Natural Wonder · New York City, United States
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first. Built 1856.
Photo: Anthony Quintano from Hillsborough, NJ, United States via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | New York City, United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Natural Wonder |
| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux |
| Area | Area: 3.412 km² |
| Coordinates | 40.7822° N, 73.9653° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Central Park is known for
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first.
About Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the sixth-largest park in the city, containing 843 acres (341 ha), and the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 million visitors annually as of 2016. Central Park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation but has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy since 1998 under a contract with the government of New York City in a public–private partnership.
History
Between 1821 and 1855, New York City's population nearly quadrupled. As the city expanded northward up Manhattan, people were drawn to the few existing open spaces, mainly cemeteries, for passive recreation. These were seen as escapes from the noise and chaotic life in the city, which at the time was almost entirely centered on Lower Manhattan.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Central Park website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | New York City |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | La Guardia Airport (LGA) |
| Distance from the airport | 4.9 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) · New York, United States · 4.9 miles away
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) · Newark, United States · 12.5 miles away
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) · New York, United States · 13.9 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in United States
More natural wonders
Frequently asked questions
What is Central Park?
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first.
Where is Central Park located?
Central Park is in New York City, United States. Its coordinates are 40.7822° N, 73.9653° W.
How do I get to Central Park?
The nearest town is New York City, and the nearest airport is La Guardia Airport (LGA), about 4.9 miles away (straight line).
When was Central Park built?
Central Park was built 1856.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160409 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.