Take a car — a booked car, a taxi, or a rideshare — and allow 90 minutes door to door. LaGuardia and JFK sit about 11 miles apart in Queens, but the road between them runs 30 to 60 minutes by road in normal traffic, and 90 minutes or more when traffic is heavy, so the fastest way to travel from LaGuardia to JFK is the option that leaves the earliest, not the one with the lowest sticker price.
Picture landing at LaGuardia with a boarding pass for a flight out of JFK two hours later and a suitcase that will not fit on your lap. On a map the two airports look like neighbors. On the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway at 5 PM they are not. This page gives the real numbers for every option — including the ones JetBlack does not sell — so the transfer is planned on traffic, not on the map.
Written by Emily Davis · Fact-checked by Alex Freeman, Editor-in-Chief · Last verified November 2026
The 7 facts that decide this transfer
- About 11 miles apart, both in Queens, with no direct train or bus between them — every option is a road option or a two-transfer transit run
- 30 to 60 minutes by road in normal traffic, 90 minutes or more when traffic is heavy — allow 90 minutes door to door for any connection
- Yellow taxi: metered with no flat fare, about $60 before tip — the meter, the $5.00 LGA surcharge, and the small state fees stack on top of each other
- Transit: free Q70 bus plus a $3.00 subway ride plus an $8.75 AirTrain — $11.75 a person, 75 to 100 minutes, two transfers
- Rideshare: app-priced, about $73 on average in calm conditions — and higher when arrivals cluster or rain hits
- No airline moves your bags between the airports — collect at LaGuardia and check in again at JFK
- The $70 JFK–Manhattan flat fare does not apply here — this transfer is metered or quoted, never flat
That first fact is the one that ruins itineraries: there is still no direct rail link between the two airports, and no bus runs directly from one to the other. Book airport transportation from New York LaGuardia ahead of time if the connection is tight, and read how long it takes to transfer from LaGuardia to JFK Airport before you pick a departure time — the road, not the vehicle, sets the schedule. For the same reason, travel between JFK and EWR airports follows the same rule: short on the map, long in traffic.
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The taxi, honestly
A yellow taxi between the airports runs on the meter — the famous $70 JFK flat rate applies only between JFK and Manhattan, and it does not exist between the two airports. The meter starts at $3.00 and adds $0.70 per fifth of a mile, which works out to $3.50 a mile, so an 11-mile run shows about $41.50 on the meter before slow-traffic time is counted. Then the extras land: a $5.00 surcharge on trips to and from LaGuardia, a $1.00 Improvement Surcharge, a $0.50 MTA State Surcharge, and a $2.00 airport access fee on pickup — with tip and any tolls on top. The Port Authority puts the typical fare at about $60 before tip, and the usual range is $60 to $70 once traffic and the surcharges are counted. The average cost of a taxi ride from LaGuardia Airport to JFK Airport is the same meter math, and the pick-up location for the flat-rate taxi at Midtown Manhattan is a different trip entirely — do not expect a flat-rate stand at LaGuardia for this run.
The $11.75 transit route, step by step
The cheapest way anyone gets from LaGuardia to JFK is the free Q70 bus, a subway ride, and the AirTrain, and the math is exact: the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus is free from Terminals B and C, the subway is $3.00, and the AirTrain JFK is $8.75 — $11.75 per person in total. Ride the Q70 to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, take the E train to Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, and switch to the AirTrain to your JFK terminal. The whole run takes 75 to 100 minutes with two transfers, and it punishes heavy luggage: every change means stairs, platforms, and a bus or train with your bags. Getting to LGA Airport using public transportation is the same Q70 in reverse, and how to handle luggage and any special requests during your car service is worth reading before you decide whether your bags belong on a bus or in a car trunk.
What a booked car changes — and what it does not
A booked car changes who absorbs the risk, not the traffic. The price is a fixed quote agreed in writing before you travel, the driver meets you at arrivals, and the meter never runs — but the car sits in the same Queens traffic as the taxi and the rideshare, so a booked car cannot beat the Van Wyck. There is no published JetBlack flat fare for this transfer, so the price is quote-only: ask for it in writing, and remember a 20% tip is suggested and not included. What the car does give you is a door-to-door run with no transfers and no bag wrestling, which is exactly what a tight connection needs. The transportation options available at Kennedy Airport include the same mix — taxi, rideshare, transit, and booked cars — and booking transportation from Newark Airport to Manhattan follows the same pattern: a fixed quote in writing beats a meter when the clock is short.
Questions travelers ask
What is the cheapest way to get from LaGuardia to JFK?
Public transit, at $11.75 per person: the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus from Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue, the E train to Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK Airport for $3.00, and the AirTrain JFK for $8.75 to your terminal. It takes 75 to 100 minutes with two transfers and is hard with heavy luggage, so it suits a solo traveler with light bags and a generous connection, not a family with four suitcases.
How long should I allow for an LGA to JFK connection?
Allow 90 minutes door to door by road, and 75 to 100 minutes by transit. The airports are about 11 miles apart, but the road runs 30 to 60 minutes by road in normal traffic, and 90 minutes or more when traffic is heavy, so the planning number is 90 minutes curb to curb. Add your JFK check-in and bag-drop time on top of the transfer itself, because the 90 minutes covers the road, not the airport.
Is there a direct train or shuttle between LaGuardia and JFK?
No. There is no direct rail link between the two airports, no bus runs directly from one to the other, and no airline runs a ground shuttle between them. Every option is either a road trip on the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway, or the transit combination of the free Q70 bus, the subway, and the AirTrain JFK.
How much is a taxi from LaGuardia to JFK?
A yellow taxi is metered, not flat-rate. The meter starts at $3.00 and adds $0.70 per fifth of a mile, so an 11-mile run shows about $41.50 before slow-traffic time, then a $5.00 LaGuardia surcharge, a $1.00 Improvement Surcharge, a $0.50 MTA State Surcharge, and a $2.00 airport access fee sit on top, with tip extra. The Port Authority puts the typical fare at about $60 before tip, and the usual range is $60 to $70.
Can I check my bags through from LGA to JFK?
No. No airline moves checked bags between LaGuardia and JFK for you, so you collect your bags at LaGuardia and check them in again at JFK. Allow time for baggage claim, the transfer itself, and check-in at your JFK terminal, and do not plan a connection that assumes your bags travel on their own.
Sources
- NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission — Taxi Fare: standard metered fare $3.00 plus $0.70 per fifth of a mile, $5.00 surcharge on trips to and from LaGuardia, $1.00 Improvement Surcharge, $0.50 MTA State Surcharge, $2.00 airport access fee on pickup, $70 JFK–Manhattan flat fare, accessed 2026-11-10
- Inside Our Suitcase — How to Get From LGA to JFK, fares re-checked 2026-08-25 against the MTA, the Port Authority, and the TLC: about 12 miles, yellow taxi around $60 before tip, 30 to 60 minutes, public transport $11.75, accessed 2026-11-10
- Blade — LGA to JFK: 10 to 13 Miles, 30 to 90+ Minutes, published 2026-10-26, updated 2026-11-01: shortest driving distance about 11 miles, taxi 30 to 75+ minutes, accessed 2026-11-10
- TruckGuider — How to Get from LGA to JFK, checked 2026-10-13 against the Port Authority, the MTA, and the TLC: free Q70 bus plus $3.00 subway plus $8.75 AirTrain is $11.75, about 75 to 100 minutes, accessed 2026-11-10
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (fixed quote in writing, 24/7 dispatch, 20% suggested tip not included, JFK–Manhattan economy $65 flat for Manhattan trips only), 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
