Last Updated on November 24, 2022 by underanewsun
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Figuring out how to get from JFK to Manhattan after your long flight isn’t something you want to do, is it? We didn’t think so.
Below are seven transportation options to help you plan your New York arrival. They are listed in descending cost order.
Going the other way? See our post on how to get from Manhattan to JFK.
JFK Airport to Manhattan-Estimated costs and time
| Method | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Helicopter | From $195 | +/- 5 minutes |
| Limo | +/- $200 +tip | +/- 1 hour |
| Uber/Lyft | $70-$175 | +/- 1 hour |
| JFK Taxi Flat Rate | $70 (see Section 4) | |
| Total Taxi Cost (estimate) | $80-$85* + tip | +/- 1 hour |
| Shared Van | From $45 | +/- 1 hour |
| Long Island Railroad | $15.75-$18.75** | 35-45 minutes*** |
| Subway | $10.75** | +/- 70 minutes*** |
| *Includes toll | **Includes AirTrain fare | ***Includes time on AirTrain |
1. Helicopter from JFK to Manhattan
Seriously? Yes, seriously. Ever wonder what being a New York power player feels like? Here’s your chance.
Blade is a white glove private transportation company providing private helicopters, jets, sea planes and ground transportation.
Hop aboard and, like magic, your helicopter will whisk you from JFK to Manhattan in about five minutes.
Can you imagine a better way to surprise your family or that special someone? Now that’s how you kick off a trip to New York City!
Blade’s JFK Airport to Manhattan helicopter service
- Book individual seats or charter a helicopter for your group
- Helicopter ride lasts +/- 5 minutes
- Optional meet-and-greet service at baggage claim area
- Save 50% with annual Blade Airport Pass+ membership
- Ground transportation available from Manhattan heliports
- Fly to either West 30th or East 34th St. (both in Midtown Manhattan)
- Save by booking online or through app
- Lots of luggage? Use Blade’s ToteTaxi service
- Or skip lugging bags altogether
- Blade’s luggage policies
2. Limo From JFK to Manhattan
New York’s ultra-competitive private vehicle industry has dozens of choices.
We created the short list below by only selecting companies which have:
- A rating of 4.8 stars or higher on Google Reviews (out of 5)
- At least 100 Google Reviews
Here’s the short list:
Factors affecting cost include: number of passengers, destination, vehicle type, your tip.
3. Uber/Lyft from JFK to Manhattan
The Uber/Lyft apps will:
- Automatically identify which terminal you’re in
- Let you choose your designated pickup point
When using Uber or Lyft, your cost depends on:
- Type of vehicle
- Time of day
- Number of passengers
- Trip Distance/duration
- Tolls
- Current demand for trips*
- Delays (traffic, bad weather, accidents, etc.)
- Tip not included in price estimates
- 15%-20% tip is customary and recommended
4. Taxi From JFK to Manhattan
Taxi price = flate rate + extra fees. All fees except the tip are included in price estimate table above.
- A 15%-20% tip is customary and recommended.
- Additional fees if trip starts above 96th St.
Classic yellow and green New York City taxis charge passengers a flat rate from JFK Airport to Manhattan
Fees/taxes added to flat rate include:
- New York State Congestion Surcharge
- Rush hour surcharge (4 p.m.-8 p.m., weekdays, excluding holidays)
- Improvement Surcharge
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Surcharge
- Airport Access Fee
- Overnight Surcharge
Reminder: Only take official New York City yellow or green cabs. Do not accept offers from non-official drivers offering taxi service.
It is illegal for non-official drivers to solicit business at the airport and dangerous for you, the passenger. Unofficial drivers are often uninsured and may change their price en route (even after quoting a lower rate).
5. Shared van from JFK to Manhattan
Estimated price in table above is based on shared van service to Times Square. Cost depends on number passengers, destination and vehicle type.
Go Airlink NYC is a leader among the few companies authorized to shuttle passengers from JFK to Manhattan.
Besides shared vans, GoAirlink NYC also offers sedans, SUVs and even coach buses for large groups.
Shared vans balance comfort and cost and are a solid choice when you have some time flexibility. If you’re in a rush, there are better options. Shuttles often stop at other terminals before leaving.
Go Airlink NYC offers:
- Service from 4 a.m.-midnight
- Discounts for booking online
- Various vehicle types
- Door-to-door service
- Service to NYC hotels, transport hubs & cruise terminals
6. Long Island Railroad from JFK to Manhattan
6A. Commuter trains vs. subways
Two types of trains operate between JFK and Manhattan:
- Commuter trains
- Subways
This section discusses commuter trains. Subways are discussed in Section 7.
