The Howard Beach AirTrain station is where New York's A subway line meets the AirTrain that loops around JFK. Heading to the airport, you ride a Far Rockaway-bound A train to Howard Beach–JFK Airport, go up to the AirTrain level, pay the fare and board the green line to your terminal. Leaving the airport, you do the same trip in reverse.
The route is simple on paper, but a few details trip people up: which A train to board, where you pay, and what changes late at night or during maintenance. This guide covers each one, plus when Howard Beach is a better choice than Jamaica and when skipping the train altogether is the smarter call.
What the Howard Beach station actually is
The station sits at Coleman Square in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, and it is really two stations stacked together. The A train platforms are at ground level. Above them, a glass-enclosed mezzanine leads to the elevated AirTrain platform. The complex was rebuilt between 2000 and 2003, and AirTrain service began on December 17, 2003.
Before that, the link to the airport was a shuttle bus. From 1978 until 1990, a premium-fare subway service called the JFK Express dropped riders at Howard Beach, where they transferred to buses for the terminals. The rail connection replaced all of that, so today you ride a train the whole way.
The green Howard Beach line serves Lefferts Boulevard, Federal Circle and the airport terminals. Rides within the airport are free; the fare applies when you enter or exit at Howard Beach or at Jamaica, the other point where AirTrain meets the city's transit network. If you want the wider picture of stations, the route map and payment options, our guide to the JFK airtrain covers both stations in detail.
How to get from Howard Beach station to JFK
From a Manhattan or Brooklyn subway platform, the sequence looks like this:
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Board an A train marked Far Rockaway.
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Get off at Howard Beach–JFK Airport.
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Follow the signs up to the AirTrain. Elevators and escalators connect the levels.
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Pay at the AirTrain gates.
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Board any AirTrain that arrives and watch the screens for your terminal.
The ride from Howard Beach to the terminals typically takes somewhere around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on which terminal you need. Check your airline's terminal before you leave, because the AirTrain announces stops by terminal number.
Choose the correct A train
Not every A train goes to the airport. The line splits in Queens, and only trains headed to Far Rockaway stop at Howard Beach–JFK Airport. Trains bound for Lefferts Boulevard never reach it. Signs and announcements show the destination, and the conductor, who rides in the middle of the train, can confirm.
The names make this easy to mix up. Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard is the end of one A train branch, while Lefferts Boulevard is also an AirTrain stop for long-term parking. They are unrelated, and the second one only exists inside the airport system.
Pay at the AirTrain gates
The AirTrain fare is $8.75 whenever you enter or exit at Howard Beach or Jamaica. Add the $3 subway fare and the MTA puts the total for subway plus AirTrain at $11.75. You can tap a contactless card, a phone or wearable, or an OMNY card at the gates. Unlimited passes don't work on the AirTrain, and children under five ride free. Prices change, so confirm the current fare with the MTA or JFK Airport before you travel.
If you need to pay in cash, you can buy or refill an OMNY card at the machines in the Howard Beach and Jamaica subway stations.
Going the other way: JFK to Howard Beach
Leaving JFK, follow the AirTrain signs from your terminal. The screens on the platform tell you whether the next train goes to Howard Beach, to Jamaica, or only around the terminal loop, so check before you board. Pick the Howard Beach train.
Where you exit decides what you pay. Walking through to the subway means paying the AirTrain fare and then the subway fare. The station also has an exit toward the neighborhood and Coleman Square that, at the time of writing, charges only the AirTrain fare. And the exit toward the ride-app pickup lot and long-term parking is free, which matters more than it sounds, as the next sections explain. The local Q11 bus also serves the station if you're heading deeper into Queens.
Once through the gates, take an A train toward Manhattan. In Brooklyn and Manhattan the A runs express most of the day, and useful stops include Fulton Street, Chambers Street–World Trade Center, West 4 Street, 42 Street–Port Authority and 59 Street–Columbus Circle.
Howard Beach or Jamaica?
Both stations connect JFK to the city, but they suit different destinations.
Howard Beach and the A line tend to work better for Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, the West Village, Chelsea, the Port Authority area and the Rockaways. You skip the extra transfers a Jamaica route would need for those places. Plan on roughly an hour from the airport to Manhattan on the A, although that varies with your terminal and the time of day.
Jamaica offers the E, J and Z subway lines plus the Long Island Rail Road, which reaches Penn Station and Grand Central Madison in about 20 minutes. For Midtown, the LIRR saves time, and the E train costs less. If you're still weighing options for JFK to Manhattan, that guide compares trains, buses and private rides side by side.
