Airport tips
Multi-airport metro guide: how to get between airports in the same city
By the TSA Wait Times team · Updated · Published June 2026
Airport tips · reviewed June 2026
If you land at JFK but your connection is at LaGuardia — or you arrive at LAX but need to catch a flight from Burbank — you need to get between airports. Here is the fastest and cheapest option for every major multi-airport metro in the US.
New York City (JFK, LGA, EWR)
Three airports, three boroughs, one of the most confusing airport situations in the world. None of them are connected by a single direct transit line.
JFK → LGA · 14 milesAllow 2–3 hours
Fastest: Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) — $35–60. 30–60 min off-peak; 60–120+ min during rush hour. There is no direct rail connection to LGA — taking the AirTrain to Jamaica then a subway to LGA is impractical and unreliable.
Cheapest: MTA Bus (Q70 or Q48 from Flushing) — $2.90. Very slow: 60–90 minutes minimum and subject to the same traffic as a car.
Allow 2 hours minimum between flights. 3 hours during rush hour.
JFK → EWR · 30 milesAllow 3 hours
Most reliable: AirTrain JFK → Jamaica → LIRR or Subway → Penn Station → NJ Transit to EWR — $20–30 total. Takes 60–90 minutes but avoids traffic entirely.
Rideshare: $60–100+ and highly variable. Not recommended during peak hours — highway congestion between Queens and Newark can double travel times.
Allow 3 hours minimum between flights.
LGA → EWR · 20 milesAllow 3 hours
Rideshare only: $40–80. 45–90 min off-peak, up to 2+ hours during peak. There is no direct rail option between these two airports.
Allow 3 hours minimum between flights.
Which NYC airport to book
- JFK — best for international (customs, infrastructure, most carriers).
- EWR — best for NJ residents, midtown Manhattan via train, or United hub flights.
- LGA — best for DC, Boston, and Midwest domestic. Smaller and more manageable, but notoriously over capacity.
- Never book an inter-airport connection in NYC — it is its own journey and the traffic is genuinely unpredictable.
Los Angeles (LAX, BUR, LGB, ONT, SNA)
LAX handles the most traffic; the surrounding airports serve specific regions and are often better options for travelers staying in those areas.
LAX → BUR (Burbank, 18 miles)
$30–50 rideshare, 25–60 minutes. No direct transit. Burbank is a strong alternative for travel to/from the San Fernando Valley or for passengers who want to avoid LAX crowds and construction delays.
LAX → LGB (Long Beach, 20 miles)
$35–60 rideshare, 25–50 minutes. No direct transit. LGB is served primarily by Southwest.
LAX → SNA (Orange County, 36 miles)
$60–90 rideshare, 35–75 minutes. No direct transit. Good for South OC, Irvine, and Anaheim travelers.
LAX → ONT (Ontario, 48 miles)
$80–120 rideshare, 45–75 minutes. Metrolink train from Ontario to LA Union Station exists but getting from Union Station to LAX remains a multi-step process. Rarely worth the complexity of an inter-airport transfer.
Which LA airport to book
- LAX — most connections and all international flights.
- BUR or LGB — if staying in North or East LA and willing to trade connections for a far easier airport experience.
- Never book LAX as a connection point with 2 hours or fewer — ground transport between LAX terminals is itself 15–30 minutes.
San Francisco Bay Area (SFO, OAK, SJC)
SFO → OAK (15 miles across the Bay)
BART (recommended): SFO BART station → Bay Fair → Lake Merritt → OAK shuttle or Fruitvale station. About 45–60 minutes, $5–10. Reliable and avoids Bay Bridge traffic entirely.
Rideshare: $35–60, 20–45 minutes — but bridge traffic can extend this significantly during morning and evening peaks.
SFO → SJC (San Jose, 35 miles)
Caltrain: SFO → Millbrae → Caltrain to San Jose Diridon → VTA to SJC. Long — 90 minutes+ — but reliable and comfortable.
Rideshare: $55–90, 35–60 minutes. Best option if budget allows.
Which Bay Area airport to book
- SFO — international flights and most major carriers.
