Flying is not everyone’s idea of a good time.
But sometimes, the ends justify the means. And I’m intentionally quoting Machiavelli, as preparing for and going through the motions of flying does sometimes feel like waging war.
And the feeling is moreso post pandemic.
But there’s no doubt it’s easier, faster, and cheaper to get from one far-flung corner of the globe to another by plane.
But once you’ve made the decision to fly, the next decision is to which airport. This decision is easy in most towns and cities, as there’s only one option.
One of the best attributes of Greenwich, CT, is its proximity to an abundance of airports. But that does make the decision process a little harder.
Need some guidance on deciding on traveling to the closest airport to Greenwich, CT?
Read on.
What is the Closest Airport to Greenwich, Connecticut?
The closest airports to Greenwich are, in order of driving time:
- Westchester County Airport: 20 minutes
- LaGuardia Airport: 40 minutes
- JFK Airport: 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic
- Newark Airport: an hour
Below is a more in-depth guide to each of the airports, including what airlines fly to each and directions to get from each airport to Greenwich. I also added recommendations for flying here from some major cities as well as tips for flying in a more eco-conscious way.
Map design by Stanton House Inn with elements from Flaticon
Westchester County Airport
Westchester County Airport is a county-owned airport about 3 miles northwest of White Plains. That’s why locals often call it the “White Plains Airport”.
Westchester County Airport’s airport code is HPN.
Flying in and out of Westchester County Airport is a delight, by comparison to some other airports. It’s small, with a limited number of flights per day. It lacks the insane hustle and bustle of many of the larger New York City airports.
And the best benefit of all for flying in and out of the White Plains Airport? It’s only a 20-minute drive from there to downtown Greenwich and Stanton House Inn.
Airlines that fly to HPN
As befits a small airport, there aren’t a ton of airlines that service HPN. But if you can snag a flight on one of them, I highly recommend it!
The airlines that offer flights to Westchester County Airport are:
- American Airlines
- Cape Air (a smaller airline that flies to points in Eastern New England, including Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard)
- Delta
- JetBlue
- United
- Tradewind Aviation (another local airline that flies to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard)
Westchester County Airport to Greenwich, CT
As I mentioned before, Westchester County Airport is only 20 minutes away from Greenwich. The border of the airport in West Harrison, NY, actually touches the outer border of our town.
To drive from Westchester County Airport to us, the directions are easy:
- Follow the signs from the airport terminal to King Street/Greenwich
- Turn right onto King Street and drive for about 7 minutes to Glenville Street
- Turn left onto Glenville Street, and follow it to the first roundabout you find
- Head straight across the roundabout to Lake Avenue
- At the next roundabout, take the turn-off for Perryridge Road
- When Perryridge Road ends, turn right onto Patterson Avenue
- At the intersection of Patterson Avenue, North Maple, and North Street, turn right and drive down Maple Avenue
- Stanton House Inn will be on your right
Check our directions to Greenwich, CT, for guidance on reaching other points in downtown Greenwich.
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is the oldest of New York City’s airports.
Locals often make fun of it, and dread flying here. As the oldest airport, the vibe does have an aura of memories of a by-gone day when flying was hip and cool and everyone in the ads smoked.
That said, there are some benefits to flying here. For one, after Westchester County, it’s the closest airport to Greenwich.
And compared to JFK, it’s closer to Manhattan. So it’s a faster trip if you plan on using public transportation to get from the airport to Greenwich.
Airlines that fly to LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia’s airport code is LGA. There are plenty of domestic airlines that fly to LaGuardia. Less than JFK, but more than Westchester County Airport.
- AirCanada
- American Airlines
- Delta
- Frontier
- JetBlue
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit
- United
- WestJet
LGA to Greenwich, CT
The drive from LaGuardia to Greenwich, CT, is about 40 minutes.
Driving from LGA to Greenwich, CT
Driving directions from Google Maps are way better, but if you’re in a pinch, they are as follows:
- Get on Grand Central Parkway from LaGuardia Access Road
- Take I-678 North to cross the Whitestone Bridge (and admire the view of the Manhattan skyline)
- Continue onto the Hutchinson River Parkway, then follow signs for I-95 heading towards New Haven and New England
- Merge onto I-95 North
We recommend taking exit 4 rather than exit 3 if you’re not familiar with Greenwich. Click to our guide for in-depth directions for getting to and around Greenwich.
How to Take Public Transportation from LGA to Greenwich
I said it was faster to take public transit from LaGuardia to Greenwich compared to JFK, but I didn’t say it was easy.
Follow directions at LaGuardia for the most up-to-date guidance. I recommend using Google Maps on your phone, just to be safe.
From Terminal B – Upper Level of LaGuardia
- Take the Purple or Blue bus routes to get to the bus terminal
- Hop on the M60-SBS bus and ride it to the Harlem-125th Street train station
- From there, take any train heading towards New Haven (provided it stops in Greenwich, obviously)
- The Greenwich train station is in downtown Greenwich
Play your cards right, and the trip should take you about 2 hours, including a 25-minute walk uphill to Stanton House Inn, less if you take a cab.
John F Kennedy International Airport
Very few people haven’t heard of John F Kennedy International Airport, airport code JFK. It needs no introduction, but a warning.
