LaGuardia to Times Square: How Far It Is and the Best Way There (2026)

Updated October 2026. Fares, tolls and drive times checked this month.

LaGuardia Airport is about 9 miles from Times Square by road. A car takes 20 to 30 minutes late at night or early on a weekend, 30 to 45 minutes for most of the day, and up to 75 minutes on a weekday morning. The cheapest way is the free Q70 bus plus the 7 train, for $3.

Our office runs LaGuardia pickups every day, so we watch this drive at every hour. Below you will find each option, what it costs in 2026, and how long it takes. The guide fits first-time visitors heading to a Broadway show, business travelers with a Midtown meeting, and families with a week of luggage.

How Far Is LaGuardia from Times Square?

LaGuardia sits about 8 miles from Times Square in a straight line and 9 miles by road. Most drives take the Grand Central Parkway and the BQE to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, which comes out near 37th Street. When the tunnel backs up, drivers cross the RFK Bridge and come down through Harlem and the FDR Drive. Both crossings cost $7.46 with E-ZPass.

The clock matters more than the miles. We checked Google traffic forecasts for the LaGuardia to Times Square drive on a Tuesday, a Friday and a Sunday in October 2026, leaving from Terminals B and C:

When you leave LaGuardia	Typical drive	Bad-traffic day
Sunday, 7 AM	About 20 min	About 27 min
Weekday, 11 PM	About 22 min	About 31 min
Weekday, 6 AM	About 25 min	About 35 min
Weekday, 8:30 AM	About 45 min	About 75 min
Weekday, 11 AM to 2 PM	33 to 38 min	48 to 59 min
Weekday, 5:30 PM	About 32 min	About 46 min
Friday, 5 PM	About 41 min	About 62 min

One thing surprises most people. Heading into Manhattan, the weekday morning is worse than the evening. At 5 PM most traffic is leaving Manhattan, so you ride against it. Fridays are the exception.

LaGuardia to Times Square Options at a Glance

Option	Cost	Travel time	Best for
Q70 bus + 7 train	$3 per person	40 to 55 min	Light bags, tight budgets
M60 bus + subway	$3 per person	60 to 80 min	Terminal A, Upper Manhattan
Uber Shuttle (shared)	Per seat, shown in the app	35 to 60 min	Solo travelers with one bag
Yellow taxi	About $65 to $90 with tolls and tip	20 to 75 min	No app, walk-up ride
Uber or Lyft	About $78 to $110 on average, before tip	20 to 75 min, plus the walk to pickup	Off-peak trips
Private car service	From $209, locked at booking	20 to 75 min	Luggage, families, business travel

Transit fares come from the MTA. The taxi range is our estimate from current TLC meter rates. Uber averages come from Uber’s own LaGuardia page and change by the hour, so treat them as a rough guide.

Public Transit from LaGuardia to Times Square

No train runs to LaGuardia. The plan for an AirTrain was dropped in 2023, so a bus links the airport to the subway. Details are in the MTA’s LaGuardia guide.

Q70 Bus + 7 Train: The Cheapest Way from LaGuardia to Times Square

1. Board the Q70 LaGuardia Link outside Terminal B or C. It is free and comes every 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Ride about 15 minutes, nonstop, to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av/74 St-Broadway.
3. Take the Manhattan-bound 7 train to Times Sq-42 St, about 25 minutes. The subway fare is $3, paid by tapping a card or phone at the gate.

Plan on 40 to 55 minutes in total. The Q70 has luggage racks. The subway does not, and you will face turnstiles and stairs. Landing at Terminal A? Take the free airport shuttle to Terminal B for the Q70, or use the M60 below.

Q70 + Long Island Rail Road

Stay on the Q70 one more stop to Woodside, then take the LIRR to Grand Central or Penn Station in about 15 minutes. Buy the ticket in the TrainTime app: $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 at peak. From Grand Central, take the 7 or the shuttle one stop to Times Square. From Penn Station, walk about 10 minutes or ride the 1, 2 or 3 train one stop.

M60 Bus (Terminal A and Upper Manhattan)

The M60 stops at every terminal, including Terminal A. It crosses the RFK Bridge and runs along 125th Street, where you transfer to a downtown subway. The fare is $3 with a free transfer. To Times Square it takes 60 to 80 minutes, so it makes most sense if you are staying uptown.

Who should take transit: people with a carry-on and time to spare. Locals on Reddit’s r/AskNYC say a car often saves only a few minutes over the train. The real difference is the luggage, and the stress of a first subway ride with suitcases.

Uber Shuttle and Shared Vans

Uber runs a shared shuttle between LaGuardia and Manhattan, with a Times Square route from Terminals B and C. You book a seat in the Uber app up to 3 days ahead, and the app shows the price and schedule. Seats were about $18 when the service launched in 2024. Each rider gets one bag up to 45 pounds plus a personal item, and an extra bag needs an extra seat.

A shared van stops for other riders and leaves on its schedule, not yours. If you are a group, a private van does the same job for your group alone. Our Sprinter van airport transfer guide explains how that works.

