How to Use the Mexico City Metro

Guide to using the Mexico City Metro: Tickets, stations, lines, operating hours and safety tips.

Updated August 2026 (details checked for accuracy).

This is my complete (and free) guide to using the Metro in Mexico City.

The Metro CDMX is the second-biggest in the Americas after the New York Subway and, as of 2019, was the tenth-busiest in the world.

Checking out the recently refurbished Observatorio metro station in Mexico City:

The Metro arriving at Observatorio Station in Mexico City:

Observatorio is connected to the Poniente Bus Terminal, which is handy for destinations such as Toluca and Querétaro and is the terminal station of the Tren Insurgente, which is fully operational between Observatorio (Mexico City) and Zinacantepec (Toluca).

With its 12 lines, 200 km of track, and 163 different stations, with 28 of them serving two or more lines, the Metro is the best way to get around.

If you are living in Mexico City or just plan on staying a couple of months, I recommend you check out my Mexico City Public Transport hub page with links to my free guides on how to use the Metrobús, Tren Ligero, Trolebús and the Cablebús.

How is taking the subway in Mexico City?

Please don’t use the word Subway. You are in Mexico now. It is called the Metro.

Of course, if you know me, I do not mince my words. With me, you get exactly how it is.

• There can be long delays
• The carriages can get very packed, more so in the rush hour and on Saturday afternoons
• There is no air conditioning. It gets very hot in the summer. The rest of the year is just normal hot
• When the rains come, the metro stations get flooded

But despite these frustrations, it’s still pretty efficient, and at just 5 pesos a ride, it’s as cheap as chips and is my preferred mode of transport here, though sometimes, the Metrobús is more convenient. Depends entirely on where I am going.

Greater Mexico City has a population of more than 20 million people. Everywhere is going to be busy, so it will mostly be a frustrating and time-consuming process, however you choose to get around.

How many Metro stations are there?

I have criss-crossed Mexico City hundreds of times using the metro, which is operated by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC).
​
There are 163 different Metro stations, with 28 of them serving two or more lines. For example: Pantitlán is served by Lines 1, 5, 9 and A, Tacubaya is served by Lines 1, 7 and 9, and Chabacano is served by Lines 2, 8 and 9.

I made a separate list of all the Metro Stations in Mexico City (other lists count Pantitlán as four stations, Tacubaya and Chabacano as three, and the other transfer stations as having two stations, so that’s why you will see 195 being quoted.

Each of the 163 stations has a unique symbol originally designed by Lance Wyman to help riders when literacy rates were low. These icons referenced the station name or location.

Even with today’s high literacy rates, the symbols are still used, although it’s not so easy to see the meaning behind them anymore.

The Metro at Cuauhtémoc station on line 1:

How many lines are there?

Las Lineas del Metro CDMX:

• Line 1 (pink): Observatorio – Pantitlán
• Line 2 (blue): Cuatro Caminos – Tasqueña
• Line 3 (olive): Indios Verdes – Universidad
• Line 4 (light blue): Martín Carrera – Santa Anita
• Line 5 (yellow): Politécnico – Pantitlán
• Line 6 (red): El Rosario – Martín Carrera
• Line 7 (orange): El Rosario – Barranca del Muerto
• Line 8 (green): Garibaldi/Lagunilla – Constitución de 1917
• Line 9 (brown): Tacubaya – Pantitlán
• Line A (purple): Pantitlán – La Paz
• Line B (grey/green): Ciudad Azteca – Buenavista
• Line 12 (gold): Mixcoac – Tláhuac

Mexico City Metro Map:

Miss CDMX and I at the Bellas Artes Metro Station in Mexico City, with the Parisian-style metro sign:

Mexico City Metro schedule:

• Monday to Friday: 5 am to midnight
• Saturday: 6 am to midnight
• Sunday & Holidays: 7 am to midnight

Mexico City has 4 main bus stations (Tapo, Southern Bus Terminal, Northern Bus Terminal and Poniente Bus Terminal), all of which are served by the metro.

How much does the Mexico City Metro cost?

The Metro in CDMX costs 5 pesos. This is a flat fee, no matter how far you travel.

You’ll need to purchase a Mexico City Metro Card (Integrated Mobility Card):

You can also use your contactless bank card!

Tips for using the Metro in Mexico City:

Avoid using the Metro during rush hour

The rush hour in Mexico City runs from about 7 am until 9.30 am and from around 5 pm until 8 pm and is something to be avoided at all costs. The queues to get on the trains can be 10 deep. It just becomes one manic scrum.

Watch your pockets and belongings

As in all cities around the world, professional pickpockets work the metro. If you have a phone, do NOT keep it in your back pocket. Keep it in your front pocket and put one hand in too, and take off your backpack to avoid inconveniencing others.

Hang on

With one hand in your pocket with your phone in, use the other hand to hang on tight. The metro does have a habit of breaking sharply.

Going to the Airport

Check out my new blog post on how I use public transport to get to Mexico City Airport.

Be prepared

At each stop, the metro does not stop for very long. The doors only stay open for about 10 seconds. There is no announcement inside the metro for the stations, the station names can flash past before you have a chance to register them, and if you are standing, which is more often the case, you can’t see the name plaque anyway.

​Assuming you know that your stop is coming up, shuffle towards the doors in plenty of time, always watching your phone with one hand and hanging on with the other and get out sharpish. The opening and closing of the doors is accompanied by a loud beep-beep.

Viaja Segura – Solo Mujeres y Niños

Women and kids under 12 can use designated carriages: