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United States

New York

Yellow cabs thread the skyscraper canyons. The subway runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR) airport access

Three airports, three fare systems. For JFK, ride the subway or LIRR and tap a separate AirTrain fare; LaGuardia's Q70 link bus is free; Newark sits outside the MTA - you need an NJ Transit or PATH ticket.

Updated on August 2, 2026

  • Until Jan 15, 2027

    Newark's weekday AirTrain outage returns in September

    At Newark, the AirTrain between the rail station and the terminals is replaced by shuttle buses on weekdays from 5am to 3pm. The outages are paused for the summer peak through Labor Day, resume in September 2026, and pause again from 30 October to 15 January 2027. Buses run every four to five minutes and add up to 15 minutes. Weekends are unaffected.

How to ride

  1. 1
    For JFK, ride the subway or LIRR to an AirTrain station
    Take the A to Howard Beach, or the E, J, Z or an LIRR train to Jamaica, then follow the signs up to the AirTrain.
  2. 2
    Tap again at the AirTrain gate
    The AirTrain is a separate fare from the subway. Tap the same card again to get in - there is no free transfer.
  3. 3
    For LaGuardia, change to the free Q70 Link
    Ride the subway to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av or 74 St-Broadway, exit the turnstiles and board the Q70.
  4. 4
    For Newark, take an NJ Transit train
    From New York Penn Station take a train that stops at the airport station, and buy the ticket before you board - machine or app.
  5. 5
    Ride the AirTrain from the rail station
    Keep your ticket at Newark's airport rail station and take the AirTrain - a shuttle bus replaces it on some weekdays.
  6. 6
    Only got cash? Use an OMNY machine
    OMNY vending machines in subway stations take cash and give change - buy and load a card there before you tap in.

Fares

Single fares12

AirTrain JFK one-way
Under-fives free; tap the same card within 5 minutes and extra riders pay $4.50 (up to 5, capped at $26.75)
8.75 USD ≈ $9
Subway + AirTrain (JFK to the city)
That is a $3.00 subway fare plus $8.75 for the AirTrain; the subway half is the same from anywhere
11.75 USD ≈ $12
LIRR + AirTrain (JFK to Penn / Grand Central)
Faster than the subway route and priced accordingly; the spread is off-peak versus peak
14〜16 USD ≈ $14–16
Q70 LaGuardia Link bus
Free, with nothing to tap; it serves Terminals B and C, and Terminal A is a shuttle ride from B
0 USD
Subway or M60 bus one-way (for LaGuardia)
The M60 stops at every airport terminal, and subway-to-bus transfers are free for two hours
3 USD ≈ $3
LIRR CityTicket (within the city, one-way)
The lower price is off-peak; change at Jamaica for JFK or at Woodside for LaGuardia
5.25〜7.25 USD ≈ $5–7
NJ Transit train, New York Penn to Newark airport
The AirTrain is bundled in, so there is nothing extra to pay at the airport station; buying onboard adds $5
17.25 USD ≈ $17
NJ Transit train, Newark Penn to Newark airport
The leg you add after riding PATH to Newark Penn; the AirTrain is bundled into this one too
12.3 USD ≈ $12
PATH one-way (Manhattan to Newark)
Under-sixes free; the gates run on TAPP, so you tap a contactless card or phone straight through
3.25 USD ≈ $3
AirTrain Newark one-way
Only charged if you don't already hold an NJ Transit or Amtrak ticket; terminal-to-terminal rides are free
8.75 USD ≈ $9
Newark Airport Express bus (Midtown)
Low figure one-way, high one return; runs from Grand Central, Bryant Park and Port Authority in about 50 min
23.5〜39.5 USD ≈ $24–40
Yellow taxi, JFK to Manhattan (flat fare)
State, improvement and congestion charges plus tolls and tip come on top, and weekdays 4-8pm add another $5
70 USD ≈ $70

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
DiscoverVISAMastercardJCBAmex銀聯
The AirTrain and subway gates are tap-only; the railroads still need a ticket
IC card
An OMNY card works on the subway and the JFK AirTrain alike
App tickets
Buy rail tickets in the TrainTime and NJ Transit apps
Paper tickets
NJ Transit and the LIRR issue paper or mobile tickets; the AirTrain has none
Cash
Not at the gates, but fine at ticket machines and with NJ Transit conductors

Quick facts

Fares from
8.75 USD+

Heads-up

  • The JFK AirTrain is a separate fare from the subway

    At JFK you tap the same card for the AirTrain, but it is a separate fare zone: no free transfer from the subway, no counting toward the weekly cap, and unlimited passes don't work on it. The AirTrain has its own 30-day cap instead.

  • Rides offered at arrivals are illegal

    Anyone who walks up and offers you a ride at arrivals is operating illegally - TLC-licensed drivers are banned from soliciting, so the moment you accept you are in an uninsured car on an untraceable fare. The city names airports as the top spot for this. Use the signposted taxi line or an app, nothing else.

Timetable

Typical duration Newark is about 30 minutes by train from New York Penn plus the AirTrain; JFK is roughly 20 minutes from Penn or Grand Central to the AirTrain station; for LaGuardia allow an hour or more.
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka