Flying into Newark Liberty International Airport? From geographical location to airport layout, food and drink options, hidden gems, how to kill time and more, here’s what you need to know
Where Is It?
Newark Liberty (EWR) is located 9 miles west-southwest of Manhattan, 3 miles south of downtown Newark, and is jointly owned by the cities of Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey. It is leased to and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and is one of three major airports serving the New York Metropolitan area; the other two being LaGuardia and JFK. Though its claim to fame is that it is actually the first of the three major airports to serve the area. Cab fare from Newark to Manhattan can cost between $50-$70 depending on exact destination, and may experience increases due to tolls, surcharges or peak traffic times; shuttle services can be a cost-friendly alternative.
Layout Information
Newark Liberty spans 2,027 acres and serves 50 carriers; the facility supports three runways and one helipad. It is the third largest hub for United Airlines, its largest tenant, with its second largest tenant being FedEx Express. There are three passenger terminals (A, B and C) and 121 gates.
- Terminal A – Accommodates 29 gates and handles domestic and Canadian flights that are served by: Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, JetBlue and Southwest as well as some United Express flights. You can locate ticket counters on the top floor, gates and shops on the third floor, luggage carousels on the second floor and parking on the first floor.
- Terminal B – Accommodates 24 gates and handles exclusively foreign carriers, including: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Icelandair, Level, Spirit Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. It also handles JetBlue flights to the Caribbean as well as other smaller carriers like: Allegiant Airlines, Elite Airways and Sun Country. You can locate ticket counters on the top and second floors, baggage claim on the first floor for domestic arrivals and second floor for international arrivals, and gates and shops on the third floor.
- Terminal C – Accommodates 68 gates and serves exclusively United Airlines and United Express. It features three concourses and is equipped with two United Club lounges and one United Polaris lounge. The terminal consists of four levels: on the first level, you can find baggage claim, arrivals and transportation services; the second level services include International Ticketing and Economy Class as well as Premier Access and Business First check-in; the mezzanine level is home to the Airlines Club, immigration counter and currency exchange services; level three hosts domestic ticketing and economy class as well as access to the AirTrain; and lastly, the gate level features food, drink and retail concessions.
You can access live updates for security wait times, walk times to gates, and taxi wait times directly on the Newark Liberty site.
Eating & Drinking at Newark Liberty
From sit-down restaurants and quick bites to convenience markets and more, below is a restaurant roundup of eatery expectations in the various Newark Liberty terminals.
Terminal A offers everything from seafood and sandwiches to coffee, ice cream, pizza and more.
- For a proper sit-down meal, your option here is Phillips Seafood, which is located post-security. Indulge in crab cakes, lobster rolls or a grilled mahi mahi sandwich; or just belly up to the boxy bar as you wait for your boarding time to be called.
- For a quick bite, pop into Earl of Sandwich, also located post-security. There are a variety of tasty counter-service sandwiches to choose from as you count down the minutes until your flight.
- Additional options include concessions like coffee & sandwiches from Abica Coffee, doughy pretzels from Auntie Anne’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Currito Cantina, Dunkin’, Jamba Juice, Qdoba, Ruby Tuesday, Tony Roma’s, Villa Pizza and more.
In Terminal B, you can find everything from sandwiches and sushi to pizza, burgers and more:
- If you’re a beer geek, then you’re in the right terminal for a sit-down session. Check out Belgian Beer Cafe, located pre-security, for an extensive selection of brews as well as beef stew, burgers and sausages.
- For a quick bite, pop into Mediterranean Bistro, located in the rotunda post-security and also in the food court pre-security. Choose from menu items like falafel, shawarma, kebabs and even smoothies.
- Additional options include: sports bar Champps Americana, City Point Bar, Dunkin’, Garden State Diner, McGinley’s Irish Pub, Sora Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar, Starbucks, The Unusual Times, Vino Volo, Wendy’s and more.
Terminal C has the most options of all three terminals and offers a wide selection of cuisines to indulge in before you embark upon your journey.
- For a sit-down meal, try out Abruzzo Italian Steakhouse, which is located post-security. As its name suggests, you can expect a selection of Italian staples like chicken parm, veal chops and various steaks in addition to a full bar. If you’re a breakfast all day kind of person or prefer a simple soup and sandwich, but still want that full bar option, then you can find Garden State Diner post-security as well.
- On the hunt for a quick bite? Try out a freshly made sandwich from Casciano Italian Specialties. The guy behind luxe NYC restaurants Grill and Carbone have opened up shop post-security.
- For more traditional grab and go food options, Terminal C has you covered. You can find the likes of: Auntie Anne’s, Boar’s Head, CIBO Express Gourmet Market, Custom Burger, Dunkin’, Jamba Juice, Nonna’s Meatball Kitchen, Novella, Philly Cheesesteaks, Poppy’s Bagels, Proof Whiskey Bar, Starbucks, Surf Bar, Wendy’s and more.
How To Spend Waiting Time at Newark Liberty
Have some time to kill in Terminal A at Newark Liberty? Aside from the restaurants noted above, there are a variety of things that you can do to occupy your waiting time. From Wi-Fi access and charging stations to pet relief areas, a nursing room and currency exchange services, you can check off a lot of mundane or routine tasks to make your layover more productive. Additionally, there are a handful of Hudson News outlets as well as Duty Free shops to peruse in this terminal. Need your shoes shined? Boss Shoeshine International has you covered.
Spending some quality time in Terminal B? From fashion and accessories to souvenirs, books, magazines, electronics, duty free and more, you have your pick. Check out what America!, InMotion Entertainment, and Lick have to offer, in addition to a number of other retail concessions.
Last but not least is the vast area that is Terminal C. Expect the usual suspects like Hudson News and America!, for your reading and souvenir needs. Desperately seeking a pre-flight massage or a manicure? D_parture Spa can help you achieve the highest level of pampering and relaxation. If you desire a place to worship, you can find two different Interfaith Chapel locations. Terminal C kicks it up a notch in the fashion realm with stores like Coach, Swatch and TUMI. There’s also a Metropolitan Museum of Art retailer in case you didn’t have the opportunity to visit the establishment in Manhattan.
If you have any important tips or tricks you’ve acquired throughout your travels to, through and from Newark Liberty, please share as we’re sure our community would love to hear!