New York's airports: JFK, Newark or LaGuardia
New York has three big airports, run by the same authority and all within 15 miles of Midtown by road. Which one you land at matters less than you might think for the drive, and more for the train, the taxi fare and what happens at passport control. Here is how they compare for our ten hotels.
The short answer
From Europe and most of the world, fly into JFK: it has the widest choice of airlines, a flat $70 taxi fare to Manhattan and the AirTrain and LIRR in about 30 minutes, and the TWA Hotel is on the airport. Newark is just as good for our downtown and Lower East Side hotels, with a 30-minute train to Penn Station. LaGuardia is for flights within the US and from Canada, and is the closest airport to Midtown, the Upper East Side and Williamsburg.
- To Midtown Manhattan
- 15 miles by highway
- Terminals
- 5 (1, 4, 5, 7 and 8)
- Passengers
- 62.6 million (2025)
- Fastest way in
- AirTrain and LIRR, about 30 minutes
- To New York
- About 30 minutes by public transport
- Terminals
- 3 (A, B and C)
- Passengers
- 47.0 million (2025)
- Fastest way in
- NJ Transit to Penn Station, about 30 minutes
- To Midtown Manhattan
- About 8 miles by highway
- Terminals in use
- 2 (B and C)
- Passengers
- 32.8 million (2025)
- Domestic share
- 94.8% of passengers
From each airport to our ten hotels
Typical drive times by car, and the way we would go.
| Hotel | JFK | EWR | LGA |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Plaza | 50 min | 48 min | 22 min |
| The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel | 45 min | 54 min | 25 min |
| The Fifth Avenue Hotel | 45 min | 44 min | 26 min |
| The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel | 45 min | 38 min | 33 min |
| 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge | 40 min | 44 min | 25 min |
| The William Vale | 35 min | 51 min | 19 min |
| Nine Orchard | 40 min | 39 min | 26 min |
| Hotel Chelsea | 50 min | 42 min | 28 min |
| TWA Hotel | 5 min | 81 min | 29 min |
| citizenM New York Bowery | 45 min | 38 min | 25 min |
Distance to our hotels
LaGuardia, about eight miles by highway from Midtown, against 15 miles for JFK. Typically, The Plaza is 22 minutes from LaGuardia, 50 from JFK and 48 from Newark; The Beekman in the Financial District is 38 minutes from Newark, 33 from LaGuardia and 45 from JFK. The William Vale in Williamsburg is 19 minutes from LaGuardia and 35 from JFK.
Those are typical times. New York traffic decides the real answer, which is why the trains from JFK and Newark are worth knowing.
- JFK to our Manhattan hotels
- Typically 40–50 minutes
- Newark to our Manhattan hotels
- Typically 38–54 minutes
- LaGuardia to our Manhattan hotels
- Typically 22–33 minutes
Airlines
Both JFK and Newark. At JFK, British Airways and American share Terminal 8, Virgin Atlantic and Delta are in Terminal 4, and Air France and Lufthansa are in Terminal 1. At Newark, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, SAS, TAP and most international airlines use Terminal B, and United fills Terminals A and C.
LaGuardia is 94.8% domestic. Delta has Terminal C to itself; American, United, Air Canada, JetBlue and Southwest share Terminal B.
Trains, buses and taxis
JFK has the simplest taxi: a flat $70 to anywhere in Manhattan plus surcharges, tolls and tip, and the AirTrain and LIRR reach Penn Station or Grand Central Madison in about 30 minutes for $14 off-peak. Newark has the easiest train: one ticket, $17.25 with the AirTrain included, about 30 minutes to Penn Station. Its taxis charge by Manhattan zone, from $60 downtown.
LaGuardia has no rail link, but the free Q70 bus reaches the subway at Jackson Heights in 8–13 minutes, and the metered taxi to Times Square is $30–52 before tips, tolls and congestion charges.
Passport control and lounges
JFK and Newark both take Mobile Passport Control, CBP's free app for US citizens, green-card holders, Canadian visitors and returning Visa Waiver travellers with an approved ESTA, and both have Global Entry kiosks or lanes. At LaGuardia, flights from Canada clear US immigration before departure.
For lounges, JFK is far ahead, with half a dozen Priority Pass options in Terminals 1 and 4. Newark is strongest for United, with the Polaris lounge in Terminal C. LaGuardia has the Chase Sapphire Lounge and the Centurion Lounge in Terminal B and Delta's largest Sky Club in Terminal C.
Questions people ask
Good questions about New York
Which airport should I fly into for New York?
JFK for most international flights and the widest choice of airlines; Newark for United and many European airlines, and for downtown Manhattan; LaGuardia for domestic and Canadian flights.
Is JFK or Newark better for Manhattan?
Both take about 30 minutes by train to Penn Station. JFK's taxi is a flat $70 to Manhattan; Newark's runs $60–80 by zone, and Newark is closer by road to the Financial District and the Lower East Side.
Which New York airport is closest to Times Square?
LaGuardia, about eight miles from Midtown by highway. The metered taxi to Times Square is $30–52 before tips, tolls and congestion charges.
Can I fly into LaGuardia from London?
Not in practice: 94.8% of LaGuardia's passengers fly domestic. From London, fly to JFK or Newark, which both have British Airways and other direct flights.
How many airports does New York have?
Three major ones: JFK and LaGuardia in Queens, and Newark Liberty in New Jersey, all run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Which New York airport is busiest?
JFK, with 62.6 million passengers in 2025, ahead of Newark with 47.0 million and LaGuardia with 32.8 million.
Image credits: Charles from Port Chester, New York (CC0) · Sam Shrestha (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Tdorante10 (CC BY-SA 4.0)