It’s massive, so plan ahead.
Airlines that fly to JFK
JFK is the New York City hub for American Airlines and Delta. It’s also the home hub for JetBlue.
There’s a long list of international airlines that fly to JFK, you can look over the full list on the airport’s website.
JFK to Greenwich, CT
The drive from JFK to Greenwich, CT, is also pretty straightforward. Depending on traffic, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.
Driving from JFK to Greenwich
From JFK, get on I-678 North and after that, follow directions above for getting from LaGuardia to Greenwich.
How to Take Public Transportation from JFK to Greenwich
If you’re willing to trade your time for money, this is doable.
When I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, I would take a JetBlue flight to JFK airport and then take public transit. Including the walk from the Greenwich train station, this took me about 2 and a half to 3 hours.
But then I paid for an Uber between the two points, and I had a hard time going back.
As with LaGuardia, I recommend having the Google Maps guide handy on your phone, in case there are delays or something changes. Directions are as follows:
- Get on the JFK AirTrain heading to the Howard Beach Station
- Walk to the Howard Beach – JFK Subway Station
- Hop on the A Train towards Inwood – 207 Street
- Ride about 34 minutes to the Fulton Street Subway Station
- Take the 4 line subway towards Woodlawn, and get off at the Grand Central – 42 Street station
- Walk into Grand Central Terminal, and take any train heading towards New Haven that stops in Greenwich.
By the time you get here, you’ll feel accomplished but exhausted, spoken from experience.
Newark Liberty International Airport
Locals poke fun of the portion of the Garden State nearest New York City. I remember high schoolers used to call Northern New Jersey “Mordor” back when the Lord of the Rings movies were in vogue.
But Newark is a very nice airport. And provided you’ve got a car to get from Newark to Greenwich (and are willing to deal with the potential headache of traffic), it’s a straight-forward trip.
Airlines that fly to EWR
Newark Liberty International Airport’s airport code is EWR. It’s a hub for United Airlines, and the list of international and domestic airlines that service Newark is long.
Newark to Greenwich, CT
These directions are the easiest to write, just get on I-95 North and follow it until you reach exit 3 or 4 for Greenwich, depending on how well you know our town.
Check our guide for in-depth directions for Greenwich if you need more guidance once you arrive.
I’m not going to attempt providing you with directions via public transportation because I have no idea.
Guide to Flying Here, by City
As I mentioned before, I would highly recommend flying to Westchester County Airport if possible. After a long flight, you won’t want to deal with New York City traffic if you don’t have to do so.
And after all, it’s the closest airport to Greenwich!
Before you book, hop on Google Flights and look for these flights options to get to Greenwich from:
Atlanta
Take a Delta flight from Atlanta to Westchester County airport.
Charlotte
Take an American Airlines or United flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to the White Plains airport.
Chicago
American Airlines and United fly from Chicago to Westchester.
Detroit
Delta flies from Detroit to Westchester County.
Washington, DC
Take an American Airlines flight to Westchester County Airport.
Central and South Florida
JetBlue flies from the following Florida cities to the Westchester County Airport:
- Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Myers
- Orlando
- Tampa
- West Palm Beach
Which Airline to Prioritize Taking to Get to the Closest Airport to Greenwich, CT
If you can’t get to Westchester County Airport, I would recommend taking whatever JetBlue flight will get you as close to here as possible.
JetBlue is my all-time favorite airline to fly. It’s our local New York City-based airline and one of my cousins works for them.
But I’d recommend JetBlue anyway!
How to Be More Eco Conscious When Flying
Airplanes are not the most environmentally conscious modes of transportation.
In fact, 2% of all global carbon emissions is the responsibility of the aviation industry, as admitted by the International Air Transport Association itself. That said, most critics claim the percentage is much higher.
But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
So, a few suggestions on lessening your environmental impact from flying:
- Flying direct alleviates the impact of take-off and landing, the portions of flight that generate 25% of a flight’s emissions
- Packing less also lessens the amount of carbon needed to produce the lift necessary to get all your luggage (and you) off the ground and moving for miles on end
- Pick day-time flights, if you can. That way, any contrails caused by the airplane will reflect some sunlight back away from the Earth to balance the amount retained and adding to global warming
And most importantly, be selective about what airlines you choose.
Budget airlines are often more eco-friendly than expensive ones. That’s because they pack more passengers on each flight and have newer, more fuel-efficient fleets than older airlines.
And some are now working to offset their carbon emissions. JetBlue announced before the pandemic that it will offset all carbon dioxide emissions from jet fuel for all domestic flights beginning in July 2020. It’s the first major US airline to do so.
See why I love JetBlue?
Plan Your Trip Once You Arrive from the Closest Airport to Greenwich, CT
Need some help getting excited for your visit to Greenwich, so you can be ready for the travel slog?
Feel free to explore our guide to downtown Greenwich, our neighborhood. It’s full of our recommendations for things to do, downtown Greenwich restaurants to enjoy, and the best shopping on Greenwich Avenue.
We also recommend downloading your free copy of our Visitor’s Guide to Greenwich, CT, so that you can plan your visit well before you get here.
And if you’re not sure where to stay, check out our guide to the best Greenwich, CT, hotels.
Safe travels!