A simple rule: if your hotel or apartment is near an A line stop, use Howard Beach. If it's in Midtown or you're carrying more than you'd like to drag through a subway station, look hard at Jamaica's train or at a different option entirely.
Luggage, stairs and accessibility
The Howard Beach complex was rebuilt with elevators and escalators, and JFK Airport lists the subway connection here as wheelchair accessible. AirTrain trains and stations are ADA-compliant, with spaces for wheelchairs, announcements and visual signs. Service animals are welcome.
The harder part usually isn't Howard Beach. It's the other end. Not every Manhattan subway station has an elevator, and a subway car at rush hour is a tight fit for a large suitcase.
I just wanted to know which A train to get on and where to tap. Once I had that, the rest was easy. With two big bags and a tired kid, though, I wouldn't have wanted to guess.
For a carry-on and a medium bag outside peak hours, the subway is workable. For several bags, a stroller or limited mobility, count the staircases on both ends before you commit.
Ride-app pickups at Howard Beach
Howard Beach has a second job that surprises many travelers. Because of construction at JFK, ride-app and car service pickups for arriving passengers at Terminals 5 and 7 were moved to a lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station. If you land at one of those terminals and plan to use Uber, Lyft or a similar app, you collect your bags, follow the AirTrain signs, ride the green line to Howard Beach, and exit toward the Ride App Pick Up lot. That AirTrain ride is free, and your driver meets you at an assigned, numbered space.
Drop-offs for departing passengers still happen at the terminal curb, and accessible rides stay available at the terminal frontage. JFK describes the change as temporary and pickup rules at JFK have been shifting, so check the airport's ride-share page shortly before you fly.
Overnight service and closures
The A train runs around the clock, but late at night it runs local, which adds time. The MTA specifically advises allowing extra time if you take the A to JFK overnight.
The AirTrain also closes sections for maintenance. JFK has, for example, suspended the Howard Beach and Lefferts Boulevard line overnight and run free shuttle buses from the ground level of Howard Beach, Lefferts Boulevard and Federal Circle stations, with riders transferring at Federal Circle. During that kind of closure, the Jamaica line kept serving the terminals. If you have an early flight or a late arrival, look at JFK's alerts page the day before, and have Jamaica as your fallback.
When a private ride makes more sense
The train is a good deal when you travel light and your destination sits on the A line. It stops being a good deal when you land at midnight, travel with a group that has to pay the AirTrain fare per person, or face a transfer-heavy journey with heavy bags.
In those cases, a pre-booked ride removes the guesswork about platforms, closures and pickup lots. Transpovia is a ground transportation marketplace, so you can arrange a private JFK airport transfer ahead of time and skip the station logistics altogether. It's an option, not a replacement. Plenty of travelers use the train in one direction and a private ride in the other.
FAQs
Is Howard Beach station inside JFK Airport?
No. It's in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, near the airport's edge. The AirTrain carries you from the station to the terminals.
How much does it cost to go from Howard Beach station to JFK?
The AirTrain charges $8.75 when you enter or exit at Howard Beach. If you arrive by subway, add the $3 subway fare, for a total of $11.75 according to the MTA. Check for fare changes before you travel.
Does every A train go to Howard Beach?
No. Only Far Rockaway-bound A trains stop at Howard Beach–JFK Airport. Lefferts Boulevard-bound trains do not.
Which terminals can I reach from Howard Beach?
The AirTrain connects Howard Beach to all of JFK's terminals. Confirm your terminal with your airline, since terminals are changing as construction continues.
Can I take the A train to JFK at night?
Yes, the A runs 24 hours, but it runs local overnight, so allow extra time. Check JFK's alerts for overnight AirTrain maintenance.
Is the Howard Beach AirTrain ride ever free?
Riding within the airport is free, and so is exiting at Howard Beach toward the ride-app pickup lot or long-term parking. Using Howard Beach to connect to the subway costs the full fare.
Conclusion
The Howard Beach AirTrain station gives you a rail route to JFK without a car: the right A train, the AirTrain gates, and a ride of roughly 10 to 15 minutes to your terminal. Get those three steps right and the trip is simple. Check for overnight work, know your fallback at Jamaica, and keep in mind that heavy bags and late arrivals change the math.
If the train doesn't fit your trip, Transpovia can help you book a private airport transfer or ride in advance, so your arrival doesn't depend on platform changes.
