NEW YORK KENNEDY AIRPORT (JFK)
GROUND TRANSPORTATION & TRANSFER INFORMATION

 
New York John F. Kennedy Airport (15 miles southeast of Lower Manhattan) is served by the following ground transportation options:
A - train
B - metro train
C - local bus
D - shared ride van
E - taxi
F - limousine
G - helicopter (not strictly ground transportation!)
H - rental car
RETURN TO
US AIRPORT GROUND TRANSPORTATION HOMEPAGE
Terminal information
The airport has eight passenger terminals (1-8.)
Terminal passenger links
JFK has a 24 hour rail system that loops between six terminal stations (Terminal 1, Terminals 2/3, Terminal 4, Terminals 5/6, Terminal 7, and Terminals 8). It also connects with parking lots, hotel shuttle areas, rental car lots, the Long Island Rail Road and the NYC Subway. See below for more details. This service is free within the airport but costs $5 if you are connecting with the LIRR or the Subway - you pay on the way out of the AirTrain station.
A: Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
The fastest trip time to Manhattan is via the Long Island Rail Road. Take the AirTrain to Jamaica Station which is a LIRR hub station. Total journey time to Penn Station (7th Avenue at 34th Street) is approximately 30-40 minutes, depending on which terminal you arrive at - trains are very frequent.
Travellers to Long Island or Brooklyn can also use the LIRR.
Tickets can be bought at the station, at ticket windows or ticket machines - the machines take credit cards.
@ Summer 2009 tickets cost (excluding the $5 AirTrain fare):
- peak hours, $8.
- off peak, $5.75.
- weekend ‘city ticket’, $3.50.
Note that the fare if you buy on the train is approximately twice the price! You can’t buy a city ticket on the train.
B: NYC Subway
There are two NYC Subway AirTrain terminals:
- Sutphin Boulevard:Archer Avenue:JFK Airport (at Jamaica Station.) This is the Archer Avenue line (E, J, Z) This will connect you to mid and upper Manhattan.
- Howard Beach. This is the Ind Rockaway line A. Runs through Queens and Brooklyn before entering lower Manhattan. The A is usually an express and will skip some stations. At night, the A is local and stops at every station. If you return to JFK via subway, make sure to take the A train marked Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park, NOT Lefferts Blvd.
Total cost @ Summer 2009 is $7.25 per person if you connect to the subway - $5 for the AirTrain itself and $2.25 for the subway fare. You pay on the way out of the AirTrain station. Purchase a MetroCard with $7.25 on it, and slide it through the reader to exit. MetroCard machines accept cash, credit or debit cards.
C1: New York Airport Service Express Shuttle
Airport Express shuttles leave JFK every half hour from the public transportation bays of every terminal. Journey time is approximately 1 hour to Grand Central. Stops in Manhattan are:
- Grand Central.
- Bryant Park.
- Port Authority Bus Station.
- Penn Station.
- Midtown hotels between 31st and 60th Streets.
@ Summer 2009 fare is $15 single or $27 return. Tickets may be purchased online.
First bus leaves the airport at 6.05am, last at 11.00pm.
C2: Municipal Buses
The New York City Transit bus lines and the Green bus line offer a wide range of buses traveling in various routes from Jamaica or Howard Beach stations, accessible by the AirTrain.
D1: Shared Ride Vans
Shared van services to Manhattan (including hotels) are available from the public transportation bays of every terminal. Reservations recommended.
@ Summer 2009 a fare to a Times Square hotel would be approximately $18.
D2: Hotel Shuttles
Free shuttles operate between the airport and a number of hotels in the area. The AirTrain stops at Federal Circle for this service.
E: Taxis
A taxi between the airport and anywhere in Manhattan is (@ Summer 2009) a fixed $45 plus $4.50 tolls and tip. Follow the signs to the taxi queue.  Wait in line and the dispatcher will get you a car – only take official, yellow NYC Taxis.
F: Limousines
New York City's limousine services, which are licensed by NYCTLC (NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission), offer limos and sedans from JFK to Manhattan. Limousines accommodate 2–20 passengers depending upon the size of the limo.
G: Helicopters
US Helicopter costs start at $170, per person, one way (@ Summer 2009.) Flights operate from Terminal 3 (Delta) at JFK to two heliports in Manhattan - East 34th Street (Midtown) and Downtown Manhattan at Wall Street. They do not operate on weekends or holidays and are only available from 7am to 7pm.
H: Rental Cars
At each terminal's arrivals level (usually near the baggage carousel) there is either a rental car counter or courtesy telephone. The AirTrain stops at Federal Circle for car rental offices.

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