St. Patrick’s Day Parade NYC Set for Today, Check Route, Timing & Street Closures

New York City’s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the world’s oldest and biggest in the world celebrating Irish heritage, starts today, March 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade NYC starts from Fifth Avenue in Manhattan from 44th Street to 79th Street. 

The parade features more than 150,000 participants, including bagpipers, bands, police units, and cultural groups, as well as the 2 million viewers, with live coverage on WNBC, amidst the traffic jams expected in the city.

Organizers cite tradition dating to 1762, urging public transit use as NYPD closes key streets for safety during the roughly 5-hour procession. 

People who want to watch St. Patrick’s Day Parade NYC live should gain prime spots near St. Patrick's Cathedral by arriving early.

St. Patrick's Day Route: Where is the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade this year?

The traditional St. Patrick's Day Parade New York route is a 1.5-mile walk that starts exactly at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, travels north through St. Patrick's Cathedral around 50th Street, and ends at 79th Street. 

The St. Patrick's Day event draws large crowds for its traditional journey through the city's Midtown and Upper East neighborhoods. 

The participants include high school bands, military groups, and Irish societies, making for a colorful event in shades of green that organizers strive to maintain in an unchanging way in the face of contemporary crowds.

Know Why Does Chicago Dye Its River Green Every St. Patrick’s Day?

What time is NYC St Patrick's Day Parade 2026?

NYC St Patrick's Day Parade 2026 start time will be at 11:00 a.m. sharp at 44th Street. The event will conclude by 4:30-5:00 p.m., depending on the pace of the event. This allows for plenty of daylight for photo opportunities and celebrations. 

The NYC St Patrick's Day Parade 2026 start time also honors St. Patrick's Day while fitting in with NBC New York's streaming event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This allows families to plan their commute time around the heavy foot traffic in Midtown.

St. Patrick's Day Parade NYC Street Closures

Before the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade this coming March 17, check the St. Patrick's Day Parade NYC Street Closures, as directed by the NYPD:

Formation:

• Vanderbilt Avenue between 43rd Street and 46th Street

• 44th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 45th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 46th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 47th Street between Park Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 48th Street between Park Avenue and Sixth Avenue

Parade route:

• Fifth Avenue between 79th Street and 43rd Street

Dispersal area:

• Fifth Avenue between 84th Street and 79th Street

• 79th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 80th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 81st Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 82nd Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue

Additional closures:

• 43rd Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 49th Street between Madison Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza

• 50th Street between Madison Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza

• 51st Street between Madison Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 54th Street between Madison Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 57th Street between Madison Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 59th Street between Madison Avenue and Sixth Avenue

• 62nd Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 63rd Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 64th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 65th Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 70th Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 71st Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 72nd Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 78th Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• 84th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue

• Madison Avenue between 42nd Street and 84th Street

Where to watch the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade?

The best vantage points for the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade are concentrated around St. Patrick's Cathedral along 50th Street for celebrity sightings and bagpipe flyovers. 

Along with the more relaxed Upper East Side spots along 79th Street for seated viewing out of the Midtown madness. 

For home viewers, WNBC, NBCNewYork.com, and the NBC 4 app broadcast the festivities live starting at 11 a.m., with all the action and no weather worries. There are also apps for finding the best sideline seats.

Check about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Boston 2026 here.

Join the emerald wave as tradition unites NYC in celebration. Wear green, be safe, and make memories from the oldest St. Patrick's Parade tradition in America.