John F Kennedy International Airport Terminal 5 Map (Most Up-To-Date)
JFK Terminal 5 is a crescent-shaped JetBlue terminal within the wider JFK airport complex, with a “dumbbell” layout: the terminal on one side, the AirTrain station on the other, connected by an elevated Level 4 Skywalk (long, enclosed, often with moving walkways). Arrivals is on Level 1, departures/security on Level 3, and the Skywalk access is above both. Scale warning: the Skywalk + vertical transitions routinely add ~8–13 minutes before you even reach the AirTrain platform.
Map Table
| Zone | Connection | Walk Time |
|---|---|---|
| Arrivals / Baggage Claim (Level 1) | Carousels 1–6; central vertical core | 0–2 min |
| Central vertical core (Level 1) | Elevators/escalators; AirTrain / Parking signage | 0–2 min |
| Departures / Check-in hall (Level 3) | JetBlue counters; security hall; Skywalk access core | 2–4 min |
| Skywalk access (Level 4) | Same vertical core area; parking status displays; AirTrain logos | 1–3 min |
| Skywalk tube (Level 4) | Moving walkways; TWA Hotel views; roadway span | 5–8 min |
| AirTrain JFK station (T5 stop) | Platforms; LCD destination screens; Green/Red line wayfinding | 0–2 min |
| Main security checkpoint (Level 3) | Central security bank; marketplace beyond | 2–6 min |
| TSA PreCheck entry (Level 3) | Far-right end of security bank; near priority/Mint/Mosaic check-in zone | 2–6 min |
| Long-walk gates (airside) | Gates 22–30 (T5i); Gate 28–30 cluster | 10–15 min |
| Taxi / Yellow Cab stand (arrivals frontage) | Level 1 curb; dispatch/queue zone | 2–6 min |
| ADA curbside pickup (arrivals frontage) | Outer curb; pedestrian island segment | 2–6 min |
John F Kennedy International Airport Terminal 5 Map Strategy
- Treat Terminal 5 like a decision tree: for AirTrain, stay inside and go up to Level 4; curbside exits on Level 1 are a common wrong-turn trap.
- For rideshare guidance, distrust “legacy” pickup assumptions (especially anything mentioning Terminal 7/Orange Lot); confirm the current app-directed pickup flow before you start moving.
- For security stress, aim for the correct lane before you commit to a queue; the PreCheck entry is at the far-right end of the security bank relative to the check-in hall.
- For gate timing, assume Gates 22–30 are the long walk; build a 10–15 minute airside walking buffer from the checkpoint to the farthest cluster.
2025 John F Kennedy International Airport Terminal 5 Map + Printable PDF
In 2025, Terminal 5 operations are shaped by JFK’s ongoing redevelopment: AirTrain access remains via the elevated Level 4 Skywalk (not curbside), and ride-app pickup routing is especially sensitive to construction-era rules and outdated directions. Plan for vertical transitions (L1→L3→L4) and longer-than-expected walk buffers even before platform boarding.

2025 John F Kennedy International Airport Terminal 5 Map Guide
What is the exact walking route (turn-by-turn decision points) from Terminal 5 Arrivals / Baggage Claim exits to the AirTrain station entrance, including the correct level transitions (elevators/escalators) to reach the skywalk?
The AirTrain route starts by staying inside Terminal 5 on Arrivals (Level 1), going up to Departures (Level 3), then going up again to Level 4 to enter the Skywalk, which runs straight into the AirTrain station entrance.
| Decision point | What to do | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Baggage Claim (Level 1) | Face the carousels; aim for the central elevator/escalator bank between the carousel area | 1–2 min |
| “Do not exit curbside” threshold (Level 1 glass doors) | Ignore the street/curb exits for taxis; stay inside and follow AirTrain/parking-up arrows toward the vertical core | 0–1 min |
| Vertical transition #1 (Level 1 → Level 3) | Take escalator or elevator up to Departures/Check-in hall (Level 3) | 2–3 min |
| Departures hall drift (Level 3) | Do not go out to the Level 3 curb; move inward toward the interior wall between check-in and the security area, following AirTrain signs | 1–3 min |
| Vertical transition #2 (Level 3 → Level 4) | Take the second escalator/elevator bank up to Level 4 Skywalk access (often by parking/AirTrain status displays) | 1–2 min |
| Skywalk tube (Level 4) | Enter the enclosed Skywalk and continue straight on the moving walkways toward the station | 5–8 min |
| AirTrain station entrance | Skywalk ends at the station entry/turnstile area and platform access | 0–2 min |
Where is the Level 4 skywalk/skybridge entrance inside Terminal 5 (the specific corridor/vertical core) that leads to AirTrain JFK?
