JFK Airport to Columbia University Irving Medical Center by AirTrain, LIRR and subway

Ask Cobblehop

By Cobblehop · November 7, 2026 · Source: MTA schedules (fall 2026), checked November 7, 2026

Step by step

1. At JFK, follow the signs for the AirTrain. Every terminal has an AirTrain station; take a train to Jamaica. Times on this page start from the middle of the airport, about 9 minutes on foot from the Terminal 7 AirTrain station.
2. Take the AirTrain from your terminal to Jamaica Station. It's 3 stops, about 13 minutes. The AirTrain fare is paid at Jamaica or Howard Beach.
3. At Jamaica Station, walk about 7 minutes to Jamaica for an LIRR train.
4. Take an LIRR train from Jamaica to Penn Station. It's 1 stop, about 20 minutes.
5. At Penn Station, walk about 6 minutes to 34 St-Penn Station for the 1 train.
6. Take an uptown 1 train from 34 St-Penn Station to 168 St-Washington Hts. It's 16 stops, about 26 minutes.
7. From 168 St-Washington Hts, walk about 9 minutes to Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Other ways to go

• Take the AirTrain from your terminal to Howard Beach Station, then take a Manhattan-bound A train from Howard Beach-JFK Airport to 168 St: about 113 minutes.
• Take the AirTrain from your terminal to Jamaica Station, then take a Manhattan-bound E train from Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, then take an uptown A train from 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal to 168 St: about 112 minutes.

Which one is faster depends on when you leave. Cobblehop compares them with live times.

Times and frequency

From the MTA's fall 2026 schedule. Typical trip is the door to door time in the middle of the day.

Late at night

This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 128 minutes.

Tips for this trip

• Check the train's destination. Not every LIRR train at Jamaica goes to Penn Station. Trains to Atlantic Terminal or Grand Central don't. On a weekday 176 trains do; look for Penn Station on the board.
• Know your stop. Get ready after 157 St. The next stop is 168 St-Washington Hts. Start a live trip in Cobblehop and it alerts you before your stop.

Step-free access

For the subway part of this trip: 34 St-Penn Station (1 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; 168 St-Washington Hts (1 platform) is not on the MTA's list of accessible stations. Elevators can be out of service, so check elevator status on mta.info before you go.

What it costs

• Subway and local bus: $3 per ride with OMNY (tap a contactless card or phone) or a MetroCard. One transfer within 2 hours to the subway or a local bus is included.
• AirTrain JFK: $8.75, paid when you enter or leave at Jamaica or Howard Beach. It's on top of the subway or LIRR fare.
• LIRR inside New York City (CityTicket): $5.25 off-peak, $7.25 peak. Buy it in the MTA TrainTime app or at a station ticket machine before you board. It doesn't include a subway or bus transfer.

Fares as of November 2026. Check the official fares page before you ride.

JFK Airport to Columbia University Irving Medical Center: common questions

Related routes

• JFK Airport to Times Square
• JFK Airport to Empire State Building
• JFK Airport to Rockefeller Center
• LaGuardia Airport to Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• Penn Station to Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• Grand Central Terminal to Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• All New York routes

Sources

Cobblehop is independent. It is not affiliated with the MTA or any transit agency. Schedules on this page come from the MTA's public GTFS data; check these pages for the latest service:

• MTA: developer data (the GTFS schedules used on this page)
• MTA: subway and bus fares
• JFK Airport: AirTrain
• MTA: LIRR and Metro-North fares
• MTA subway stations, with accessibility (data.ny.gov)

Transit data: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Cobblehop is not affiliated with or endorsed by the MTA.

Published November 7, 2026. Times were computed from the MTA fall 2026 schedules for 2026-11-18 (weekday), 2026-11-21 and 2026-11-22. Planned work and holidays change service, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.