All JFK guides

Taking the bus to JFK

The bus is the cheapest way to reach JFK and almost never the right one from Manhattan. Where it genuinely earns its place is a local trip from Queens or Brooklyn, travelling light, with time in hand. Here is which route does what, and when to pick something else.

Which bus goes to JFK Airport?

Two routes carry the airport's name:

• Q10: JFK Airport to Kew Gardens via Lefferts Boulevard, with local and rush service.
• Q3: Jamaica to JFK Airport via Farmers Boulevard and Hillside Avenue.

Beyond those, a wide set of Queens and Brooklyn routes connects to the airport or to its AirTrain stations, including the B15, Q7, Q9, Q24, Q41, Q45, Q46, Q48, Q51, Q54, Q55, Q56, Q60 and Q112. We are not going to tell you which of those reach a terminal directly versus which meet the AirTrain, because the sources we can verify list them together without cleanly separating the two, and guessing would strand someone at the wrong stop. Check your specific route on the MTA before you rely on it.

Is the bus actually a good way to get to JFK?

The bus is a good choice if you are already in Queens or Brooklyn and travelling light. It is the cheapest option available and for a short local hop it is entirely sensible.

It is a poor choice from Manhattan, with heavy luggage, or against a clock. A local bus stops constantly and sits in the same traffic as a taxi without the door-to-door benefit. If the appeal is cost rather than convenience, the AirTrain plus subway combination is barely more expensive and considerably faster: the full comparison of every route into Manhattan.

How does the bus connect to the AirTrain?

Most bus routes meet the airport at an AirTrain station rather than at your terminal, which means one more leg after you get off. The AirTrain runs a loop through Terminals 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 and out to Federal Circle, Lefferts Boulevard, Howard Beach and Jamaica. The JFK airport map shows how those stops sit relative to each other.

Allow for that transfer in your timing, and check whether your flight is running to schedule before committing to the slowest route to the airport: today’s JFK departures.

Comparing every option rather than just the bus? Getting from JFK to Manhattan covers rail, taxi, rideshare and shuttle with what each actually costs.

Comparing this against every other way in and out of JFK: JFK airport transportation.