- OAK — Southwest and budget carriers, often cheaper fares and dramatically shorter security lines.
- SJC — South Bay residents; avoids Peninsula traffic entirely.
Chicago (ORD, MDW)
Chicago is one of the best-case scenarios for multi-airport cities: both airports have direct CTA L train service.
ORD → MDW · 20 milesAllow 2–2.5 hours
CTA L (recommended): Blue Line from ORD → Clark/Lake → Red Line to Jackson → Orange Line to MDW. About 75–90 minutes, $5. Runs every 10–12 minutes; completely traffic-independent.
Rideshare: $45–70, 35–60 minutes without traffic. Highway congestion on I-90/I-94 can push this to 90+ minutes during rush hour.
Allow 2 hours minimum. 2.5 hours to be safe.
Which Chicago airport to book
- ORD — international, United hub, and most major carriers.
- MDW— Southwest and budget carrier travel, or if staying on Chicago's South or West Side.
Washington DC (DCA, IAD, BWI)
DCA → IAD (27 miles)
Silver Line Metro (recommended since 2023): DCA → Dulles Airport Metro via the extended Silver Line. Approximately 45–50 minutes, $3.75–7.50. The most reliable option since the Silver Line extension opened.
Rideshare: $55–80, 30–60 minutes — traffic on the Dulles Toll Road is unpredictable.
DCA → BWI (35 miles)
MARC Train (recommended): DCA Metro to Union Station → MARC Penn Line to BWI station → airport shuttle. About 60–75 minutes, $8–12. Very reliable.
Rideshare: $60–90, 35–75 minutes. I-295 traffic can be severe during peak hours.
IAD → BWI (50 miles)
Rideshare only: $90–130, 45–75 minutes. No convenient direct transit option. This is the most difficult DC inter-airport transfer.
Which DC airport to book
- DCA — shortest travel times into the city, Metro-accessible, downtown DC connections.
- IAD — most international flights and United hub.
- BWI — Southwest, budget carriers, and Baltimore-area travelers.
Houston (IAH, HOU)
IAH → HOU · 33 milesAllow 2.5 hours
Rideshare only: $50–80, 35–55 minutes. No direct transit option. I-45 and Beltway 8 traffic can extend this significantly.
IAH is the United hub and handles all international traffic. HOU (Hobby) handles Southwest and some domestic routes.
Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW, DAL)
DFW → DAL (Love Field) · 20 milesAllow 2 hours
Rideshare: $35–60, 25–40 minutes. No practical transit connection between the two airports.
DFW handles almost all Dallas traffic. DAL (Love Field) is Southwest-only following the Wright Amendment lift — now operating coast-to-coast routes.
General rules for any multi-airport transfer
- Never book a connection across different airports on a single ticket. Airlines will not protect you for the inter-airport transfer time. Book separate tickets only if you are certain you have enough buffer.
- Minimum buffer: 2.5–3 hours for any inter-airport transfer in a major metro. Rush hour can turn a 30-minute drive into 90 minutes without warning.
- Train beats rideshare for reliability when rail service exists. It is slower on paper but immune to traffic. Rideshare is faster off-peak but can blow up during commute hours.
- The best transfer is no transfer at all. When searching fares, always compare all airports in a metro. A $40 fare difference rarely justifies an inter-airport ground transfer on a tight schedule.
Common questions about multi-airport transfers
How long does it take to get from JFK to LaGuardia?
30–60 minutes by rideshare in off-peak hours. 60–120 minutes during rush hour. There is no direct rail connection — rideshare or taxi is the only practical option.
Is there a train between LAX and Burbank airport?
Not directly — there is no direct rail connection between LAX and Burbank. Rideshare ($30–50) or taxi is the best option.
How early should I arrive if transferring between NYC airports?
Budget at least 2.5–3 hours for any JFK-LGA-EWR transfer. Treat it as a standalone journey, not a connection — because it is.
Can the airline protect me if I miss a flight due to an inter-airport transfer?
Only if both flights are on the same booking (same ticket). If they are on separate tickets, the airline has no obligation to rebook you. Book multi-airport itineraries as separate tickets only with large time buffers.
Know when to leave — not just which airport to use
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