so is a car with no tag at all. The tunnel is cashless, so there is no booth to pay at.