Commuting from Livingston, NJ to NYC: Every Option, Honestly

Livingston has no rail station, so commuting to New York is car-dependent and takes planning — but it's very doable. The most popular route is to drive about 10–15 minutes to a Midtown Direct station on NJ Transit's Morris & Essex Line — Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, or South Orange — and ride one seat to New York Penn Station. A rush-hour Livingston Express Shuttle also runs from the Livingston Mall to the South Orange station, putting you on the train for a total trip around 45 minutes. For a one-vehicle option there's the Community Coach Route 77 bus, direct to the Port Authority, but service is limited and the ride runs roughly 65–70 minutes. Driving into Midtown is about 35–55 minutes over some 23 road miles depending on traffic. The honest bottom line: Livingston suits drivers and hybrid commuters — people who go in a few days a week and don't mind a park-and-ride — far more than someone who needs a daily, walk-to-the-platform commute. Test your real route before you buy.

Let's start with the fact that shapes everything: Livingston has no train station within the township. The town is genuinely car-dependent, and that's the single most important thing for a New York buyer to internalize before falling for the schools and the space. If your picture of suburban life is a five-minute walk to a platform, Livingston isn't that town.

The good news: rail lines ring the area, with NJ Transit's Morris & Essex Line stations sitting just off Livingston's southern edge. So the commute isn't about whether you can take the train — you can — it's about the short drive or shuttle to reach it. Once you accept a park-and-ride or shuttle step into the routine, New York is very reachable. The rest of this guide lays out every option and roughly what each takes.

The workhorse commute is the Midtown Direct service on the Morris & Essex Line. Drive roughly 10–15 minutes to a nearby station — Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, or South Orange — park, and take a one-seat train straight to New York Penn Station. Many Livingston commuters do exactly this, and proximity to one of these stations (and its parking situation) is something buyers actively weigh.

If you'd rather not park at the station, there's the Livingston Express Shuttle: a rush-hour jitney running between the Livingston Mall and the South Orange station, with free parking at the mall. The shuttle leg is about 15 minutes, and with the train it puts you into Penn in roughly 45 minutes total. It's a popular park-once option — just confirm the current schedule, since shuttle timetables and rush-hour windows change.

Beyond Midtown Direct, here's the full menu — with honest notes on each:

Livingston's commute is a great fit for drivers and hybrid commuters — anyone comfortable with a park-and-ride who heads into the city a few days a week rather than five. With flexible and hybrid schedules now common, that describes a lot of buyers, which is exactly why demand for Livingston stays strong despite the lack of a station. If you're in the office two or three days, the routine is very manageable.

If you face a daily five-day commute, be honest with yourself and test the real route — drive to your likely station at rush hour, park, and ride in — before you buy. Where you live in town also matters: proximity to a Midtown Direct station or a shuttle stop is a genuine convenience that buyers value, so weigh it alongside the school zone and the home itself. We'll help you balance all three and find the spot that fits your real life. Browse current Livingston homes for sale to start.

When you tour homes, note the realistic drive to your preferred station and check that station's parking situation — a permit waitlist is common at popular Midtown Direct stops, and it can quietly change your daily routine. A home five minutes closer to Short Hills or South Orange, or within easy reach of the Livingston Mall shuttle, can be meaningfully more convenient than one across town, even if the houses look similar. If you commute, treat "minutes to the platform, plus a parking plan" as part of the home's value — because when you resell, the next commuter will too.

"I never sugarcoat the Livingston commute — no train in town, and you'll drive to the rail. But here's the thing: with hybrid schedules, most of my New York buyers are going in two or three days a week, and a ten-minute drive to Midtown Direct or the mall shuttle is a fair price for these schools and this much house. I just make sure clients test their real route first. Nobody should learn their commute after they've closed."

— Anthony Licciardello, Broker, The Prodigy Team

Helping a New York family map a real commute — and pick the home and station combination that actually works — is exactly what a cross-border broker should do. I'm Anthony Licciardello, Broker of The Prodigy Team — dual-licensed in New York and New Jersey and a leading broker for cross-border New York–New Jersey transactions, bringing the New York market to New Jersey sellers — and getting the commute right for our clients is work we do every week.

Our Above the Streets cinematic drone series extends that reach — aerial storytelling that markets entire towns, not just listings, with audience performance exceeding industry benchmarks for real estate media.

Anthony Licciardello · Broker, The Prodigy Team · 718-873-7345

Tell us your office days and your must-have station, and we'll steer you toward the Livingston homes with the easiest real-world path to New York.

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Does Livingston, NJ have a train station?

No. Livingston has no rail station within the township, so it's car-dependent. However, NJ Transit's Morris & Essex Line stations sit just off the town's southern edge — Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, and South Orange — a short drive away, offering one-seat Midtown Direct service to New York Penn Station.

How long is the commute from Livingston to New York City?

It depends on the mode. Driving ~10–15 minutes to a Midtown Direct station and taking the train is the most popular route; the Livingston Express Shuttle to South Orange plus the train runs about 45 minutes total to Penn Station. The Community Coach Route 77 bus to the Port Authority runs roughly 65–70 minutes with limited service, and driving into Midtown is about 35–55 minutes depending on traffic. Confirm current schedules before relying.

Is there a direct bus from Livingston to New York?

Yes — the Community Coach Route 77 runs from Livingston (including the Livingston Mall park-and-ride) directly to the Port Authority, though service is limited and the ride is roughly 65–70 minutes. DeCamp Bus Lines ended its New York commuter routes in 2025, so check current Community Coach schedules and consider the rail options for more frequency.

Is Livingston a good choice if I commute to NYC?

It's best for drivers and hybrid commuters who go into the city a few days a week and don't mind a park-and-ride or shuttle to the train. For a daily five-day commute, test your real route — drive to your likely station at rush hour and ride in — before buying. Proximity to a Midtown Direct station or the mall shuttle is worth weighing when you choose a home.

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Livingston Real Estate Market Analysis
Livingston Property Taxes
Livingston Homes for Sale — Browse Current Listings