Why Are New York Taxis Yellow?

New York’s Yellow Taxis: The Story Behind the Color

• The moment you leave the airport, you’ll spot one of New York’s most iconic symbols: the yellow taxis. But why do all taxis in Manhattan wear the same bright yellow color?
• The history is more complicated than you might think. According to the Chicago Tribune, yellow was chosen in 1915 by John Hertz when he founded the first taxi company in the United States. Hertz reportedly read a University of Chicago study showing that yellow was the easiest color to spot from a distance. He decided on yellow for his fleet, and named his company Yellow Cab Company.
• There’s one problem: no historian has ever found this study in the University of Chicago’s archives. The famous study apparently never existed.
• Yellow’s dominance more likely comes from Yellow Cab Company’s explosive success, which quickly spread across the United States. Yellow gradually became the standard color for taxis, and in 1967, a law made it mandatory for all taxis in the city.

Yellow: The Iconic Color of New York Taxis

• Within a few years, yellow became the defining color of New York taxis. They’re known worldwide as “yellow cabs”—just as London’s taxis are traditionally black. See our article on London taxis.
• Yellow taxi imagery appears everywhere: on souvenirs, postcards, and in popular culture. It’s the color of New York. In fact, the iconic yellow taxi inspired the colors of our CNEWYORK site. I tell this story in my New York Destination Guide.
• You’ll see yellow taxis throughout the city, especially at airports and along the streets and avenues of New York. Don’t miss the chance to photograph a few!