A car service at LGA is the shortest airport run in New York: LaGuardia is about 9 miles (14 km) from Midtown Manhattan, roughly 17 minutes on a clear road. A pre-booked Elly8.net car from LGA to Midtown starts at US$145 in a business sedan, US$190 in a business SUV and US$380 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed and all-in for the vehicle.
What follows is the whole ride in order: what the desk needs before you fly, where your chauffeur waits in Terminals A, B and C, the routes into Manhattan, which vehicle fits your bags, and when the yellow cab or the free Q70 bus is the better call. Rides in New York City are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
What does a car service from LGA to Manhattan cost?
A fixed Elly8.net car service from LaGuardia (LGA) to Midtown Manhattan costs from US$145 in a business sedan, US$190 in a business SUV, US$235 in a First Class SUV and US$380 in an Executive Sprinter. The price includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet inside arrivals; tolls are billed at cost.
LaGuardia is also the least expensive of the four New York airports on our price list, because the drive is short. Here is every class, with passengers and bags.
| Vehicle | LGA to Midtown | Round trip | Passengers | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | US$145 | US$280 | up to 3 | 2 |
| Business SUV | US$190 | US$365 | up to 6 | 6 |
| First Class SUV | US$235 | US$450 | up to 6 | 6 |
| First Class Sedan | US$255 | US$485 | up to 3 | 2 |
| Executive Sprinter | US$380 | US$725 | up to 12 | 12 |
The round trip covers both the drop-off for your departure and the pickup on your return, booked together. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost; everything else is in the number you see. For an address outside Midtown, such as Park Slope, Astoria or a Westchester home, the web booker prices it before you pay.
See New York City prices and reserve
Before you fly into LaGuardia
Three things in the booking make the pickup smooth.
Your flight number. Every airport pickup is tracked, so the chauffeur's time follows the real landing. LaGuardia's short domestic flights are often early or late by a few minutes, and the car simply follows.
Your terminal, if you know it. LaGuardia has Terminals A, B and C. The flight number usually tells us, but a note helps when your airline changes terminals or your ticket was issued by a partner airline.
Passengers, bags and child seats. A business sedan takes up to three passengers and two bags; a business SUV takes six and six. Child seats are available on request; give the number and type and they are fitted before the pickup.
Landing at LGA: terminal by terminal
LaGuardia is compact compared with JFK, but each terminal handles pickups differently, and that is exactly where travellers lose time. The difference with a pre-booked car is that you do not have to learn any of it.
Where the chauffeur meets you. In every terminal, the chauffeur waits inside the arrivals area with a name board. You collect your bags, meet at the board and walk to the car together. No pickup zone, no garage level, no curb search.
Where everyone else goes. For comparison, the Port Authority's LaGuardia ride-share page lists the app pickup points: at Terminal A, directly across the street from the terminal; at Terminal B, Level 2 of the Terminal B parking garage; at Terminal C, the arrivals inner lane. If you are new to the airport, the Terminal B garage walk with two suitcases is the moment many people wish they had pre-booked.
Waiting time. You get complimentary waiting after a tracked landing, enough for the walk from the gate and the bag belt. If a bag is missing and you are at the baggage service desk, message the 24/7 desk and the chauffeur waits; extra waiting beyond the included time is billed at cost.
If you cannot find your chauffeur. Stay inside and call or message the desk. The Port Authority warns travellers not to accept rides from anyone soliciting in the terminal; your chauffeur's name and the vehicle details arrive with your confirmation before pickup.
The drive: Grand Central Parkway, the RFK Bridge or the tunnel
From LaGuardia, the car usually takes the Grand Central Parkway west and then one of two crossings into Manhattan.
- The RFK Bridge into East Harlem, then down the FDR Drive or the avenues. Often the quickest way to the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and Harlem.
- The Queens-Midtown Tunnel into Midtown East around 34th to 37th Streets. The natural route to Grand Central, Murray Hill and the hotels on the East Side.
On a clear road the run is about 17 minutes. At weekday peaks the parkway and both crossings slow down, and the drive can take two or three times as long. Midtown cross streets add time at the end, which is why the chauffeur may stop on the avenue side of your hotel rather than wait in a jammed side street.
Because the drive is short, LaGuardia is usually the right airport for the Upper East Side and Midtown East. For the West Side, Hudson Yards and Lower Manhattan, Newark can be quicker through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel; see EWR to NYC by private car for that run.
Taxi, rideshare, bus or a pre-booked car from LGA?
LaGuardia has good public options, and for some trips they are better value than any private car. The fair comparison to Midtown and the Theater District looks like this.
| Option | Price to Midtown | What to know | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q70 LaGuardia Link bus + subway | bus free, then the subway fare | Bus runs from Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights and 74 St-Broadway | Solo travellers with a carry-on |
| Yellow taxi | US$30 to US$52 estimate on the meter | Plus tip, tolls, surcharges and congestion pricing | One or two travellers, short taxi line |
| Uber / Lyft | set by the app at request | Pickup at your terminal's ride-app area | Off-peak, light bags |
| Elly8.net business sedan | from US$145, fixed | Chauffeur waits inside arrivals | Late flights, meetings, families |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | from US$380 per vehicle | Up to 12 passengers and 12 bags | Groups, teams, wedding parties |
The yellow cab. The Port Authority's LaGuardia taxi page estimates US$30 to US$52 from LGA to Times Square and the Theater District, and US$34 to US$57 to Tribeca, before tips, tolls and MTA congestion pricing. It also lists a US$2.00 Port Authority access fee on pickups and peak and overnight surcharges. Under the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission fare rules, trips to and from LaGuardia are charged on the standard meter plus a US$5.00 surcharge and other applicable surcharges. A taxi takes up to four passengers, or five in a minivan.
