How do you get to LaGuardia Airport on public transportation?

Answer 1

Subway/Bus Combo to LGA - Cheapest Method

With a little exercise, you can travel to La Guardia Airport for just $2. There are two basic ways to do this - the first is to get to any New York subway station where you can make a free transfer to the M60 LaGuardia bus - This bus runs across 125st in Manhattan and then into Queens and up to La Guardia Airport - the most optimal subway stations to get this bus are Astoria Boulevard in Queens (N and W lines) or one of the three 125 Street stations in Manhattan that serve 4,5 and 6 lines, 2 and 3 lines or the A,B,C,D lines. If you exit one of these stations you will find an M60 MTA bus that is both regular and reliable. Many of our subway testers have found the Astoria Boulevard route is the best, but that assumes that the N and W lines are running properly. This method of getting to La Guardia Airport will take about 45 minutes from midtown Manhattan, longer if you use one of the more westerly subway stations. If that section of New York is having problems (The 2006 power outage in Queens that lasted 5 days played havoc with the New York Subway system) a popular alternative is to take the 7 train out to 74th Street in Corona (it has escalators, and the E, F, G, R, and V trains also stop there), go downstairs, and ride the Q33 bus to LGA (also a free transfer with your MetroCard). It, too, takes about 20 minutes after your 15-minute ride on the 7 train. If it's a weekday, remember to take a local 7 train, as express trains bypass 74th Street. Keep in mind, however, that if you're going to the Marine Air Terminal, you need to take the Q47 bus from 74th Street, since the Q33 does not stop there.

Going to LGA on the Subway/Bus At Night

At night, the options available to those using public transit to reach LaGuardia Airport change a bit. On the West side, only the 2 train runs to 125th Street, and on the East side only the 4 and 6 trains go to 125th. The 7 train always runs to 74th Street, day or night. After midnight, the trains run every 20 minutes, and the buses to LaGuardia are almost an hour apart. If you're catching a red-eye out of LGA, consult www.mta.info before you go. During the day, the buses and trains run about 8-10 minutes apart. Don't forget to enjoy the spectacular views of Manhattan if you're riding the 7 train, right after it emerges from Hunterspoint Avenue.

All in all, using the bus/train combination to get to LaGuardia is usually relatively painless, except of course during the 7-10 AM and 4-8 PM rush hours, when crowds will make movement with luggage challenging.

Answer 2

Unlike JFK, LaGuardia is not accessible by subway, but the MTA-NYCTA operates a bus that runs between LaGuardia and Manhattan (the NYCTA is the city's transit authority, and they are part of the MTA, which is the New York State transit authority).

The M60 bus only makes five stops in Manhattan, and they're all in Upper Manhattan: West 106th Street and Broadway (in the Morningside Heights neighborhood), West 116th Street and Broadway (also in Morningside Heights), West 125th Street and Amsterdam Avenue (Morningside Heights), West 125th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard (Harlem), East 125th Street and Lexington (East Harlem).

In Queens, the M60 stops outside the Astoria Boulevard station on the N and Q trains (of the N-R-Q, the yellow line). This is at the intersection of Astoria Boulevard and 31st Street.

There are also a few other Queens buses that go to LaGuardia. See the Related Link below for information and schedules for the M60 and other LaGuardia-bound buses.