The easiest way to get from JFK to Travis, Staten Island, is a pre-booked private car service, door to door: about 30 miles west on the Belt Parkway, across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, then west on the Staten Island Expressway and south on the West Shore Expressway to Victory Boulevard, in about 50 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes in normal traffic, with the price agreed in writing before the car moves.
Picture a traveler landing at JFK at 9 PM with two suitcases and an address on Victory Boulevard. Travis is a quiet residential and industrial neighborhood on the far west side of Staten Island, with no train station of its own and thin bus service late at night — so the choice made at the arrivals curb decides whether the night ends at the front door or in a two-hour chain of trains, a ferry, and a bus. This page ranks the three real ways there, with the fares and the catches stated plainly.
Written by Sarah Thompson · Fact-checked by Alex Freeman, Editor-in-Chief · Last verified November 2026
Way 1: a private car service, door to door
A pre-booked car is the only option that takes you from the terminal to a Travis address without a transfer, and on this route that matters more than on a Manhattan run: the last leg is a bus along Victory Boulevard, and missing it late at night leaves a long wait in a neighborhood with few alternatives. JetBlack quotes the run per trip, in writing, before you travel — there is no published flat fare for JFK to Travis, so get the number on the booking and keep it. Dispatch runs 24/7 at +1-646-214-4828, and cancellation is free before your booking is confirmed.
- A private car for your party only, from the terminal to your Travis address
- A fixed quote agreed in writing before the car moves
- A vehicle matched to the party size and luggage you declare at booking
- 24/7 dispatch by phone at +1-646-214-4828
- Free cancellation before your booking is confirmed
When you book, give the dispatcher the exact street address and say Travis, Staten Island, not just Staten Island — the island is large, and a driver sent to St. George by mistake adds twenty minutes. You can make a reservation for a specific time and date ahead of your flight, and if your party is large or you are travelling with equipment, arrange for a group car service for a special event rather than hoping a sedan fits. A professional and punctual chauffeur is part of the service, and if you are comparing providers first, read what to look for when choosing a car service for your trip.
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Way 2: a yellow taxi from the JFK taxi line
A yellow taxi will take you to Travis — there is no rule against it — but it is the most expensive predictable option on this route, and the meter is the reason. The $70 JFK flat fare covers Manhattan only, so it does not apply here; Travis is metered from the $3.00 start, at $3.50 a mile, plus $0.70 for every 60 seconds in slow traffic below 12 mph. At about 30 miles the distance charge alone comes to about $105, before the $0.50 MTA surcharge, slow-traffic time, the Verrazzano toll, and a tip. The Verrazzano toll is $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass or $12.03 by mail per crossing, charged in both directions, on the MTA schedule effective January 4, 2026 — and tolls sit outside the fare, so ask the driver how the toll is handled before you cross. A $0.50 MTA surcharge also applies to trips ending in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam. See the additional charges for tolls or other expenses, and the different types of vehicles available for NYC cab services if you need a larger cab for your party.
The honest use for a taxi here is a flight that lands with no booking and no phone battery: walk to the taxi line and go. For anything planned, the written quote in Way 1 costs less and cannot run up in Belt Parkway traffic. Compare with the drive to St. George, the ferry terminal neighborhood at the island’s northern tip, and to Richmond Valley on the South Shore — both cross the same bridge and both are metered the same way.
Way 3: AirTrain, subway, and the free ferry, then a bus
The cheapest way is the chain, and it is also the longest: AirTrain JFK to Howard Beach for $8.75, the A train for $3.00 to Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan, the Staten Island Ferry — free, about 25 minutes, run by the NYC Department of Transportation — to St. George Terminal, then a local bus west along Victory Boulevard into Travis. The fares add up to $14.75, and the whole trip takes around two hours door to door, longer if a connection is missed. With suitcases it means stairs at Howard Beach and Whitehall, a walk through the ferry terminal, and a bus ride at the end; with a light bag and daylight it is a pleasant ride, and the ferry passes the Statue of Liberty. If your flight lands at LaGuardia instead, read how long it takes to transfer from LaGuardia to JFK Airport before you plan the same chain, and if you are heading on to New Jersey, getting from Newark Airport to the city is a different trip entirely.
What to tell the dispatcher when you book
Give the full Travis address, the flight number, and the number of bags — and say how many child seats you need, at about $35 per seat confirmed at booking, because child seats are never free. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are provided on request, so ask when you book rather than at the curb. After confirmation, cancelling costs $31 in total: $25 plus $5 in fees plus a $1 technology fee, and a 20% tip is suggested and not included in the fare. And one honest warning: Newark Liberty is the closer airport to Staten Island, about 13 to 14 miles and 24 to 29 minutes off-peak over the Goethals Bridge, against about 30 miles from JFK — so if you have not booked the flight yet and Travis is the destination, check Newark first. From JFK, the car in Way 1 is still the easiest way there.
Questions travelers ask
How long does the drive from JFK to Travis take at rush hour?
Off-peak, about 50 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes for the roughly 30-mile run. At weekday rush hour the Belt Parkway and the Verrazzano approach can add half an hour or more, so allow two hours before a flight out of JFK and do not plan a tight connection on the way in.
Does the $70 JFK flat taxi fare cover Travis?
No. The $70 flat fare covers Manhattan only. Travis is in Staten Island, so a yellow taxi runs on the meter from a $3.00 start at $3.50 a mile, and at about 30 miles the distance charge alone is about $105 before the $0.50 MTA surcharge, slow-traffic time, the Verrazzano toll, and a tip.
Can I reach Travis from JFK without a car?
Yes, but it takes around two hours and three changes: AirTrain JFK to Howard Beach for $8.75, the A train for $3.00 to Whitehall Street, the free Staten Island Ferry for about 25 minutes to St. George, then a local bus west along Victory Boulevard into Travis. The fares total $14.75, and the chain is hard with heavy luggage or late at night.
Is Newark a better airport than JFK for Travis?
For Travis itself, yes — Newark Liberty is about 13 to 14 miles away over the Goethals Bridge, roughly half the distance from JFK. If your flight is already booked into JFK, that does not help, and a pre-booked car from JFK is the easiest way to cover the extra miles.
Sources
- NYC Department of Transportation — Staten Island Ferry schedule: free, about 25 minutes between St. George and Whitehall, accessed 2026-11-10
- NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission — Taxi Fare: $70 JFK–Manhattan flat fare, meter $3.00 plus $3.50 per mile, $0.70 per 60 seconds below 12 mph, $0.50 MTA State Surcharge counties, accessed 2026-11-10
- MTA Bridges and Tunnels — Crossing charges, effective January 4, 2026: Verrazzano-Narrows $7.46 NY E-ZPass, $12.03 Tolls by Mail, charged in both directions
- Travelmath and ClosestAirportTo routing data: Staten Island centre about 29 miles from JFK, 44–51 minutes off-peak, checked October 4, 2026
- Rome2Rio — Staten Island to JFK Airport Terminal 4: road distance 24.4 miles, about 42 minutes from its Staten Island pin, accessed 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia — Travis, Staten Island: residential and industrial neighborhood in west-central Staten Island, bounded by Meredith Avenue and Victory Boulevard, West Shore Expressway exit 7, accessed 2026-11-10
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (24/7 dispatch, written per-trip quotes, cancellation $31 breakdown, 20% suggested tip, Economy Sedan $45/hr with 3-hour minimum, child seats ~$35/seat for a fee, wheelchair-accessible vehicles provided), 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