The Level 4 Skywalk entrance is reached from the central vertical circulation core that sits behind the JetBlue check-in hall, on the interior side of the terminal near the wall that separates check-in from the security approach.
From Departures (Level 3), stand in the main JetBlue check-in hall and orient toward the security side (not the curbside glass). Follow overhead “AirTrain / Parking” signs to the central elevators/escalators that lead up one more level. On Level 4, the Skywalk entry presents as a narrowed funnel corridor with AirTrain logos and parking/AirTrain information displays, and it immediately turns into the enclosed glass tube with moving walkways toward the AirTrain station.
From Terminal 5 arrivals, what is the exact mapped route to the Howard Beach Ride App Pick Up / Car Services Lot, including the AirTrain boarding point and the correct station exit to reach the lot?
Ride-app pickups for JFK Terminal 5 are routed to the Howard Beach Ride App Pick Up / Car Services Lot, reached by taking the AirTrain Green Line (Howard Beach) after walking the Level 4 Skywalk from inside T5 to the T5 AirTrain station.
| Segment | Key decision points | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| T5 Arrivals (Level 1) → vertical core | Stay inside by the baggage carousels; go to the central elevators/escalators (between the carousel area) | 2–4 min |
| Level 1 → Level 3 → Level 4 | Up to Departures (Level 3), then up again to Level 4 Skywalk access (interior side near the security approach wall) | 3–5 min |
| Level 4 Skywalk → T5 AirTrain station | Straight through the enclosed tube with moving walkways to the station entry/turnstiles | 5–8 min |
| AirTrain boarding at T5 | Platform LCDs: choose “Howard Beach” / Green Line direction (not “Jamaica”) | 2–6 min |
| Ride to Howard Beach | Stops typically include Terminal 7, Terminal 8, Federal Circle, Lefferts Blvd, then Howard Beach | 6–12 min |
| Howard Beach station → Ride App lot | Follow “Ride App Pick Up / Car Services” or “Long Term Parking” signage, avoiding the subway (A) entrance flow | 3–7 min |
At Howard Beach station, which exact exit/side (relative to the AirTrain platforms) leads to the Ride App Pick Up / Car Services Lot pickup area?
The Ride App Pick Up / Car Services Lot is reached by exiting Howard Beach on the “Ride App Pick Up / Car Services” side, not the side that funnels you toward the NYC Subway A train turnstiles.
After you step off the AirTrain at Howard Beach, stay on the AirTrain-paid-area mezzanine and look for signs that say “Ride App Pick Up,” “Car Services,” or “Long Term Parking,” then follow those away from the Subway/A-train entrance corridor. The wrong move is following the biggest crowd stream toward the subway turnstiles and fare-control. The correct exit drops you onto the parking-lot-facing side where the pickup bays/stall numbers are, rather than the subway station side.
If a traveler accidentally follows “rideshare” signage toward Terminal 7 / Orange Lot, what is the precise mapped correction route back to the official T5 rideshare pickup flow (i.e., the shortest path to the correct pickup zone)?
The Orange Lot/Terminal 7 pickup area is a dead end for Terminal 5 rideshare, so the fastest correction is getting into the Terminal 7 AirTrain station and riding the Howard Beach (Green Line) to the Howard Beach Ride App Pick Up / Car Services Lot.
| Step | Where to go | What to follow | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange Lot / Terminal 7 garage frontage | “AirTrain” signs back toward the Terminal 7 station (not “Taxi” or “Subway”) | 3–8 min |
| 2 | Terminal 7 AirTrain station entrance | Up to the platform; check the overhead LCDs | 2–5 min |
| 3 | Correct platform direction | “Howard Beach” / Green Line (avoid “Jamaica”) | 0–5 min wait |
| 4 | AirTrain ride | T7 → T8 → Federal Circle → Lefferts Blvd → Howard Beach | 8–15 min |
| 5 | Howard Beach exit to pickup lot | “Ride App Pick Up / Car Services” or “Long Term Parking” side (not the subway/A-train flow) | 3–7 min |
Where exactly is the TSA PreCheck entry point within Terminal 5’s departures/security area (its position relative to the main checkpoint and JetBlue check-in hall)?
