LaGuardia Airport (LGA): Terminals, Airlines, Transport & Travel Guide

Friday, Jul 10, 2026

LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is one of the most crowded urban airports in the country and is the nearest major airport to Manhattan. LaGuardia handled more than 33 million passengers in recent years, making it one of the busiest domestic airports in the United States. Located in the city of Queens, New York, only 8 miles away from Midtown, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the backbone of New York City airports when it comes to flights originating in America. After a thorough makeover, the airport, once the butt of jokes due to its poor state, has been totally redesigned for a whopping $8 billion price tag that totally replaced its old facilities. To put it bluntly, there is no other airport in the US that has changed this much recently.

LaGuardia Airport: an Overview

Located in Queens, New York City, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is a domestic airport that is about 8 miles away from Manhattan. Since this airport deals with most flights in the country, it comes under a restriction named the "perimeter rule". According to this, the majority of the flights will be restricted to places that fall within a range of 1,500 miles from the airport; that is, most parts of the East Coast and central North America. However, there are two exceptions to this rule. One is the flights going to DEN, Denver, although it falls outside the range of 1,500 miles, and another is the relaxed limitation for the flights taking place on Saturdays.

Important Features of LaGuardia Airport

Features	Details
Airport Full Name	LaGuardia Airport
IATA / ICAO codes	LGA / KLGA
Location	Queens, New York City, NY
Distance to Manhattan	~8 miles (13 km)
Elevation above sea level	~21 ft (6 m)
Number of Terminals	3 (A, B, C)
Number of Gates	~72
Main Carriers	Delta Air Lines, American Airlines

History of LGA

The history of aviation at this airport is quite long. LaGuardia opened its gates in 1939 and rapidly turned into one of the most heavily utilized airports in the country. Having been named after Fiorello LaGuardia, a New York City mayor who pushed through the project, the airport resulted from the mayor's ambition to provide the city with its air terminal. Mayor LaGuardia sought to pull his city out of the humiliating situation where passenger and mail services were flying in the neighboring state.

However, decades later, the airport fell short of modern requirements. Through the 2000s and 2010s, LaGuardia was criticized for the obsolete design of the facility, inefficient flight operations, and poor passenger satisfaction indicators. In reaction to that, in 2015, PANYNJ decided to invest billions into the reconstruction of passenger facilities at the airport. This multibillion-dollar reconstruction program was completed in January 2025 and involved the complete replacement of the old facilities with two entirely new terminals, Terminal B and Terminal C, both having received several awards in the international level.

Terminals and Concourses Guide

In contrast to DEN's massive mega-terminal, LGA has three operational terminals named A, B, and C. They consist of a total of 72 gates, which are connected by shuttle buses and walkways.

Terminal	Gates	Main Airlines/Usage
Terminal A (Marine Air Terminal)	Small, one concourse	Spirit, Frontier; 1939 building
Terminal B (Central Terminal)	Gates 11-59 (35 gates, 2 concourses)	American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Air Canada
Terminal C	Gates 61-98 (4 concourses)	Delta Air Lines only

Lounge	Location	Hours	Eligibility
Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club	Central airside hall, Level 4	Daily 4:30 am – 9:30 pm	Members of Priority Pass; Unlimited access for holders of Chase Sapphire Reserve, J.P. Morgan Reserve, and Ritz-Carlton cards. At nearly 22,000 sq ft, it is the biggest of all Sapphire lounges.
American Airlines Admirals Club	Upper level, near gates 11-31	Variable hours	Oneworld Emerald/Sapphire on outgoing flights; $79 door charge applies when available with AA/Alaska/Oneworld boarding pass for the same day.
United Club	Level 3, near entrance of gates 40-59	Daily 5 am – 7:30 pm	Club members; International premium cabin travelers on United or Star Alliance airlines; Day pass users; Active duty military; Elites as per eligibility.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge	Eastern Concourse, Level 3	Daily 4:30 am – 8:15 pm	Star Alliance international premium cabin travelers; Star Alliance Gold; Aeroplan elites; Certain credit cardholders.

Lounge	Location	Hours	Eligibility
Delta Sky Club	Level 4 (access past security screening)	4:45 am - 9:30 pm Sun-Fri, 4:45 am - 8:30 pm Sat	Sky Club members, select premium cabin passengers, and eligible American Express cardholders. This is Delta's biggest Sky Club, including a Sky Deck outdoors with runway views and two excellent buffets.