What are commuter trains? They’re trains linking New York City (NYC) to its suburbs. Commuter trains go far beyond NYC. Subways, on the contrary, only operate within NYC.
There are several commuter train networks. The network closest to JFK is called the Long Island Island Railroad (LIRR).
Taking the LIRR from JFK to Manhattan is a two-step process:
- Step 1: Take the AirTrain from JFK to the LIRR.
- Step 2: Take the LIRR to Manhattan.
The next section covers why we recommend the LIRR over the subway.
You can also skip to Step 1.
6B. LIRR versus the subway
Why we recommend the LIRR over the subway
Before discussing how to take the LIRR from JFK to Manhattan, here’s why we recommend taking the LIRR over the subway.
Safety
Personal safety is everything, isn’t it? With crime rising in NYC (by a lot), the subways are far less safe than before.
Speed
- LIRR trains make fewer stops than subways
- LIRR from JFK to Manhattan = +/- 25 minutes
- Subway from JFK to Manhattan = +/- 50 minutes
- Estimates do not include time on AirTrain
Comfort
- Subways = plastic seats + zero luggage racks
- LIRR = cushioned seats + overhead luggage racks
- Subway = high probability of standing for part of the trip
- LIRR = low probability of standing
Reliability
- LIRR’s on-time performance: 96.3% (official 2021 figure)
- Subway’s on-time performance: +/- 80%-90%
- Some subway lines average much lower
Some subway lines do not run 24 hour-a-day. Local trains sometimes run express, express trains sometimes run local.
Track fires, crime scenes, medical emergencies, mechanical breakdowns and flooding, among other factors, often cause delays, making the subway less reliable than the LIRR.
Cost
The LIRR costs a little more than the subway, but it’s safer, faster, more comfortable and more reliable.
Step 1
6C. Taking the LIRR from JFK to Manhattan
Step 1: Take AirTrain from JFK to Jamaica LIRR station
At JFK, follow signs to AirTrain shuttle.
You are headed to an LIRR station called Jamaica.
The JFK AirTrain
- Operates 24/7/365
- Stops at all airport terminals
- Is free to ride within airport
- Charges a fee if used to access public transportation
- Fee is paid at LIRR station, not the airport
- Arrives every few minutes
- Has two branches
- One branch goes to the Jamaica LIRR station
- One branch goes to Howard Beach/JFK Airport subway station
- Important: Be sure your AirTrain is bound for Jamaica
- AirTrain takes 12-20 minutes to reach Jamaica Station
- JFK AirTrain map
Step 2: Take LIRR from Jamaica to Manhattan
Before arriving at Jamaica Station, determine whether you need to go to Manhattan’s East Side or West Side.
LIRR: East Side or West Side?
For over 100 years, Penn Station (on the West Side) was the only Manhattan train station serving LIRR trains. That changed in late 2022 with the opening of Grand Central Madison, built underneath the famous Grand Central Terminal on the East Side.
NOTICE: Grand Central Madison is not open to the public yet. We will remove this notice as soon as it opens.
Grand Central Madison (NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC YET)
- Is a subterranean station
- Located on Manhattan’s East Side
- Runs alongside Madison Ave., between 43rd & 48th St.
- Connections to: 4, 5, 6, 7, S subway lines*
- Connections to: Metro-North commuter trains*
- Metro-North = Hudson, Harlem & New Haven Lines
- Metro-North schedules/fares
- NYC subway maps
*These trains are in Grand Central Terminal (the older station).
Penn Station
- Is on Manhattan’s West Side
- Location: 34th St., between 7th & 8th Avenues
- Connections to: Amtrak trains
- Connections to: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 subway lines
- Connections to: Pascack Valley Line
- Connections to: Port Jervis Line
- Info on Pascack Valley Line & Port Jervis Line
- NYC subway map
Paying your LIRR fare
Peak-hour trains cost more than off-peak trains.