TSA PreCheck at JFK Terminal 5 is at the far-right end of the main security checkpoint bank when you’re standing in the JetBlue check-in hall facing toward security.
In the Departures/Check-in hall (Level 3), orient yourself so the check-in counters are behind you and the security screening lanes are in front of you. Walk along the front of the security area toward the right-side wall until you reach the dedicated PreCheck lane entrance with the PreCheck banners. It sits closest to the JetBlue priority side of the hall (near the Mint/Mosaic-style check-in zone), so entering the central/general queue first often forces an awkward sideways cut to reach it.
What is the mapped walking distance from the main Terminal 5 security checkpoint to the farthest typical JetBlue gate area (identify the “long-walk” gate cluster on the map)?
Walking is about 1,200–1,500 feet (roughly 400–500 meters) from the main Terminal 5 security checkpoint to the farthest typical JetBlue gates, with the long-walk cluster at Gates 28–30 in the T5i (south/international) extension.
| From security exit landmark | To gate cluster | Approx distance | Typical walk time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace atrium entrance (post-security) | Gates 8–21 (central concourse) | 300–800 ft | 3–7 min |
| Marketplace atrium entrance (post-security) | Gates 1–7 (north/right concourse) | 500–1,000 ft | 5–10 min |
| Marketplace atrium entrance (post-security) | Gates 22–30 (south/left concourse, T5i) | 1,000–1,500 ft | 10–15 min |
| Marketplace atrium entrance (post-security) | Gates 28–30 (farthest end of T5i) | 1,200–1,500 ft | 12–15 min |
From Terminal 5, which AirTrain platform direction should you take to reach Terminal 8 with the fewest wrong-turn opportunities (identify the exact platform access point at T5 and the stop sequence)?
Taking the AirTrain in the Terminal 7 → Terminal 8 direction is the fewest-wrong-turn route from Terminal 5 to Terminal 8, because it reaches T8 in two stops without leaving the terminal loop.
| Step | Where exactly at T5 | What to select | Stop sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enter the T5 AirTrain station from the Level 4 Skywalk end | Platform LCDs showing “Airline Terminals / All Terminals” | N/A |
| 2 | On the platform | Choose the train whose screens list Terminal 7 next and Terminal 8 after (not “Howard Beach” only, not “Jamaica”) | T5 → T7 → T8 |
| 3 | Ride | Stay on through Terminal 7 | Arrive Terminal 8 next |
| 4 | Exit | Follow Terminal 8 station signs down to the terminal connector | N/A |
Where is the Taxi/NYC Yellow Cab pickup located relative to Terminal 5 baggage claim doors (which curb/door zone on the terminal frontage map)?
NYC Yellow Cab pickup for Terminal 5 is on the Arrivals level (Level 1) curb immediately outside the baggage claim exit doors, at the designated taxi stand/dispatch queue along the terminal frontage.
From baggage claim, follow “Taxi” signs to the Level 1 curb and look for the taxi dispatcher/queue zone rather than any “Ride App” instructions. The common wrong turn is heading upstairs toward the Level 4 Skywalk (that’s for AirTrain and the remote rideshare flow), but yellow cabs are staged at the arrivals frontage curbside where the taxi line forms outside the main baggage claim door set.
Where is the accessibility/ADA curbside pickup point at Terminal 5 (the exact curb segment/“pedestrian island” position) relative to arrivals doors?
ADA curbside pickup at Terminal 5 is on the Arrivals level (Level 1) at the outer curb alongside the pedestrian island directly outside the baggage claim exit doors.
After exiting baggage claim to the roadway, do not wait at the inner curb closest to the building façade. Instead, cross to the pedestrian island and position at the outer curb edge where accessible pickup is typically signed with blue accessibility symbols. This is the pull-through-friendly curb segment that lets vehicles stop without blocking the main curb lane, and it’s the curb position used for the Terminal 5 accessibility exception to the remote rideshare pickup flow.