Terminal
Gates
Main Airlines/Usage
Terminal A (Marine Air Terminal)
Small, one concourse
Spirit, Frontier; 1939 building
Terminal B (Central Terminal)
Gates 11-59 (35 gates, 2 concourses)
American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Air Canada
Terminal C
Gates 61-98 (4 concourses)
Delta Air Lines only
How To Travel Between Terminals?
Note: The design of LGA does not allow you to move from Terminal A, B, and C as they are located in different buildings. Therefore, be sure to be in the correct terminal before proceeding through the security check. There is a dedicated security checkpoint for each terminal, and if it is necessary to change a terminal due to a connecting flight, it will be required to go through security once more. The All Terminals Shuttle is responsible for the connections to terminals, parking, rental car, and car retrieval areas.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Airport Lounges
Since the reconstruction, LGA has one of the most comprehensive lounges for domestic passengers of any airport in the US. There are a total of six out of seven lounges at LaGuardia that are located in Terminal B.
Terminal B
Lounge
Location
Hours
Eligibility
Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club
Central airside hall, Level 4
Daily 4:30 am – 9:30 pm
Members of Priority Pass; Unlimited access for holders of Chase Sapphire Reserve, J.P. Morgan Reserve, and Ritz-Carlton cards. At nearly 22,000 sq ft, it is the biggest of all Sapphire lounges.
American Airlines Admirals Club
Upper level, near gates 11-31
Variable hours
Oneworld Emerald/Sapphire on outgoing flights; $79 door charge applies when available with AA/Alaska/Oneworld boarding pass for the same day.
United Club
Level 3, near entrance of gates 40-59
Daily 5 am – 7:30 pm
Club members; International premium cabin travelers on United or Star Alliance airlines; Day pass users; Active duty military; Elites as per eligibility.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
Eastern Concourse, Level 3
Daily 4:30 am – 8:15 pm
Star Alliance international premium cabin travelers; Star Alliance Gold; Aeroplan elites; Certain credit cardholders.
Terminal C
Lounge
Location
Hours
Eligibility
Delta Sky Club
Level 4 (access past security screening)
4:45 am - 9:30 pm Sun-Fri, 4:45 am - 8:30 pm Sat
Sky Club members, select premium cabin passengers, and eligible American Express cardholders. This is Delta's biggest Sky Club, including a Sky Deck outdoors with runway views and two excellent buffets.
How to Get to and from LaGuardia Airport?
Here's the kicker: LaGuardia is the only big New York City airport without any rail service. But don't worry; there are plenty of choices for every budget.
Q70 LaGuardia Link (Free Bus): The best transit choice is the free bus Q70 LaGuardia Link, which makes a non-stop journey from the airport to the subway trains in Jackson Heights and one stop further to Woodside, where it connects to Long Island Rail Road. It departs from the front of the terminal and operates non-stop every 8-10 minutes to the subway, and it takes about 15 minutes in regular traffic conditions.
M60-SBS Bus: The M60 should be taken to Uptown Manhattan. The M60 stops at each terminal of the airport and costs $3, connecting to several subway lines at 125th Street in Harlem.
Taxis and Rideshare (Uber / Lyft): Pick-ups are on the arrivals level of each terminal. The design of the new terminal will differentiate between rideshare and car services from taxis and buses; therefore, you should look for signs.
Car Service: A car service to Midtown Manhattan takes 20-40 minutes – perfect for people who have many bags or need to keep to schedule.
Car Rentals: Car rentals are provided by LaGuardia rental car centers at Terminal A. Shuttle buses are running back and forth from each terminal for free.
What makes LGA different?
Proximity, rejuvenation, and hometown flavor make LaGuardia one-of-a-kind.
Nearest Airport to Manhattan: LaGuardia is within eight miles of Midtown Manhattan – the closest among the three NYC airports, hence the most preferred option for busy professionals.
The Great American Airport Transformation: With the help of an $8 billion upgrade project, one of the worst airports in the nation was rejuvenated completely. The old infrastructure of LaGuardia was replaced entirely by a new Terminal B and Terminal C.
The Spirit of New York at LGA: In the course of the renovation of the airport, an array of New York City restaurants were added in order to offer authentic New York bagels, hot dogs, cheesecake, and pizza. Besides, public art installations are available in each of the terminals; these include "Flight" in Terminal A by James Brooks, "Shorter Than the Day" in Terminal B by Sarah Sze, and "Skylight Gems" in Terminal C by Virginia Overton.
Conclusion
Far from being a joke, LGA has become a model of how American airports can be done. The airport serves as an important domestic connection for Delta and American Airlines and is the fastest means of accessing the very core of New York. Knowledge of LGA terminals, lounges, and transportation peculiarities, such as the fact that terminals are not connected airside, will definitely help you in traveling and either seeing a show on Broadway or taking a short business trip up the East Coast. The airport, with its award-winning facilities and plans for improvements, has become a true aviation miracle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the code for LaGuardia Airport?
The code for LaGuardia Airport (IATA) is LGA, and for the ICAO code it is KLGA.
How far is LGA from Manhattan?
It takes about 8 miles from LaGuardia to Midtown Manhattan, which makes LGA closer than JFK and Newark. The distance can be covered by car within 20-40 minutes under normal conditions and up to 60 minutes during rush hours.
Which airlines operate as hubs at LGA?
LGA serves as a hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and among other airlines, it should be noted that JetBlue, Southwest, Air Canada, United, Spirit and Frontier are also significant for LGA.
Is there any train from LGA to Manhattan?
No - LGA is the only major New York City airport without any train connections. Possible options include car services, taxis, rideshare, and bus (M60 SBS/Q70). The good news is that the LaGuardia Link Q70 is free, and there is no fee for using the bus from the airport.
Can I walk between terminals at LGA?
No, Terminals A, B, and C are situated in different buildings, and walking between them after security check will be impossible.
How many passengers use LGA per year?
In 2025, 32.8 million passengers used LGA; the all-time high number of passengers was recorded in 2024 with 33.5 million passengers, making LGA one of the most active airports in the country.