New York Airport Hotel

Airport hotel guide for early flights, late arrivals and long layovers at New York JFK.

JFK, LaGuardia or Newark: Which New York Airport, and Can One Hotel Serve Two

New York has three major airports, and the wrong one can cost you an hour and $100 before you have left the city. JFK is the international gateway with a rail link; LaGuardia is the domestic airport closest to Midtown, rebuilt but still without a train; Newark, across the Hudson in New Jersey, is United’s hub with its own station. The comparison below is for a traveller choosing where to fly or trying to connect between two, and it explains why a hotel at one rarely works for a flight from another. Distances and times are as of September 2026.

JFK

The busiest US airport for international travel, with more than 60 million passengers a year, every major long-haul airline and non-stops to six continents. It is in Queens, about 15 miles from Midtown, and the AirTrain links every terminal to the LIRR and subway at Jamaica and the A train at Howard Beach; Penn Station and Grand Central Madison are about 35 minutes away by AirTrain and LIRR, and a taxi to Manhattan is a $70 flat fare. Delta, JetBlue and American have hubs here. JFK is mid-way through a $19 billion rebuild, with new Terminals 6 and 1 opening in phases; our terminals guide has the detail. It is the only one of the three with a hotel on the airport, the TWA Hotel, and its off-airport hotels reach the terminals by free shuttle from the Federal Circle AirTrain station.

LaGuardia

Eight miles from Midtown in northern Queens, rebuilt from 2016 to 2022 into two new terminals, and limited by a perimeter rule to flights of about 1,500 miles or less, plus Denver and Canada; there are no transatlantic or transpacific flights. It has no rail link: the Q70 bus connects to the subway and LIRR at Jackson Heights and Woodside, express buses run to Midtown, and taxis and rideshares use the meter, roughly $40 to $60 to Midtown plus tolls. LaGuardia’s hotels are around East Elmhurst and Flushing with their own shuttles; none of the JFK hotels serves it. For a domestic flight into Manhattan with hand luggage, it is the quickest airport in and out.

Newark

Across the Hudson in New Jersey, 15 miles from Midtown, and United’s largest hub with a broad international network. The Newark AirTrain connects the terminals to Newark Liberty International Airport station, from which NJ Transit trains reach Penn Station in about 30 minutes; the combined fare is about $16 to $18. Taxis to Manhattan run on a zoned fare plus tolls and surcharges, typically $80 to $100. Newark’s new Terminal A opened in 2023 and Terminal B is being replaced. The airport’s hotels cluster around the airport road system and in Elizabeth, each with its own shuttle.

Transfers between the airports

JFK to LaGuardia is 10 to 12 miles by road across Queens, 30 to 60 minutes by taxi or rideshare on the meter; there is no rail link and the bus option (Q70 via Jackson Heights) takes over an hour with a change. JFK to Newark is 25 to 30 miles through or around Manhattan, 60 to 90 minutes by road and often more at rush hour, or about two hours by AirTrain, LIRR, NJ Transit and the Newark AirTrain. LaGuardia to Newark is similar. Airlines will not protect a connection between two airports on separate tickets, so allow four hours minimum and treat five as comfortable.

Where to sleep between airports

If you arrive at one airport late and leave from another early, sleep near the departure airport, not the arrival one: the shuttle you need in the morning belongs to the hotel by the runway you are flying from. For a JFK departure, the 24-hour shuttle hotels around Federal Circle, the Marriott New York JFK Airport, Hampton Inn New York-JFK and Courtyard New York JFK Airport among them, collect you from the AirTrain at any hour, and the TWA Hotel needs no shuttle at all. For a LaGuardia or Newark departure, book a hotel at that airport and take a taxi across the night before.

Tips

Check which airport your ticket says before you book the hotel; “New York” on a fare search covers all three, and a Newark hotel is in another state. If you have a choice, JFK for international and long-haul, LaGuardia for a short domestic hop with cabin bags, Newark for United and for anyone staying in New Jersey. And for a same-day connection between two airports, book it as one ticket or do not book it at all; our JFK to Manhattan guide covers the transport you would use on the JFK end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New York airport is closest to Manhattan?

LaGuardia, about eight miles from Midtown, though it has no rail link and relies on buses and taxis. JFK is about 15 miles from Midtown with the AirTrain and LIRR taking 35 minutes; Newark is 15 miles in the other direction, in New Jersey, with NJ Transit trains to Penn Station in about 30 minutes.

Can I use a JFK hotel if I fly from LaGuardia?

You can sleep there, but none of the JFK hotel shuttles goes to LaGuardia; every hotel on this site lists it as not served. The two airports are 10 to 12 miles apart by road, 30 to 60 minutes by taxi or rideshare on the meter. For a LaGuardia flight, stay near LaGuardia.

How do I transfer between JFK and Newark?

By road it is 25 to 30 miles across the city, 60 to 90 minutes in normal traffic and longer at rush hour, by taxi (metered, with tolls) or rideshare. By rail, take the AirTrain and LIRR to Penn Station, then NJ Transit to Newark Airport station and the Newark AirTrain, about two hours in all. Allow at least four hours between flights, more with checked bags.

Which airport should I choose for an international flight?

JFK has by far the most international routes and the most non-stop long-haul services; Newark is United's hub with a large international network of its own; LaGuardia handles domestic flights and Canada only, with a perimeter rule that keeps most flights under 1,500 miles.

Information last verified: September 13, 2026