Upper East Side to JFK Airport by subway and AirTrain
Quick answer: Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 51 St, then take a Queens-bound E train from Lexington Av/53 St to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport, then take the AirTrain from Jamaica Station to Terminal 7. The trip takes about 92 minutes door to door on a weekday (90 to 94 depending on the connection). The 6 train comes about every 4 minutes during the day.
Upper East Side to JFK Airport
- 6
- E
- AirTrain JFK
- Walk 2 minto 77 St
- 6 6 trainFrom 77 St, downtown3 stops, about 5 min
- Change at 51 StWalk about 10 min
- E E trainFrom Lexington Av/53 St, Queens-bound7 stops, about 25 min
- Change at Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK AirportWalk about 9 min
- AirTrain JFK AirTrainFrom Jamaica Station5 stops, about 16 min
- Get off at Terminal 7
- JFK AirportWalk about 9 min
Weekdays, fall 2026 MTA schedule · First and last trips
Step by step
- Walk about 2 minutes from Upper East Side to 77 St.
- Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 51 St. It's 3 stops, about 5 minutes.
- At 51 St, walk about 10 minutes to Lexington Av/53 St for the E train.
- Take a Queens-bound E train from Lexington Av/53 St to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport. It's 7 stops, about 25 minutes.
- At Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport, walk about 9 minutes to Jamaica Station for the AirTrain.
- Take the AirTrain from Jamaica Station to Terminal 7. It's 5 stops, about 16 minutes. The AirTrain fare is paid at Jamaica or Howard Beach.
- From Terminal 7, walk about 9 minutes to JFK Airport.
Other ways to go
- Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to Grand Central-42 St, then take an LIRR train toward Babylon from Grand Central to Jamaica, then take the AirTrain from Jamaica Station to Terminal 7: about 88 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.
| Day | First trip | Last trip | Typical trip | E train in the daytime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | Around the clock | 93 min | About every 6 minutes | |
| Saturday | Around the clock | 98 min | About every 12 minutes | |
| Sunday | Around the clock | 93 min | About every 12 minutes | |
Late at night
This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 100 minutes.
Tips for this trip
- Know your stop. Get ready after Terminal 5. The next stop is Terminal 7. Start a live trip in Cobblehop and it alerts you before your stop.
Step-free access
For the subway part of this trip: 77 St (6 platform) is not on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Lexington Av/51-53 Sts (6 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Lexington Av/51-53 Sts (E platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport (E platform) is 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.
Fares as of November 2026. Check the official fares page before you ride.
Upper East Side to JFK Airport: common questions
How do I get from Upper East Side to JFK Airport by public transit?
Take a downtown 6 train from 77 St to 51 St, then take a Queens-bound E train from Lexington Av/53 St to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport, then take the AirTrain from Jamaica Station to Terminal 7.
How long does it take?
About 92 minutes door to door on a weekday, 90 to 94 depending on the connection. On weekends it's about 98 minutes.
Do I have to change along the way?
Yes, 2 times: at 51 St and Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport.
Does it run all night?
This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 100 minutes.
How much does it cost?
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.
Related routes
- JFK Airport to Upper East Side
- Upper East Side to LaGuardia Airport
- Upper East Side to Midtown Manhattan
- Upper East Side to Financial District
- Times Square to JFK Airport
- Penn Station to JFK Airport
- Grand Central Terminal to JFK Airport
- 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 subway stations, with accessibility (data.ny.gov)
- Upper East Side: visitor information
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.
Leaving now? Cobblehop gives you one clear plan with live times and alerts you before your stop.