Taxi from LaGuardia to Times Square

JFK has a $70 flat taxi fare to Manhattan. LaGuardia does not. A LaGuardia taxi runs on the meter, at rates set by the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission. A typical LaGuardia to Times Square taxi fare adds up like this:

• Meter: about $38 to $55 ($3 to start, then 70 cents per 1/5 mile, or per minute in slow traffic)
• LaGuardia surcharge: $5, plus a $2 airport pickup fee
• Other surcharges: $4.75 (congestion surcharge $2.50, congestion relief zone toll $0.75, improvement $1, MTA surcharge $0.50)
• Rush hour, weekdays 4 to 8 PM: $2.50. Overnight, 8 PM to 6 AM: $1
• Tunnel or bridge toll: $7.46
• Tip: 15 to 20 percent
• Total: about $65 to $90

The full rate list is on the TLC taxi fare page. Join the taxi line outside arrivals, where a dispatcher assigns cabs in order. Never take a ride from someone who walks up to you inside the terminal.

Who should take a taxi: one or two people with a few bags, landing outside rush hour, who would rather not open an app. You cannot lock the price, and a slow tunnel keeps the meter running.

Uber and Lyft from LaGuardia to Times Square

Uber’s LaGuardia airport page lists recent average fares between the West Side of Manhattan and LaGuardia:

• UberX: about $78
• Uber Comfort: about $89
• Uber Black: about $110

Uber trips into Midtown also carry a $2.75 congestion fee and a $1.50 congestion relief zone fee, and tolls may apply. Times Square is on the West Side, so a LaGuardia to Times Square ride lands in the same range. The averages do not include a tip. Rain, holidays and Friday evenings can push any of these fares much higher.

At LaGuardia, follow the signs to the app pickup area for your terminal. It is often a walk from baggage claim, and on busy nights the walk and the wait add 10 to 15 minutes.

Who should take Uber or Lyft: travelers who land off-peak, check the price after landing, and do not mind a short walk with their bags.

Private Car Service from LaGuardia to Times Square

A New York car service does not work like a taxi or an app. You book ahead, and we lock your price when you book. Traffic, rain and demand do not change it. For a LaGuardia to Times Square transfer with Gotham Ride, a Business Class Sedan starts at $209 and a Business SUV at $270. The quote covers tolls and the chauffeur’s gratuity.

The one-way transfer service covers point-to-point trips like this one with no hourly minimum. Every booking comes with:

• Flight tracking and wait time: Airport arrivals include 60 minutes of complimentary wait time and real-time flight tracking, on domestic and international flights alike.
• Meet and greet: Meet and greet is complimentary on most vehicles. Business Class Sedan and Comfort Van bookings carry a flat $39 charge. We quote meet and greet for the Business Sprinter Van by airport pickup terminal.
• Child seats: Complimentary child seats and boosters.
• Licensed and insured: TLC-licensed chauffeurs in commercially insured vehicles.
• A drop-off that works: Cars cannot stop on the Broadway plazas between 42nd and 47th Streets. Your chauffeur pulls up at your hotel’s street entrance instead.

Our vehicle fleet covers every group size:

• Business Class Sedan: 3 passengers, 2 bags
• First Class Sedan: 3 passengers, 2 bags
• Comfort Van: 6 passengers, 4 bags
• Business SUV: 6 passengers, 5 bags
• Cadillac Escalade Premium: 6 passengers, 6 bags
• Business Sprinter Van: 14 passengers, 15 bags

The same office runs our NYC airport transfers at JFK and Newark. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 212-763-7722, and a real person picks up. Our simple booking process takes about two minutes online.

Is it worth it? For one person with a carry-on, a taxi or Uber costs less. A private car pays off when you have heavy bags, kids, a group, a late landing or a meeting you cannot miss.

Which Option Fits Your Trip?

The right LaGuardia to Times Square option comes down to your bags, your budget and the clock.

• On a budget, light bags: Q70 and the 7 train. $3, about 45 minutes.
• First visit with big suitcases: a taxi or a booked car. Hauling bags through the subway on day one is the hard part, not the ride.
• Business travel: Gotham Ride’s LaGuardia car service. We set the price up front, the chauffeur tracks your flight, and you can work on the way in.
• Families and groups: a Comfort Van or SUV for up to 6, or a Sprinter for up to 14. One vehicle keeps everyone and every bag together. Child seats and boosters are complimentary. Give us each child’s age and weight at booking and the seat is installed before the car reaches you. Our guide to airport car service with car seats has the details.
• Late-night arrival: a booked car or a taxi. Buses come less often after midnight, and app prices can jump.
• Landing at Terminal A: the M60, a taxi, or a car that meets you there.

Times Square to LaGuardia: Going Back

The return drive from Times Square to LaGuardia took 24 to 33 minutes in the early morning and late evening in our checks. Midday it ran 33 to 45 minutes, and at 5:30 PM on a weekday 38 to 54 minutes. For a domestic flight, leave Times Square about 2.5 hours before takeoff. Leave 3 hours on a weekday afternoon or with checked bags.

Some dates make Midtown harder for everyone:

• UN General Assembly week in September: street closures across Midtown East
• New York City Marathon in November: bridge and street closures
• New Year’s Eve: Times Square closes to traffic in the afternoon
• Big shows at Madison Square Garden: heavy traffic when they let out

Planning a connection? Our guide to LGA to JFK transfers covers how much time to leave, or you can book a private car service to JFK. Still choosing an airport? Read our JFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark comparison.

Fares, tolls and drive times were checked in October 2026 and can change. Contact us for a current quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

---