John F. Kennedy International Airport to Manhattan / Times Square

Times Square is 26 km from JFK, and the real answer to “what does it cost” depends entirely on which number you believe. The yellow cab advertises a flat $70 to Manhattan. Almost nobody pays $70. Meanwhile the train does it for $11.75 and, at the wrong hour, gets you there sooner.

The flat fare that is not the fare

New York taxis charge a TLC-regulated flat rate of $70 between JFK and any Manhattan address, and that part is true — the meter is irrelevant, and traffic does not raise the base. What the number leaves out is everything bolted onto it: a $2.50 state congestion surcharge, tolls of roughly $6–$12 depending on the route your driver takes, small MTA and improvement fees, a $5 surcharge on weekday afternoons between 4pm and 8pm, and a customary 15–20% tip.

Add those and the realistic total is $90–$100. That is not a scam and no one is overcharging you; it is simply what this ride costs once the extras are counted. Budget $70 and you will be unpleasantly surprised at the kerb — budget $95 and you will be fine.

Ride-hailing is not reliably cheaper. Expect $80–$110, and more when demand spikes on a wet Friday evening. The cab's advantage is that its base never surges; the app's advantage is that you know the number before you commit.

Pay attention to this if you last visited before 2026

The MetroCard is gone. Since 1 January 2026 it is no longer sold or refillable, and the subway and buses run on OMNY — you tap a contactless bank card or a phone directly at the reader. There is nothing to buy in advance and no ticket to queue for. If a guidebook or an older blog tells you to pick up a MetroCard at the airport, it is out of date.

The subway base fare is now $3.00. The AirTrain, which you must take to leave the airport by rail, is $8.75, charged when you exit at Jamaica or Howard Beach.

The fast train and the cheap train

Two rail routes leave from the same AirTrain, and they part company at Jamaica.

AirTrain + LIRR is the quick one. Ride the AirTrain to Jamaica, cross to the Long Island Rail Road, and you are at Penn Station in about 35–45 minutes door to platform — Times Square is then a few minutes on foot or one stop on the subway. It costs roughly $14–$16: the $8.75 AirTrain plus a CityTicket fare of $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 at peak. For the price of two coffees over the subway, you save the best part of half an hour. On a weekday afternoon this is comfortably the best-value way into Manhattan.

AirTrain + E subway is the cheap one, at $11.75 all in. Take the AirTrain to Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue at Jamaica and pick up the E train, which runs into Midtown and puts you within a short walk of Times Square. Allow 60–75 minutes. The E is reliable and runs around the clock — its drawback is not danger or dirt, it is stairs, crowds and a long ride with luggage on your knees.

Choosing without regretting it

Landing in the afternoon rush with two suitcases and a hotel on 45th Street? The cab will crawl the same as everyone else, and $95 buys you a slow ride. The LIRR ignores the traffic entirely and is the better bet.

Arriving late at night, or travelling with three or four people? The maths flips. Four LIRR fares approach $60, and at 1am you would rather be dropped at the door than change trains at Jamaica. Take the cab, or book a car in advance at a fixed price so no surge can touch it.

Travelling alone, unhurried, watching the budget? The E train at $11.75 is the answer, and it always has been.

What to actually do

Cheapest is AirTrain + E subway, $11.75, in 60–75 minutes. Fastest on public transport is AirTrain + LIRR, $14–$16, in 35–45 minutes — the best all-round choice for most arrivals. A yellow cab is a $70 flat fare that realistically settles at $90–$100 once surcharges, tolls and tip are in; worth it for groups, heavy bags and late arrivals. And whatever you do, do not go looking for a MetroCard — tap your own card instead.