Reaching Manhattan from LaGuardia by public transportation takes 45 to 70 minutes and costs $3.00 in total: the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus is free, runs 24 hours a day from Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights, and from there one $3.00 subway ride carries you into Manhattan. LaGuardia has no AirTrain and no subway of its own, so every public trip starts with a bus — but the Q70 is free, runs every 8 to 10 minutes in the daytime, and has luggage racks, which makes it the cheapest honest way into the city. The M60 bus is the only direct bus between Manhattan and LaGuardia, and it costs the same $3.00 fare.
The Q70 route, step by step
Board the Q70 LaGuardia Link at Terminal B or Terminal C — Terminal A riders take the free airport shuttle to Terminal B first. The bus runs nonstop to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue in about 15 minutes, and you pay nothing to board: no MetroCard, no OMNY tap, no cash. At Jackson Heights, tap into the subway for $3.00 and take the 7, E, F, M, or R train into Manhattan. The E runs express to Midtown — 42nd Street–Port Authority and 34th Street — in about 20 to 25 minutes, and the 7 reaches Times Square and Grand Central. Door to door, the trip runs 45 to 70 minutes depending on your final stop and how the connections line up.
- Q70 bus — free, 24/7, every 8 to 10 minutes daytime, luggage racks
- Bus leg — about 15 minutes, Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights
- Subway leg — $3.00, E express to Midtown in 20 to 25 minutes
- Total — $3.00 and 45 to 70 minutes, door to door
Two things to know before you board. First, the Q70 has no seat reservation and no luggage help — if you have more than two heavy suitcases, the stairs at some subway stations will slow you down. Second, the free boarding is policy, not a promotion: the MTA charges no fare on the Q70, and the $160 million upgrade program is adding priority signals, a bus lane, and station improvements at Jackson Heights and Woodside. The LaGuardia public transit routes to Manhattan guide lays out all seven routes in full, and how to get to LGA Airport using public transportation covers the same ground in FAQ form.
Skip the Bus — Ride from LaGuardia in Comfort
The other public routes: M60 bus and LIRR
The M60 Select Bus Service is the only direct bus between Manhattan and LaGuardia, stopping at every terminal. From the airport it runs through Astoria, crosses the RFK Bridge, and runs along 125th Street in Harlem to the Upper West Side. The fare is $3.00 via OMNY, and the ride is slower than the Q70-plus-subway combination in most traffic — take it if your destination is Harlem or the Upper West Side, not Midtown. The third route is the Q70 to Woodside instead of Jackson Heights, where the Long Island Rail Road stops: the CityTicket fare runs $5.25 off-peak and $7.25 at peak hours, for a total of 40 to 55 minutes to Midtown and the most comfortable cheap ride in the city.
LaGuardia remains the only major U.S. airport without a direct rail connection, so the bus-to-subway transfer is unavoidable on public transit. That is also why LaGuardia is the closest of New York’s three major airports to Manhattan and still takes 45 minutes by train: the distance is short, the transfer is the cost. The bus from LaGuardia to Manhattan guide compares all five bus options side by side.
When the car beats the bus
By car, LaGuardia to Manhattan runs 25 to 45 minutes in light traffic and over an hour in the 4-to-8 p.m. rush on the Grand Central Parkway. A yellow taxi runs on the meter plus a $5.00 airport surcharge — there is no flat rate from LaGuardia, unlike JFK — so the number is unknown until you arrive. A LaGuardia Airport transfer by JetBlack is quoted per trip, fixed in writing before you travel, with no surge and a driver who tracks your flight. The trade-off is plain: the public route costs $3.00 and takes 45 to 70 minutes with a transfer and stairs, while the car costs more but loads your luggage at the curb and drops you at the door. The transfers from JFK Airport to Manhattan guide shows the same comparison from JFK, where the AirTrain plus subway costs $11.75 — and the taxi from NYC to JFK reviews lay out the metered alternative from the rider’s side.
So the short version: take the free Q70 to Jackson Heights, then one $3.00 subway ride into Manhattan — $3.00 total, 45 to 70 minutes. If you have heavy luggage, small children, or a late-night arrival, book the car instead and skip the stairs.
How long does it take to reach Manhattan from LaGuardia using public transportation?
The Q70 bus plus subway takes 45 to 70 minutes door to door and costs $3.00 in total. The free Q70 bus runs about 15 minutes to Jackson Heights, and the subway from there takes 20 to 40 minutes into Manhattan, depending on your final stop. The Q70-to-Woodside plus LIRR route runs 40 to 55 minutes.
Is the Q70 bus from LaGuardia really free?
Yes. The Q70 LaGuardia Link bus is completely free to board — no MetroCard, OMNY tap, or cash needed — and runs 24 hours a day from Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue and Woodside. You only pay the $3.00 subway fare when you transfer at Jackson Heights.
Which subway train do I take from Jackson Heights to Manhattan?
Take the 7, E, F, M, or R train from Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue. The E runs express to Midtown — 42nd Street–Port Authority and 34th Street — in about 20 to 25 minutes. The 7 reaches Times Square and Grand Central, and the R and M cover the east side and downtown.
Is there a direct bus from LaGuardia to Manhattan?
The M60 Select Bus Service is the only direct bus between Manhattan and LaGuardia, stopping at every terminal, and it costs the $3.00 bus fare via OMNY. It runs through Astoria and 125th Street in Harlem to the Upper West Side, so it suits Harlem and the Upper West Side better than Midtown.
Sources
- MTA — Q70 LaGuardia Link (free, 24/7, Terminals B/C to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue and Woodside; subway fare $3.00), as reported in the JetBlack LaGuardia transit guides, read 2026-11-07
- NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission — Taxi Fare (LGA meter + $5.00 airport surcharge, no flat rate; Rate #2 JFK Airport $70 flat), accessed 2026-11-06
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — AirTrain JFK fare ($8.75 one way at Jamaica/Howard Beach; free between terminals), read 5 November 2026
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (LaGuardia transfer quoted per trip, no surge, flight tracking), confirmed 2026-10-26