- Peak: 6 a.m. – 10 a.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)
- Peak: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)
- Off-peak: All other times
2 ways to pay your Long Island Railroad fare:
- Use the MTA Train Time app (available on App Store/Google Play)
- At a ticket machine in Jamaica Station
For both payment options:
- Starting point = Jamaica
- Destination = Either Grand Central* or Penn Station
- *Ticket machines & app list Grand Central Madison as Grand Central
- Never buy ticket aboard train: costs almost double
With MTA Train Time app
- Purchase ticket any time on mobile device
- Activate ticket after boarding
- IMPORTANT: If using the MTA Train Time app to pay your LIRR fare, you will still have to use a ticket machine at Jamaica Station to pay your AirTrain fare. AirTrain fare can only be paid at Jamaica Station ticket machines.
Buying LIRR ticket at Jamaica Station
- Follow corridor to ticket machine area
- Locate machines marked “Long Island Railroad”
- These machines are at the far-right
- Purchased a combined ticket
- Combined ticket includes: AirTrain fare + LIRR fare
- Only use machines marked “Long Island Railroad”
Board LIRR at Jamaica
- Follow signs to track area
- Check screens for departure info
- Trains leave every few minutes
- Jamaica Station to Manhattan travel time: 20-25 minutes
- See LIRR map/schedules
7. Subway From JFK to Manhattan
How to take the subway from JFK to Manhattan
The subway is the least expensive option from JFK to Manhattan.
In case you missed it, here’s why we suggest taking the LIRR instead of the subway.
Like the LIRR, taking the subway to Manhattan is a 2-step process:
- Step 1: Take JFK AirTrain to a subway station in Queens
- Step 2: Take subway from Queens to Manhattan
Note: JFK Airport is in Queens.
Step 1: Take AirTrain to subway
Before arriving at JFK, research which subway line best suits your needs.
You’ll need this information to determine which subway station you should go to.
See NYC subway map (JFK Airport is at far-right, toward bottom).
The two subway stations near JFK are:
- A. Howard Beach/JFK Airport
- B. Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave./JFK Airport
The JFK AirTrain
- Operates 24/7/365
- Stops at all JFK terminals
- Free to use within the airport
- Charges a fee when used to access subway system
- AirTrain fee paid at train station, not the airport
- Arrives every few minutes
- Has 2 branches
- 1 branch goes to: “Howard Beach/JFK Airport” subway station
- 1 branch goes to: “Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave./JFK Airport” subway station
- JFK AirTrain map
Paying for the subway & AirTrain
- Once in train station, look for ticket machines
- Select combined ticket option
- A combined ticket includes: subway fare + AirTrain fare
Step 2: Take subway to Manhattan
A. Howard Beach/JFK Airport subway station
From this station, you can take the “A train.”
Choose the A train if you’re going to:
- Points in Brooklyn
- Financial District
- City Hall
- Chinatown
- The West Village
- Penn Station
- Port Authority Bus Terminal
- Times Square
- Columbus Circle
- Upper West Side
- West Harlem
- Washington Heights
- Inwood
B. Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave./JFK Airport subway station
From this station, you can take the E, J and Z lines.
Note: The Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave/JFK Airport subway station and the Jamaica LIRR station (discussed in Section 6) are in the same complex, but in different areas.
Follow signs to street level and walk half a block to subway entrance.
Choose the E train if you’re going to:
- Points in Queens
- LaGuardia Airport (transfer to Q70 bus at Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave.)
- Grand Central Terminal (transfer at Lexington Ave/53rd St.)
- Upper East Side (transfer at Lexington Ave/53rd St.)
- 5th Ave.
- Midtown
- Port Authority Bus Terminal
- Penn Station
- The West Village
- SoHo
- Chinatown
- World Trade Center
Choose either the J or Z line if you’re going to:
- Points in Brooklyn
- Lower East Side
- Financial District
8. Maps/schedules
Helpful Resources
JFK AirTrain
Long Island Railroad (LIRR)
- LIRR map (JFK at bottom-left)
- LIRR schedules
- You can also use the MTA Train Time app
Metro-North
- Metro-North map
- Metro-North schedules
- You can also use the MTA Train Time app
Pascack Valley Line & Port Jervis Line
- Both lines owned by Metro-North Railroad, but…
- Both operated by New Jersey (NJ) Transit
- Must transfer at Secaucus Junction station
- See NJ Transit’s site for schedules/fares
Subway maps
- Find JFK at far-right, toward bottom.
- LaGuardia Airport is toward top-center.
- Subway map: Regular edition
- Subway map: Large print edition
- Subway map: Wheelchair-accessible stations*
- Subway map: Late-Night Service edition
*Note: Wheelchair-accessible stations are highlighted in white.