Does the George Washington Bridge Charge a Toll Both Ways?
No. The George Washington Bridge toll is charged in one direction only, eastbound into New York. Westbound into New Jersey is free. You pay a single toll per round trip.
Tariff effective 4 January 2026 | Verified 26 June 2026 | Source: Port Authority of NY and NJ
You Pay Once, Not Twice
The George Washington Bridge does not charge a toll both ways. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey collects the toll in a single direction: eastbound, when you enter New York. Driving westbound from New York into New Jersey is free for every vehicle, at every time of day. That means a round trip across the GWB costs you exactly one toll, not two.
For a passenger car in 2026 that single toll is $16.79 with E-ZPass during peak hours, $14.79 with E-ZPass off-peak, or $23.30 by Toll-by-Mail if you do not have a transponder. There is no second charge when you head back to New Jersey. See why westbound is free.
Why One-Way Tolling Saves You Nothing Extra
One-way collection is not a discount, it is an accounting choice. The Port Authority switched all of its interstate crossings to eastbound-only tolling in 1970 and set the eastbound rate to cover the full round trip. So a daily commuter still pays for each round trip, just at a single toll point instead of two. The benefit is fewer toll-plaza interactions, which cuts congestion, not your annual spend.
If you make ten crossings a week (five round trips), you pay ten eastbound tolls, one per entry into New York. Calculate your annual commuter cost.
Which Way Gets Charged on Your Commute
If you live in New Jersey and work in Manhattan, the toll hits on your morning trip eastbound. If you live in New York and work in New Jersey, the toll hits on your evening return eastbound. Either way you pay once per round trip. A driver who pops into Manhattan and returns to New Jersey pays only on the way in; the trip home is free.
The GWB vs Two-Way NYC Crossings
Not every New York crossing works this way. The MTA Bridges and Tunnels crossings, including the Verrazzano-Narrows, RFK (Triborough), Throgs Neck and Bronx-Whitestone bridges, use split or two-way tolling. The Port Authority Hudson River crossings, the GWB plus the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing, are all eastbound-only. Compare every NYC bridge and tunnel toll.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you pay the George Washington Bridge toll both ways?
No. The George Washington Bridge toll is charged in one direction only, eastbound into New York. Westbound into New Jersey is free for every vehicle. A round trip across the GWB costs a single toll: $16.79 with E-ZPass at peak times, $14.79 off-peak, or $23.30 by mail for a passenger car (2026 rates).
Does the GWB charge both ways?
No. Like all six Port Authority crossings between New York and New Jersey, the George Washington Bridge uses one-way (eastbound-only) toll collection. There is no westbound charge, so you are billed once per crossing into New York, not on the return into New Jersey.
How much is a George Washington Bridge round trip?
A passenger-car round trip costs the same as a single eastbound toll, because westbound is free. With E-ZPass that is $16.79 (peak) or $14.79 (off-peak); without E-ZPass it is $23.30 by mail. You are not charged twice for the return leg.
Do trucks and buses pay the GWB toll both ways?
No. The one-way (eastbound-only) rule applies to every vehicle class. A 6-axle truck pays its full eastbound toll once and crosses westbound free. The Port Authority sets the eastbound rate to cover the whole trip, then drops the westbound toll to zero.
Are any NYC bridges tolled both ways?
Yes, but not the Port Authority Hudson River crossings. The MTA Bridges and Tunnels crossings (such as the Verrazzano-Narrows, RFK/Triborough, Throgs Neck and Bronx-Whitestone bridges) use split or two-way tolling. The GWB, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing are all eastbound-only.