Metro-North commute guide
The commute is the single biggest factor most buyers underestimate. Here's a straight look at what you're actually signing up for across the nine Westchester towns VSG covers.
| Town | Line | Station | Peak (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrytown | Hudson | Tarrytown | 40 |
| Sleepy Hollow | Hudson | Philipse Manor | 42 |
| Ossining | Hudson | Ossining | 47 |
| Pleasantville | Harlem | Pleasantville | 48 |
| Croton-on-Hudson | Hudson | Croton-Harmon | 50 |
| Briarcliff Manor | Hudson | Scarborough | 52 |
| Chappaqua | Harlem | Chappaqua | 53 |
| Millwood | Harlem | Chappaqua | 55 |
| Yorktown Heights | Harlem | Croton Falls or Goldens Bridge | 72 |
Hudson vs Harlem — which line matters for you
Hudson Line (Tarrytown → Ossining → Croton-Harmon → etc.) runs along the river. Trains are frequent, express stops are genuinely fast, and river views make the ride less miserable.
Harlem Line (Pleasantville, Chappaqua, Millwood via Chappaqua, Yorktown via Croton Falls) serves the interior towns. Good service but fewer express patterns than the Hudson.
Express vs local — the math most buyers get wrong
A 7-minute difference on paper becomes 35 minutes a week, ~30 hours a year. For 3-day-a-week hybrid commuters, that's meaningful. For 5-day commuters, pick an express stop even if the town is a step down on your preference list.
Parking reality
Resident permits are required at most stations and waitlists vary. Croton-Harmon has the easiest parking in the group; Tarrytown and Ossining are tighter but manageable. I track the current waitlist situation and include it in the relocation guide.
Want a personalized commute plan?
Tell me how many days/week you'll be in the office and I'll send a ranked shortlist of towns with ride times for your actual schedule.