Opa-locka, Miami or Fort Lauderdale: choosing your runway
South Florida has at least seven airports that suit a private jet from New York. The flight time barely changes between them; the drive at the other end can change by an hour.
Photo: Miami Beach from the air, a short drive from Opa-locka.
Fly private from New York to South Florida and the time in the air barely changes with the destination: about two hours and forty-five minutes to three hours to the Miami airports, a little less to Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, and about two and a half hours to Palm Beach. The drive at the other end is a different story. Land at the wrong airport on a Friday afternoon and you can spend nearly as long on I-95 as you did in the air. Choosing the runway is the single easiest way to shorten the trip.
Miami-Opa locka Executive (OPF)
Opa-locka sits north of Miami and has no airline traffic, which makes it one of the most popular airports for private flights into the city. It is the natural choice for Miami Beach north of South Beach, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles and Aventura, and it works well for South Beach too, usually 25 to 35 minutes away by car outside rush hour. Arriving from New York, many travellers never set foot near the airline side of Miami at all.
Miami International (MIA)
Miami International is a major airline hub, but private flights use their own terminals on the field. Its advantage is position: it is the closest airport to Brickell, Downtown, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne, often 15 to 20 minutes from Brickell. The trade-off is that it is busier, in the air and on the ground, at peak times, so it suits travellers whose final destination is in the centre or south of the city.
Miami Executive (TMB)
Southwest of the city, Miami Executive is quieter and more relaxed than the big airport. It suits Pinecrest, South Miami and parts of Coral Gables, and it is the most convenient starting point if you plan to drive on to the Keys.
Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL)
Fort Lauderdale has two good options. The Executive airport is a busy general aviation field north of the city, close to Las Olas and the beaches, and popular with people who keep boats or homes along the Intracoastal. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is an airline airport with private terminals, slightly closer to downtown and next door to Port Everglades, which makes it the obvious choice for anyone joining a cruise.
Boca Raton (BCT)
Boca Raton has its own small airport a few minutes from the centre of town. For anyone staying in Boca or Delray Beach, it beats every alternative by a wide margin: land, and you can be at your door in ten minutes.
Trump International (DJT, formerly PBI)
For Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, there is only one sensible choice. The airport, renamed President Donald J. Trump International in 2026, has private terminals about 10 to 15 minutes from the island, and at around two and a half hours from Teterboro it is also the shortest flight of the group.
The runways side by side
| Airport | Best for | Typical drive, off-peak |
|---|---|---|
| Opa-locka (OPF) | Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles | 20–35 min |
| Miami International (MIA) | Brickell, Downtown, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne | 15–35 min |
| Miami Executive (TMB) | Pinecrest, South Miami, the road to the Keys | 15–30 min |
| Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) | Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale beaches, Pompano | 15–20 min |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) | Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, cruises | 10–15 min |
| Boca Raton (BCT) | Boca Raton, Delray Beach | 5–10 min |
| Palm Beach (DJT, formerly PBI) | Palm Beach island, West Palm Beach | 10–15 min |
How to choose
- Start with where you are sleeping. Pick the airport with the shortest drive to that address, not the one with the most famous name.
- Check the clock. I-95 and the causeways clog at rush hour. A slightly longer drive on a quiet road can beat a short one in traffic.
- Watch the event calendar. During Art Basel week in early December, or a big race or festival weekend, roads near Miami Beach slow down and private terminals get busy. Landing a little further away can be quicker.
- Think about what comes next. Cruises favour Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood; the Keys favour Miami Executive; onward flights to the Bahamas can leave from almost any of them.
Not sure? Put your neighbourhood in the notes of a quote request. We will suggest the runway and price the trip to it, and you can see the alternatives side by side.
Arriving with a season’s worth of luggage
Snowbirds often fly down with months of clothes, golf clubs and a dog or two. Wherever you land, the private terminal keeps the walk from aircraft to car short; what changes is the drive afterwards, and whether everything fits in the hold in the first place. If the luggage list is long, tell us early. A slightly larger aircraft for the trip south is often simpler than shipping bags ahead, and lighter visits later in the season can go back to a smaller jet.
Going home
The same logic works in reverse. Leave Florida from the airport nearest where you are staying, and land in New York at the airport nearest your door: Teterboro for Manhattan and New Jersey, Westchester for the northern suburbs and Connecticut. Northbound flights take roughly the same time as southbound ones, sometimes a little less when the winds help.
The route guide matches neighbourhoods on both ends to airports and drive times, and Teterboro or White Plains covers the New York side in more detail.