Open Data NYC — Free New York City Government Data API (No Key)

TL;DR

NYC Open Data is one of the largest municipal open data portals in the world, with over 2,000 datasets covering everything from 311 service complaints and tree census data to film permits, restaurant inspection grades, and school quality reports. The data is powered by the Socrata platform, which provides a comprehensive REST API with SQL-like queries (SoQL), geospatial filtering, and CSV/JSON/GeoJSON export. Datasets are updated in real-time or on regular schedules depending on the source agency.

Quick start: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/nwxe-4ae8.json

No API key needed — just make a request!

How to Use This API

1. Tree Census Data

The example dataset (nwxe-4ae8) is the 2015 Street Tree Census — every tree in NYC:

https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/nwxe-4ae8.json?$limit=5

2. 311 Complaints

https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/erm2-nwe9.json?$where=created_date>'2026-01-01'&$limit=10

3. JavaScript — Query Trees by Species

fetch('https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/nwxe-4ae8.json?spc_common=American%20elm&$limit=5')
  .then(r => r.json())
  .then(trees => {
    trees.forEach(t => {
      console.log(t.tree_id, t.spc_common, t.latitude, t.longitude);
    });
  });

4. Python — SoQL Query

import requests

# Get counts of trees by borough
resp = requests.get(
    'https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/nwxe-4ae8.json',
    params={'$select': 'boroname, count(tree_id)', '$group': 'boroname'}
)
for row in resp.json():
    print(f"{row['boroname']}: {row['count_tree_id']} trees")

Try it: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource/nwxe-4ae8.json?$limit=3

Try This URL Now

API Details

API URL: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/resource
Documentation: opendata.cityofnewyork.us
Category: Government
Authentication: Not Required (basic queries)
Geographic Coverage: USA — New York City five boroughs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an API key for NYC Open Data?: No, all datasets are publicly accessible without authentication. An application token (free) provides higher rate limits if needed.
How do I find the right dataset ID?: Browse the portal at data.cityofnewyork.us and find the four-letter dataset identifier (like nwxe-4ae8 for trees). Each dataset page shows its API endpoint.
What is SoQL?: Socrata Query Language — similar to SQL. Supports $select, $where, $order, $group, $limit, $offset, and $q (full-text search).
Can I query by geographic area?: Yes, datasets with location columns support $within_box and $within_circle parameters for bounding box and radius queries.
What output formats are available?: Add .json, .csv, .xml, or .geojson to the dataset endpoint. JSON is default.
How often is the data updated?: Update frequency varies by dataset — 311 data is updated in near real-time, while the tree census is updated periodically. Each dataset page lists its update schedule.

What You Can Build

NYC tree map showing species distribution by neighborhood
Restaurant health inspection grade lookup by address
311 complaint heatmap for city planning
Film permit calendar showing street closures
School quality dashboard comparing districts