Airports
Three airports, three different problems to solve
They are lumped together as the New York airports and they behave nothing alike. Each has its own page, and this one is the comparison people usually want first.
01The three, in one line each
- JFK
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Queens
- LGA
LaGuardia Airport
Queens
- EWR
Newark Liberty International Airport
New Jersey
02Side by side
| JFK | LGA | EWR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Queens, on the south shore | Queens, on the north shore | New Jersey, across the Hudson |
| Rough distance from Midtown | 15 miles | 9 miles | 16 miles |
| Typical drive, off peak | 45 to 60 minutes | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Typical drive, bad hour | 90 minutes and up | 60 minutes | 75 minutes and up |
| Tolls on a normal route | Usually one | Sometimes none | Tunnel plus turnpike |
| Terminals | Several, around a loop | Rebuilt, close together | Separate, on a spine road |
| Rail on the airport | Yes, to the edge of the city | No | Yes, to a main line station |
Times above are honest averages for a car, not the best case. The pricing page explains why the hour of day changes the number as much as the distance does.
03How to choose which one to fly from
That is usually decided by the airline schedule rather than by you. When it is genuinely open, the ground side of the decision goes roughly like this.
- Coming from or going to Manhattan's east side or Brooklyn: JFK and LaGuardia are both reasonable, and LaGuardia wins on time for a domestic flight.
- Coming from or going to the west side, Hudson County or anywhere over the river: Newark stops being the awkward one and starts being the obvious one.
- Travelling with a lot of luggage at a peak hour: the shortest drive is worth more than a cheaper fare, and that argues for LaGuardia.
- A night arrival: all three are calm after ten at night. The difference between them shrinks to almost nothing.
04What is the same everywhere
Kerbside space is the constraint at all three. Arrivals kerbs are policed, cars are not permitted to sit and wait, and a driver who is early is circling or parked rather than standing outside the doors. That is why an arrival booked with a flight number works so much better than one booked against a guessed time.
Meet at terminal is available at each of the three. It means the driver parks, walks into arrivals and waits with a card showing your name. It costs more because parking costs money, and it takes longer at the end because the driver has to get back out of a garage.
05What is different everywhere
The three pages below go through it properly: where cars are actually allowed to stop, how long to allow at each, what the drive involves and the one mistake people make most often at each airport.
John F. Kennedy International
The biggest of the three and the one where the loop road and the terminal spread cost the most time.
LaGuardia
The closest to Manhattan, the fastest run on a good day, and the airport with no rail of its own.
Newark Liberty International
Across the Hudson, so the tunnel and the tolls are part of the plan rather than a detail.
What each run starts at
Starting prices by airport and vehicle class, with every charge that can sit on top listed by name.
06Book a run to any of them
Send the details through the booking form for a free quote, or call +1 (646) 559-3082 to speak to a specialist. Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 8:30 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Eastern Time.