Central Park is 843 acres — 3.41 square kilometers, or 1.317 square miles if that's easier to picture. That's about 6% of all the land in Manhattan. Lengthwise it runs 2.5 miles (4 km) from 59th Street up to 110th Street, and it's 0.5 miles (0.8 km) across, hemmed in by Fifth Avenue on one side and Central Park West on the other. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed it, and when it opened in 1858 it was one of the biggest landscaped parks anywhere. It still pulls in more than 42 million visitors a year, more than any other urban park in the country.
Central Park size — quick facts
- Area: 843 acres / 3.41 km² / 1.317 mi²
- Length: 2.5 miles (4 km)
- Width: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Perimeter: 6.1 miles (9.8 km)
- Reservoir loop: 1.58 miles
- Elevation change: ~140 feet (Summit Rock is the highest point at 137 ft)
- Number of trees: ~18,000 (some sources cite 250,000 including saplings)
- Annual visitors: 42 million+
How big is Central Park compared to other places?
Central Park isn't even the biggest park in its own city. Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx is NYC's largest at 2,772 acres, more than triple Central Park's size, and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens comes in around 870 acres — NYC Parks' own property records say 870.76, though you will see figures closer to 900 on some of the city's own pages. Either way, bigger than Central Park. On Staten Island, Freshkills Park — a former landfill being converted into public parkland — is being built out to roughly 2,200 acres, which will make it bigger than Central Park and Flushing Meadows but still smaller than Pelham Bay Park.
- 1.6× the size of Monaco (2.08 km²)
- 7.8× the size of Vatican City (0.49 km²)
- 4× the size of Disneyland Park in Anaheim (0.85 km²)
- 2.4× the size of London's Hyde Park (350 acres)
- About half the size of Paris's Bois de Boulogne (2,090 acres)
- 1/4 the size of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park — wait, Golden Gate is 1,017 acres, so Central Park is about 83% the size
- 3× the size of Hong Kong Disneyland (310 acres)
- Smaller than NYC's Pelham Bay Park (2,772 acres) and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park (around 870 acres)
Central Park map — what you'll actually find inside
On a map it looks like a clean green rectangle dropped into the Manhattan grid. On the ground it's not flat or uniform at all — manicured lawns down south give way to actual woodland once you get up north. Four numbered transverse roads cut east to west, at 65th, 79th, 86th and 97th Streets, and the drive that loops the whole perimeter runs 6.1 miles.
How long to cross Central Park
Walking the full length, south to north, is 2.5 miles and takes about 50 minutes at a normal pace. Running it cuts that to 20–25 minutes. Biking the whole 6.1-mile loop around the outside takes 35–45 minutes if you're not rushing; a guided bike tour hits the highlights along the way in about 2 hours.
What fits inside Central Park
For its size, Central Park is packed: 21 playgrounds, 36 bridges and arches, 9,000 benches, around 18,000 trees, a 106-acre reservoir holding 1 billion gallons, two ice rinks, a Victorian castle, a zoo, a formal garden, a Shakespeare garden, an open-air theater, a model-boat pond, a carousel, 7 bodies of water, and 58 miles of pedestrian paths. Line up every bench end to end and you'd get a row over 7 miles long.
Frequently asked
How big is Central Park in acres?
843 acres, give or take — that's 3.41 square kilometers, or 1.317 square miles if you prefer miles.
How long is Central Park?
2.5 miles (4 km) running north to south, from 110th Street down to 59th Street, and half a mile (0.8 km) across.
Is Central Park bigger than Monaco?
Yes, by a good margin. Central Park is 3.41 km²; the entire country of Monaco is 2.08 km². Do the math and the park comes out about 1.6 times bigger.
How long does it take to walk across Central Park?
Around 50 minutes end to end at a normal walking pace. If you want to do the full loop around the perimeter instead, budget closer to 2 hours for the 6.1 miles.
How many people visit Central Park each year?
About 42 million a year come through, which puts it at the top of the list for urban parks in the US and near the top worldwide.
Is Central Park the biggest park in NYC?
Not even close. Pelham Bay Park up in the Bronx is the city's largest at 2,772 acres, more than triple Central Park's size. Central Park only ranks fifth by acreage — it's just the one everyone's heard of.
How tall are the trees in Central Park?
There are roughly 18,000 trees across 175 species. The American elms lining The Mall are the tallest, topping out around 75–80 feet, and some of those trees were already there before the park was built.
How big is the Central Park Reservoir?
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir spans 106 acres and holds a billion gallons of water. Runners circle it on a 1.58-mile track.