How Long Does It Take to Walk the Brooklyn Bridge?

The short answer

About 30 minutes one way. Budget 35 to 40 if you're walking with a group, or stopping under the towers to take pictures, which everyone does. The bridge and its approaches measure 6,016 feet according to the city's transportation department, and the pedestrian promenade works out to roughly 1.1 miles from one end to the other.

What actually slows you down

Crowds, mostly. The middle third of the bridge, between the two stone towers, is where people stop dead to take photos, and on a warm afternoon you'll be weaving. The wooden promenade sits above the traffic lanes, so it's a pleasant walk, just not a fast one at peak hours. The city says the promenade is open at all times, so an early start is the real fix: before about 9am you'll have room to move, and the light on the Manhattan skyline behind you is better anyway.

Doing it from our block

We're on John Street in the Financial District, a short walk from the Manhattan end of the bridge, so this is an easy thing to do on a whim rather than a whole planned outing. Most people walk over to Brooklyn, spend an hour in DUMBO, and take the subway or the ferry back, which turns a 30-minute walk into a comfortable half day. If you only want the view and not the crossing, walk out to the first tower and turn around. That's about 15 minutes each way and you'll have seen the best of it.

Which direction to walk

Brooklyn to Manhattan puts the skyline in front of you the whole way, which is why it's the direction most guides recommend. Starting from our side, that means taking the subway or the ferry over first and walking back. Going out from Manhattan is simpler and you get the same bridge, just with the view over your shoulder.