Guides Prices checked September 4, 2026
JFK to Manhattan: every route, priced
Two numbers decide your JFK trip: $11.75 on rails, or $70 before surcharges in a yellow cab.
The short answer
Cheapest is AirTrain plus subway at $11.75 ($8.75 plus a $3.00 fare), running 24 hours. Fastest on rails is AirTrain plus LIRR from Jamaica. A yellow cab to or from Manhattan is a $70 flat fare before surcharges, tolls and tip. Checked September 2026.
- AirTrain JFK $8.75 one way
- Subway or local bus $3.00
- Yellow cab flat fare $70 before surcharges
- Group of five on AirTrain $26.75 total
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The decision nobody tells you to make: Jamaica or Howard Beach
The AirTrain is one system with two exits into the city, and picking the wrong one costs you half an hour. Jamaica Station puts you on the E train, the J and Z, and the Long Island Rail Road, which is why almost everyone heading to Midtown uses it. Howard Beach puts you on the A train only, which is slower into Midtown but the right call if you are going to lower Manhattan or Brooklyn along the A. You are charged the $8.75 when you enter or exit at one of those two stations, and nowhere else: moving between terminals on the AirTrain is free, so you can ride it in a circle while you wait for someone without paying anything.
| Route | What you pay | Where you tap | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirTrain to Jamaica, then the E train | $11.75 ($8.75 + $3.00) | AirTrain gate at Jamaica, then the subway turnstile | Midtown and the east side, and it runs all night |
| AirTrain to Howard Beach, then the A train | $11.75 ($8.75 + $3.00) | AirTrain gate at Howard Beach, then the turnstile | Lower Manhattan, or anywhere along the A |
| AirTrain to Jamaica, then the LIRR | AirTrain $8.75 plus the LIRR fare to Penn or Grand Central (about $8 to $11 depending on peak, checked August 2026) | AirTrain gate, then the LIRR ticket or the TrainTime app | The fastest rail leg into Penn Station or Grand Central |
| Yellow cab, flat fare | $70, then the surcharges below | The meter reads Rate #2, JFK Airport | Three or four people with luggage, door to door |
| Uber or Lyft | Whatever the app quotes; no flat fare applies | In the app | Off-peak, when the quote lands under the flat fare |
What the $70 actually becomes
The flat fare is the start of the bill, not the end of it. The Taxi and Limousine Commission adds a 50 cent MTA state surcharge and a $1.00 improvement surcharge to every JFK trip. Between 4pm and 8pm on weekdays it adds $5.00 more. Any trip that begins, ends or passes through Manhattan below 96th Street picks up a $2.50 New York State congestion surcharge, and below 60th Street a further 75 cent congestion pricing toll. Then tolls and tip. Budget around $90 to $115 door to door and you will rarely be wrong. There is also a $2.00 airport access fee when a cab picks you up at JFK.
JFK to LaGuardia and JFK to Newark
Airport to airport is the trip people plan worst. JFK to LaGuardia has no rail link: the honest options are the Q70 and subway combination in reverse (AirTrain to Jamaica, E or F toward Jackson Heights, then the free Q70) for $11.75, or a cab on the standard meter, since the $70 flat fare only applies between JFK and Manhattan. JFK to Newark is the hard one, and it is why people search for it. There is no single ride. On rails it is AirTrain to Jamaica, LIRR or the subway into Penn Station, then NJ Transit out to the Newark Liberty airport station and the Newark AirTrain, which realistically takes over two hours. A car between the two airports crosses a state line and picks up the $20.00 Newark surcharge plus tolls in both directions. If your connection is tight, the cheap route is not the one to take.
For the same comparison across all three airports in one table, see our airport to Manhattan guide, and for the transfers themselves, airport transfers.
The questions people actually ask
What is the cheapest way from JFK to Manhattan?
AirTrain plus subway, at $11.75: $8.75 for the AirTrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach, then a $3.00 subway fare. It runs 24 hours, which no other option does. Travelling as a group of up to five, the AirTrain caps at $26.75 for the whole party.
How much is the AirTrain at JFK?
$8.75 one way between the airport and Jamaica or Howard Beach. Moving between terminals is free. Children under five ride free, group fares cap at $26.75 for up to five riders, and if you tap the same card every time your AirTrain fares are capped at $43.50 in any rolling 30-day period.
Is the JFK taxi fare really $70?
$70 is the flat fare between JFK and Manhattan in either direction, and then the surcharges start: 50 cents MTA, $1.00 improvement, $5.00 between 4pm and 8pm on weekdays, $2.50 congestion below 96th Street, 75 cents below 60th Street, plus tolls and tip. Plan for $90 to $115.
Should I get off the AirTrain at Jamaica or Howard Beach?
Jamaica for Midtown, the east side, and anything on the E, J or Z, and it is also the only one with the LIRR. Howard Beach for lower Manhattan and anywhere along the A. Both cost the same $8.75.
How do I get from JFK to Newark Airport?
There is no direct link. On rails, take the AirTrain to Jamaica, the LIRR or subway into Penn Station, NJ Transit to the Newark Liberty airport station, then the Newark AirTrain, which takes over two hours in practice. A car crosses a state line and adds a $20.00 Newark surcharge plus tolls both ways.
Does the subway run from JFK all night?
Yes. The AirTrain runs 24 hours and so does the New York subway, so the $11.75 route works at 3am when the LIRR has thinned out. That is the main reason to know it.
The sources
Where the prices and rules above come from. Check them yourself:
- AirTrain JFK, Port Authority — read 4 September 2026: $8.75 single ride, $4.50 per additional rider up to five, $26.75 party cap, $43.50 rolling 30-day cap, under-fives free, charged on entry and exit at Jamaica and Howard Beach
- NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, taxi fare — read 4 September 2026
- MTA, subway and bus fares — read 4 September 2026: $3.00 base fare, one free transfer within two hours
The prices on this page change.
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