The bus. The Q70 LaGuardia Link is free, serves Terminals B and C and connects to the subway at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue and 74 St-Broadway, according to the Port Authority's LaGuardia public transportation page. With a small bag in daylight it is the cheapest way into the city by a wide margin.
When the car wins. The meter on a stop-and-go evening run, plus surcharges, tolls and tip, can approach the fixed fare, and the fixed fare does not move. A pre-booked car wins for three or more travellers, families who need child seats, anyone carrying more than a carry-on, executives with a meeting to make and late arrivals. Our chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft comparisons go deeper.
Choosing the vehicle for LaGuardia
Most LaGuardia passengers fly domestic, which means fewer bags than an international arrival, but business travellers still overpack suit carriers and families still travel with strollers.
- Business Sedan, from US$145. Up to three passengers and two bags. The usual choice for a solo traveller or a couple heading to a Midtown hotel.
- Business SUV, from US$190. Up to six passengers and six bags. Families, golf bags, strollers, anyone with checked luggage.
- First Class SUV, from US$235, and First Class Sedan, from US$255. For senior executives, visiting clients and special arrivals.
- Executive Sprinter, from US$380. Up to 12 passengers and 12 bags. A team arriving for a Midtown offsite or a family reunion lands as one group; at ten passengers that is US$38 each.
For several vehicles on one arrival, the desk coordinates them; see group transportation.
After the drop-off: hourly cars and the return trip
LaGuardia is the airport of the day trip and the short business visit, and many travellers keep the car rather than book a second ride.
Keep the car by the hour. If you are landing for a day of meetings, book the car as directed: from US$105 an hour in a business sedan and US$210 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. The chauffeur meets you at LGA, waits outside each meeting and takes you back for the evening flight. Our NYC private driver guide explains when hourly beats a series of one-way rides, and the hourly chauffeur page has the details.
The return to LGA. Give the airline and the terminal and the chauffeur drops you at the departures door. Allow extra time on weekday afternoons, when the Grand Central Parkway slows toward the airport. A round trip booked with the arrival is from US$280 in a business sedan.
Connecting at another airport. The Port Authority's estimated taxi fares from LaGuardia are US$60 to JFK and US$110 to Newark. Airport-to-airport rides by pre-booked car are priced in the booker by vehicle; give both flight numbers and the desk times the pickup to the first landing.
Beyond Manhattan: Westchester, Connecticut and Long Island
LaGuardia also serves the suburbs north and east of the city, and some of those trips are on our published price lists.
- White Plains and Westchester. LGA to White Plains starts at US$245 in a business sedan and US$640 in an Executive Sprinter; see the Westchester and Greenwich car service page.
- Connecticut. Fairfield County and beyond are priced in the booker; our JFK to Connecticut car service guide covers the same corridor from the other airport, and the Hartford car service page covers Bradley.
- The Hamptons. For summer weekends out east, see the Hamptons car service page.
Regular travellers can open a corporate account with monthly invoicing, and every airport is covered on airport transfers. The full New York price list is on the New York car service page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a car service from LGA to Midtown Manhattan?
A fixed Elly8.net car from LaGuardia to Midtown starts at US$145 in a business sedan, US$190 in a business SUV and US$380 in an Executive Sprinter. The price includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet inside arrivals. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost, and a round trip is from US$280.
Where will the chauffeur meet me at LaGuardia?
Inside the arrivals area of your terminal, A, B or C, holding a name board. You collect your bags, meet at the board and walk to the car. You do not need the Terminal B garage or the Terminal C inner lane, which are for app rides. If you cannot see the chauffeur, call or message the 24/7 desk.
How long does the drive from LGA to Manhattan take?
LaGuardia is about 9 miles (14 km) from Midtown, roughly 17 minutes on a clear road via the Grand Central Parkway and the RFK Bridge or the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. At weekday peaks, plan for two to three times that. The fixed fare stays the same however long the drive takes.
Is the taxi cheaper than a car service from LaGuardia?
Often, for one or two travellers. The Port Authority estimates US$30 to US$52 by taxi to Times Square before tips, tolls and congestion pricing, and the Q70 bus is free. A pre-booked car from US$145 makes sense for groups, heavy luggage, child seats, late arrivals and anyone who wants a fixed price.
Can the car wait outside a meeting after the airport run?
Yes. Book it by the hour, as directed, from US$105 an hour in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum, and the chauffeur waits outside each stop. For a full day in the city, the full-day chauffeur starts at US$775 in a business sedan.
What is the cancellation policy for LGA bookings?
More than 72 hours before pickup, cancellation is free. Within 72 hours a 10% charge applies, within 48 hours 50%, and within 24 hours or for a no-show the full fare. Refunds go to the original card; the full terms are on the cancellation policy page.
