Which NYC Airport Is Closest to Times Square? 5 Honest Facts for 2027

LaGuardia is the closest New York City airport to Times Square, about 8 to 10 miles by road, against about 15 to 18 miles from JFK and about 16 to 18 miles from Newark. If your flight and your hotel both sit in Midtown, LaGuardia wins on distance — and because it is the only one of the three with no rail link, the way you leave it matters as much as the miles.

Picture choosing between three airports for a weekend in Times Square and discovering the closest one is not always the quickest. Distance is only the first number: traffic on the Grand Central Parkway, the airport’s own ground transport, and whether your flight even serves LaGuardia all change the answer. This page gives you the distances, the honest travel trade-offs, and what each airport costs to leave.

Written by David Williams · Fact-checked by Alex Freeman, Editor-in-Chief · Last verified November 2026

The 5 facts that decide it

• LaGuardia sits about 8 to 10 miles from Times Square — the closest of the three
• JFK sits about 15 to 18 miles from Times Square
• Newark sits about 16 to 18 miles from Times Square
• LaGuardia has no rail link — the free Q70 bus plus a $3 subway ride is the cheap way in
• Distance is not drive time — rush-hour traffic can double any of the three trips

What the distance means for your wallet

Times Square sits below 96th Street, so the JFK taxi numbers that apply there are the flat-fare ones: a yellow taxi between JFK and Manhattan costs $70 flat, and with the mandatory surcharges the meter reads $76.75 before tolls and tip, or $81.75 on weekdays from 4 to 8 p.m. A JetBlack economy sedan from JFK to Manhattan is a $65 flat fare quoted in writing — less than the cab’s pre-tip total — and like the taxi fare it excludes tolls, tip and governmental fees. LaGuardia taxis are different: there is no flat fare from LaGuardia, the meter runs, and a $5 airport surcharge applies. On public transit, LaGuardia is the cheapest exit in the city: the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus is free from Terminals B and C to the Jackson Heights subway hub, so the whole trip into Manhattan is the $3 subway fare. From JFK, the AirTrain costs $8.75 plus the $3 subway fare, or $11.75 in total.

The gap between the airports is bigger than it looks on a map because the roads do not run straight. LaGuardia sits in East Elmhurst, Queens, a short run down the Grand Central Parkway toward Midtown, while JFK sits in Jamaica, Queens, and Newark sits across the Hudson in New Jersey. That is why the same 8-mile advantage can mean a 20-minute saving off-peak and almost nothing at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday, when every route into Midtown slows to the same crawl. If you are weighing the airports for a trip beyond Times Square, the distances shift with the destination: see how much car service from JFK to Binghamton costs, the taxi flat rate from JFK to Long Beach, car service from JFK to Parkchester, the cheapest car service from JFK to Patchogue, and the taxi flat rate from JFK to Dunkirk.

When the closest airport is the wrong choice

LaGuardia is mostly a domestic and short-haul airport, so it cannot always be your airport. Most long-haul international flights land at JFK or Newark, and if your flight only serves one of those, the closest airport to Times Square is the one your plane actually lands at. Newark is also the better pick if your trip continues into New Jersey — see how to book transportation from Newark Airport to Manhattan. Check the flight first, then the distance: a nonstop into LaGuardia beats a connection through JFK even before the miles are counted. And once you have picked the airport, the ride still matters — see what a hot black car service is, how long it takes to travel from JFK to South Nyack by limo, the cheapest way to get from JFK to Philipstown, a limo from JFK to Olive, a taxi from JFK to Ithaca, a limo from JFK to Watertown, car service from JFK to Grand View-on-Hudson, and a taxi from JFK to Newtown.

Questions travelers ask

Sources

• NearestAirport.to — JFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark, Which Is Best: road distance to Times Square about 11 miles from LaGuardia, about 18 miles from JFK, about 17 miles from Newark; drive times measured from Google Maps traffic predictions for October 20, 2026, checked October 17, 2026
• Travellers Elixir — Which Airport Is Closest to Times Square: LaGuardia 8.8 miles, JFK 16.5 miles, Newark 16.6 miles from Times Square
• NYC Tourist Tips and Tricks — Which Airport Is Closest to Times Square: LaGuardia about 8 to 10 miles, JFK 16 to 18 miles, Newark 16 to 20 miles; typical drive and transit times by airport
• LorenziGo — NYC Airports Guide, 2026: JFK about 15 to 16 miles from Midtown, LaGuardia about 8 to 9 miles, Newark about 16 miles; LaGuardia runs domestic and short-haul only, with no direct international flights from outside North America
• Travel on TV — Getting From JFK and LaGuardia to Manhattan, 2026: AirTrain JFK $8.75 plus subway $3, Q70 LaGuardia Link bus free to the Jackson Heights subway hub, published 2026-11-08
• NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission — Taxi Fare: $70 JFK–Manhattan flat fare, $0.50 MTA State Surcharge, $5 rush-hour surcharge on weekdays 4 to 8 p.m., metered LaGuardia fares with a $5 airport surcharge, accessed 2026-11-10
• JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (JFK–Manhattan economy sedan $65 flat; all flat rates exclude tolls, tip and governmental fees), confirmed 2026-10-26, accessed 2026-11-10

JetBlack Transportation · 34 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001 · +1-646-214-4828 · Prices verified November 2026 and subject to change — confirm your fixed quote in writing before you travel