A direct transfer from LaGuardia to JFK takes 25 to 45 minutes by car in light traffic and 60 to 90 minutes in weekday rush hour, for a drive of about 11 miles. The two airports sit in the same borough, Queens, and the whole trip runs on the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway — two of the most congested roads in New York. There is no train or shuttle linking the airports directly, so every option is either a road trip or a three-leg transit chain. With JetBlack, your booking comes back as one written per-trip price, fixed once given, and the car waits at your terminal curb.
The drive: 11 miles that behave like 30
The direct route is short on paper and long on the clock. From the LaGuardia terminals you join the Grand Central Parkway east, then the Van Wyck Expressway south to JFK — about 11 miles, or up to 13 miles depending on the terminals and any detour. In clear conditions, late at night or mid-morning, the run clears in 25 to 30 minutes. In ordinary daytime traffic it takes 30 to 45 minutes. In weekday rush hour, rain, or roadwork, it stretches to 60 to 90 minutes, and a single incident on the Van Wyck can add half an hour on its own. The distance never changes; the traffic does, which is why the clock matters more than the map on this hop. A JFK to LGA direct transfer runs the same 11 miles in reverse, and the same traffic rules apply.
Plan the drive by the hour, not by the mile:
- 25 to 30 minutes late at night, when the parkways are clear
- 25 to 45 minutes in ordinary daytime traffic
- 60 to 90 minutes in weekday rush hour, 7 to 10 AM and 4 to 7 PM
- 90 minutes or more in rain, construction, or after an incident on the Van Wyck
- About 11 miles by the direct route, up to 13 miles by terminal and detour
- No tolls on the direct Queens route — the trip stays inside the borough
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The transit chain: Q70, subway, AirTrain
Public transit between the airports is a three-leg chain with no shortcut. From LaGuardia, take the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, then the E train to Jamaica, then the AirTrain to your JFK terminal. The chain usually takes 60 to 90 minutes, and it costs $11.75 in fares: the bus is free, the subway is $3.00, and the AirTrain is $8.75. The hard part is not the time but the luggage — two changes with bags, stairs and escalators at each stop, and a crowded E train at rush hour. If you are traveling light and your connection is generous, transit is the cheapest honest option. With heavy bags or a tight connection, the road is worth the money. The way to travel from JFK to Times Square uses the same AirTrain and E train, so the pattern will feel familiar if you have done it before.
One detail catches people out: LaGuardia has no rail of its own. The AirTrain LaGuardia project was cancelled in 2023, so the Q70 bus is the only link from the terminals to the subway, and it is the first leg of every transit trip out of LGA. Budget 10 to 15 minutes for the bus leg alone, and do not count the transfer as done until you are on the AirTrain. The cost of transportation from JFK Airport to the city center follows the same fares in reverse, and a LaGuardia Airport transfer by car is quoted per trip rather than by the meter.
The taxi version: metered, plus two airport fees
A yellow taxi from LaGuardia to JFK runs on the meter. It opens at $3.00 and adds $0.70 for every fifth of a mile, which is $3.50 per mile — so 11 miles puts about $41.50 on the meter before anything else. Then come the airport fees: every trip to or from LaGuardia carries a $5.00 surcharge, and pickup at the airport adds a $2.00 airport access fee, plus $1.00 improvement and $0.50 MTA surcharges on every trip, so the fare before tip is roughly $50.00 in clear traffic. Traffic moves the meter, so a jam costs you twice. The average cost of a taxi ride from LaGuardia Airport to JFK Airport is therefore a range, not a number, and the range widens in rush hour. Use only the official taxi stand and check that the meter is running before the car moves.
The taxi is the honest fallback at the curb, and at both airports the stands are staffed around the clock. What it cannot do is fix the price: a taxi fare from NYC to LaGuardia Airport is metered the same way, so the same 11 miles can cost very different amounts at 3 AM and at 5 PM. If your connection is tight, the fixed price of a booked car is worth more than the taxi’s convenience, because the number you agree to is the number you pay.
How much buffer to leave between flights
The transfer time is only one part of the connection. Deplaning and bag claim at LaGuardia take 30 to 45 minutes, the transfer itself can take 90 minutes in traffic, and JFK check-in and security need an hour or more before departure. Add those together and the safe rule is at least 4 hours between flights. A 3-hour gap only works with carry-on bags, both flights on time, and no checked luggage to wait for. Under 3 hours, rebook the second flight rather than gamble on the Van Wyck. The closest of New York’s three major airports to Manhattan is LaGuardia — but closeness on the map is not closeness on the clock.
Book the car for your landing time plus 45 minutes, not for the landing time itself, and tell the dispatcher your onward flight time so the pickup is planned around the connection, not just the arrival. Scheduling a car service in advance is how the fixed price is locked in, and the quote stays fixed even if the Van Wyck stalls. Transfers from JFK Airport to Manhattan follow the same planning rule. Cancellation is free before your booking is confirmed, and $31 in total after confirmation — $25 plus $5 in fees plus a $1 technology fee — so booking early costs nothing if plans change.
How long does it take to transfer from LaGuardia to JFK?
By car, 25 to 45 minutes in light traffic and 60 to 90 minutes in weekday rush hour, for about 11 miles on the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway. By public transit, the Q70 bus, E train, and AirTrain chain takes 60 to 90 minutes.
Is there a direct train or shuttle between LGA and JFK?
No. There is no rail link or airline shuttle between the two airports. The public-transit route is the free Q70 bus to Jackson Heights, the E train to Jamaica, then the AirTrain to your JFK terminal, for $11.75 in fares.
How much does a taxi cost from LaGuardia to JFK?
The trip is metered: $3.00 plus $3.50 per mile, so about $41.50 on the meter for 11 miles, plus the $5.00 LGA surcharge, the $2.00 airport access fee on pickup, the $1.00 improvement surcharge and the $0.50 MTA state surcharge — roughly $50.00 before tip, and more when traffic stretches the ride.
How much time should I leave between flights at LGA and JFK?
Allow at least 4 hours between flights. Deplaning and bag claim take 30 to 45 minutes, the transfer itself can take 90 minutes in traffic, and JFK check-in and security need an hour or more. Under 3 hours only works with carry-on bags and both flights on time.
Sources
- Rome2Rio — LaGuardia Airport to JFK Airport route page (11.8 miles by road), accessed 2026-11-08
- Blade — LGA to JFK: 10–13 miles, 30 to 90+ minutes by road, updated 2026-11-01, accessed 2026-11-08
- NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission — Taxi Fare ($3.00 initial charge; $0.70 per fifth of a mile; $5.00 LGA surcharge; $2.00 airport access fee; $1.00 improvement surcharge; $0.50 MTA surcharge), accessed 2026-11-08
- MTA — Q70 LaGuardia Link (free) and AirTrain JFK ($8.75); subway fare $3.00, accessed 2026-11-08
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (per-trip quotes fixed once given, no surge, cancellation free before confirmation and $31 after), confirmed 2026-10-26
