Which Philadelphia Airport is best to fly or closest to City?

Philadelphia Airport is the closest to the city centre just 9.5 miles (15.3 km) away and it is served by its own fast SEPTA airport train lines to central Philadelphia in just 25 minutes. New Castle International airport is 35.7 miles (57.6 km) and it does not have a direct train service from the airport, the nearest train station is ten minutes away by cab from which can get you to the city in 50 minutes (including cab journey time). This is very inconvenient for travellers with kids and plenty of luggage. Atlantic City International airport is further from Philadelphia’s city centre 53.3 miles (85.8 km). To get to the nearest train station from this airport takes a series of connects by taking a taxi to the NJ Transit bus 554 then to the PATCO train line which will get you to the city in 1h 57 minutes. This is not a comfortable way to travel for passengers with children or with plenty of luggage.

Compare airport distances and transfer times to the center of Philadelphia by public transport below.

Distance to Central Philadelphia:

Philadelphia Airport: 9.5 miles / 15.3 km

New Castle Airport:35.7 miles / 57.6 km

Atlantic City Airport:53.5 miles / 85.8 km

Philadelphia Airport to the Central Philadelphia Journey Times:

By Train: 25 minutes

By Bus: 40 minutes

By Taxi: 15-30 minutes

New Castleto Central Philadelphia Journey Times:

By Train (Taxi+ Train): 50 minutes

By Bus: 103 minutes

By Taxi: 30-45 minutes

Atlantic City Airport to Central Philadelphia Journey Times:

By Train (Taxi + Bus + Train): 110 minutes

By Bus: 130 minutes

By Taxi: 50-60 minutes

Deciding which airport is best to fly greatly depends on the destination you are departing from, airport and airline also determines which airport you will arrive into in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia airport is the best airport to fly into Philadelphia, because of its closeness to the city just 15.3 km away, it is well linked to the central Philadelphia by fast and efficient SEPTA train lines direct from the airport taking just 25 minutes. The airport serves top airlines like Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Icelandair, Jetblue, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United, Virgin America and many more with both short and long haul flights. From this airport, you can easily get to the attractions around Philadelphia with ease. This is the best airport to fly for business travellers but note that it is the primary airport serving Philadelphia so you will experience some flight delays, long queues at immigration/security. 

New Castle Airport is the second closest airport to central Philadelphia located 57.6 km away by road, it will take you 50 minutes using a taxi to Amtrak Acela Express or SEPTA train connections to the nearest train line. This is generally not very comfortable for passengers travelling with a lot of luggage or with children. Many airlines also operate fromthis airport such as Air France, BMI Regional, EasyJet, British Airways, KLM, Easy Jet, Emirates, BH Air, TUI Airways, Flybe, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines and many other airlines with domestic and international flights to cities across the world. Use this airport only if you have enough time to spare as a business traveller, tourist or student.

Atlantic City is further away from the city centre at 85.8 km, to get to the closest PATCO train station, you have to use a taxi at the airport to the NJ Transit Bus 554 which will get you to the train station and then the city centre in Philadelphia in 1hour 57 minutes. Only Spirit Airlines operate from this airport with domestic flights around the US but it has the facilities for inbound international flights from charters, private jets and more. Due to the distance from this airport to the city centre and its lack of direct public transport services, it is better to use a taxi to the city centre which is more expensive and faster.

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Philadelphia international airport is better to fly into Philadelphia, this is because it is served by a direct SEPTA train to central Philly from the airport for a 25 minutes journey time. Trains cost $7-$9, SEPTA buses also run from the airport to the city for a 40 minutes journey time and fare starts from $3-$5. Although this airport is closer to the city centre, it is also the main airport in Philadelphia so you’ll see more crowd at the airport, longer queues at security/immigration. Philadelphia airport also has 6 terminals which can be daunting for passengers to move around on foot.

Philadelphia international airport is closest to the Liberty Bell, an icon symbolic to America’s independence, it is located in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The distance by road from the airport to this top iconic attraction is 17.3 km, using the fast SEPTA train at the airport, you will get to the Jefferson station (29 min) where you have to walk (11 min) to the attraction. It will take you a total of 40 minutes to the Liberty Bell. Taxi and Uber are faster means or alternatives taking just 20 minutes for the journey, taxis fare starts from $50-$60 while Uber starts from $17-$25. Other attractions in Philadelphia include, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern State Penitentiary, Independence National Historical Park, The Franklin Institute, Barnes Foundation, Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia City Hall, Please Touch Museum, Old City, Rodin Museum, Adventure Aquarium, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, Love Park, Independence Hall, National Museum of American Jewish History, The African American Museum in Philadelphia, National Liberty Museum and many more.

From Philadelphia Airport by:

Train (SEPTA): $7-$9 - http://www.septa.org/ Train runs every 30 minutes from 5:07 until 12:00.

Bus (SEPTA): $3-$5 - http://www.septa.org/key/updates/airport-quick-trips.html Bus runs every 30 minutes from 5:00 to 12:00.

Taxi: $45- $55–http://philataxicab.com/Available 24/7.

Uber:$26.27-$40.22 - https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate// Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

From New Castle Airport by:

Train (DART + SEPTA & Amtrak): $8-$12 http://www.septa.org/ Train runs every 4 hours from 4:20 am - 11:20 pm.

Bus (DART 22/25): $12-$23http://www.dartfirststate.com/Bus runs hourly from 5:04 - 12:45.

Taxi: $160-$200 –http://www.yellowcabofsarasota.com/ Available 24/7 at the airport.

Uber:$67.03 - $70.56 - https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate//Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

From Atlantic City Airport by:

Train (Taxi + NJ 554 + PATCO): $36-$49 - http://www.njtransit.com/Train 15 minutes .

Bus (Taxi + NJ 554 + 551): $41-$63 http://www.njtransit.com/ Bus runs every hour from 3:25-11:55.

Taxi: $180-$250–http://www.acyellow.com/Available 24/7.

Uber:$120.37 - $182.09 - https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate//Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

Hotel prices can vary greatly depending on how far in advance you book, the demand for rooms, and which hotel you book but the prices below will give you a rough idea and you can do further research and hotel booking at https://www.tripindicator.com/hotel.html

Philadelphia Airport Hotels:From $76.45 per night

New Castle Airport Hotels: From $59 per night

Atlantic City Airport Hotels: From $50 per night

All of the airports mentioned offer competitive prices and a range of cars to suit your needs. Prices are based on the type of car, driver age, length of hire, and demand but you can get a rough idea for each airport below.

Philadelphia Airport Car Rental:

Economy Cars – Ford Fiesta -starting from $208per week

Full Size Cars – Chevrolet Malibu -starting from $228per week

Compact Cars – Ford Focus - starting from $213per week

SUV Cars-Chevrolet Tahoe- starting from $438per week

Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/Philadelphia-airport.html

New Castle Airport Car Rental:

Economy Cars – Ford Fiesta -starting from $195 per week

Full Size Cars – Chevrolet Malibu -starting from $288 per week

Compact Cars – Ford Focus - starting from $200 per week

SUV Cars-Chevrolet Tahoe- starting from $389 per week

Compare Prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/newcastle-airport.html

Atlantic City Airport Car Rental:

Economy Cars – Ford Fiesta -starting from $152per week

Full Size Cars – Chevrolet Malibu -starting from $186per week

Compact Cars – Ford Focus - starting from $157 per week

SUV Cars-Chevrolet Tahoe- starting from $544 per week

Compare Prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-rental.html