Before you is a list of the largest metro systems in the world. There are over 165 distinct systems that can be referred as metro system, subway systems or underground systems, and their size can be measured by a number of factors – number of users, total length of rails or number of stations. Here we decided to list the metro systems by the number of stations, and mention the other factors as well

1. New York City Subway, NYC, United States – 421 stations – The famous subway of NYC has the largest number of stations in the world. Opened in 1904, it’s also one of the oldest (8th oldest to be exact). The NYC subway has a total length of 373 km (232 mi) – that’s 4th in the world, and a whooping 1.7 billion riders as to 2013!

Largest Metro Systems In The World: NYC subway

2. Paris Métro, Paris, France – 303 stations – The Paris Métro opened in 1900 – the 5th oldest metro system in the world. It has 303 stations spread over 214 km (133 mi) and over 1.5 billion riders enjoying fast and reliable transportation every year

3. Madrid Metro, Madrid, Spain – 300 stations – With almost the same number of stations as Paris and even a larger total length – 293 km (182 mi), the Madrid Metro was first opened in 1919. It has “only” 500 million riders every year – the least number of riders between all the metro systems on this list

4. Seoul Subway, Seoul, South Korea – 296 stations – The Seoul Subway opened much later than the previous systems – in 1974. It has a total length of 327.0 km (203.2 mi) and has the second largest number of riders – over 2.5 billion every year!!

5. London Underground (“The Tube”), London, England – 270 stations – The famous London Tube first opened as an “underground railway” in 1863, but the first electric line opened in 1890 making it the world’s very first metro system. It’s also the third longest system with 402 km (250 mi) and more than 1.2 billion users each year

6. Shanghai Metro, Shanghai, China – 263 stations – Shanghai Metro is only 6th where it comes to number of stations, but it has the longest length in the world – 538 km (334 mi)! Considering it only opened in 1993, this is truly an achievement!  Shanghai Metro is also one of the busiest systems in the world with over 2.5 billion riders each year

7. Beijing Subway, Beijing, China – 232 stations – Beijing Subway is the busiest metro system in the world with over 3.2 billion users each year! China can be proud of being the only country with metro systems in this list

8. Mexico City Metro, Mexico City, Mexico – 195 stations – Mexico City Metro has 195 stations spread over 226.5 km (140.7 mi) and servicing 1.6 billion riders yearly

9. Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia – 194 stations – The Moscow metro system opened in 1934 and has a combined length of 325.4 km (202.2 mi). It services almost 2.5 billion people every year. But the Moscow metro is not just another metro system. The stations are known as “Underground palaces”. The beautiful underground structures are designed with care: with pictures on the walls, chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and more. The stations of the Moscow Metro are a major tourist attraction on their own. Some of the most beautiful stations are Komsomolskaya Metro Station, Kievskaya Metro Station, Prospekt Mira Metro Station, Park Pobedy Metro Station, Novoslobodskaya Metro Station, Mayakovskaya Metro station

10. Tokyo Metro, Tokyo, Japan – 179 stations – The 179 stations of the Tokyo Metro are spread over a combined length of 195.1 km (121.2 mi). The Tokyo Metro is used by 2.3 billion people every year

And in places 11-13, almost made the cut are the Berlin U-Bahn which opened in 1902, the Chicago ‘L’ – opened in 1897 as the very first metro system in America, and the Barcelona Metro