Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Time 2018: New York City Route, Map, Road Closures, Viewing Spots

Every year thousands of people line the New York City streets or turn their attention to the television screen to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade make its way through the Big Apple.

The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. EST at West 77^th Street and Central Park West. However, there is very limited public viewing at the start of the parade, so attendees hoping to catch the parade on the Upper West Side should set up between West 59^th Street and West 75^th Street if they want to be near the start.

After working its way down Central Park West, the parade will turn left onto Central Park South at 59^th Street, which does not have any public viewing. Then, the parade will make a right turn to continue down Sixth Avenue, giving people "great views" from West 59^th Street down to West 38^th Street.

Due to the national television broadcast, viewing is restricted on Sixth Avenue between West 34^th Street and West 38^th Street. It's also restricted on West 34^th Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue.

To conclude the procession, parade marchers will turn right on West 34^th Street and finish in front of Macy's Herald Square, located between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

More than 20 balloons float their way through New York City as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They're blown up on Wednesday from 1 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST outside of the Museum of Natural History. To give the balloons the space they need to be blown up, the Police Department of New York City (NYPD) announced that beginning at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, West 81^st Street to West 77^th Street from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic.

After 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Central Park West from 59^th Street to 86^th Street will also be closed to all traffic. Other road closures on Thursday include:

• Broadway between 34th Street and 38th Street: Midnight to 1 p.m.
• 7th Avenue from West 34th Street to West 42nd Street: 2 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• 34th Street between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue: 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday to 5:00 p.m.
• 59th Street E/B between 7th Avenue and Central Park West: 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• 59th Street W/B between 5th Avenue and Central Park West: 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• 35th Street between 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue: 2 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• 36th Street between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue: 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• 37th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue: 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• 38th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue: 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• 8th Avenue between 34th Street and 40th Street: 4 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Broadway between 38th Street and 59th Street: 4 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• 33rd Street between 7th Avenue and 10th Avenue: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• 39th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue: 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• 40th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Central Park 65th Street/66th Street Transverse Roads: 7 a.m. until the conclusion of the parade

From 9 a.m. on Thursday until 12:30 p.m., trucks and other large vehicles will also be unable to access:

• 6th Avenue between 43rd and 59th Street
• 8th Avenue between 44th and 58th Street
• Broadway between 49th and 57th Street
• 49th, 50th, and 57th Street between 6th and 8th Avenue

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 and consisted of a two-block procession that included elephants, camels and donkeys. Over the years the parade swapped live animals for balloons being carried on sticks until it evolved into the massive production it is today. In 2017, more than 24 million people tuned in to watch the parade.