Where can I find a payphone?

Quantity of payphone locations varies considerably from one city to the next, and few cities publish maps or listings of where payphones are located.

Many smaller towns in the United States have zero working public telephones.

In larger cities payphones can usually be found at transit hubs such as airports, bus terminals, and commuter rail stations. In New York City, for instance, the greatest quantities of payphones in one place are found at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, LaGuardia and JFK Airports, and at Penn Station. Similarly, Boston’s North and South train stations have significant quantities of functional payphones. Large hospitals and police precincts also are known to have working public telephones.

Payphones are also commonly found in poorer neighborhoods, and in areas with poor cell phone signal.

Payphones continue to serve segments of society where cell phones are not allowed. Correctional facilities and substance abuse centers have actually seen increased numbers of payphones in some locations over the past decade.