Westchester. The New York field that is actually near the houses.
White Plains is the quiet answer to a New York arrival when the destination is Greenwich, Bedford or the Connecticut shore rather than Midtown. It is smaller than Teterboro, calmer, and it has rules of its own about the night and the size of the aeroplane.
The airport
Westchester County at a glance
- CodesHPN / KHPNKnown locally as White Plains. It straddles North Castle, Harrison and Rye Brook in Westchester County, New York, with the Connecticut state line along its eastern edge.
- DistanceAbout 33 miles north of Midtown ManhattanAnd a great deal closer to Greenwich, Stamford, Bedford and Pound Ridge, which is the whole reason people use it.
- Runways6,549 feet and 4,451 feetRunway 16/34 is the working one. Runway 11/29 is short and carries a displaced threshold on the 29 end. The field suits midsize and many heavy jets rather than the largest types.
- OvernightVoluntary restraint, midnight to 6:30amOperators are asked not to fly in or out in that window. It is not a hard curfew, but it is taken seriously and a good operator will push back on a 2am departure.
The county also caps scheduled airline traffic at the main terminal, which is why the commercial side of the airport feels unusually small. That cap applies to airline passengers, not to private aviation, and it makes no difference to a charter arrival beyond keeping the roads around the field quiet.
Journey times
From White Plains
| To | Quiet roads | Busy roads |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwich, Connecticut | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Stamford and the Connecticut shore | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 50 minutes |
| Bedford, Pound Ridge and northern Westchester | 20 to 35 minutes | 30 to 50 minutes |
| Midtown Manhattan | 45 to 60 minutes | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 |
| Upper East Side | 40 to 55 minutes | 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 40 |
| Teterboro | 45 to 60 minutes | 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 40 |
| JFK | 50 to 70 minutes | 1 hour 20 to 2 hours |
| New Haven and Yale | 50 to 70 minutes | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The Hutchinson River Parkway and I95 are the two arteries and both can seize up without notice. Cars in New York and Connecticut are arranged through operators we know. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester.
Why people choose it
No river, no tunnel, no bridge
The argument for Westchester over Teterboro is geographical rather than sentimental. Teterboro sits in New Jersey with the Hudson between it and everything on the east side, so a Greenwich arrival that lands there spends an hour crossing a city it never wanted to enter. White Plains is already on the right side of the water. For a house in Greenwich or Bedford the difference is routinely an hour each way, and on a Friday afternoon it can be more.
The trade is size. Westchester's runway is a little over 6,500 feet at an airport that sits close to housing, so the very largest ultra long range jets are generally planned elsewhere and midsize and heavy types do the work. A transatlantic arrival from London is perfectly normal here with the right aircraft; it is a conversation to have with the operator before the charter is confirmed rather than a surprise on the day. See heavy jets, super midsize jets and ultra long range jets.
The second trade is the night. The voluntary restraint from midnight to half past six in the morning shapes the last flight out and the first flight in, and it is the reason a New York trip that ends at a dinner in Manhattan sometimes finishes better from Teterboro. Tell us the whole day and we will say which field the ground plan prefers.
On the field
Three terminals, and customs
Private arrivals use one of three private terminals rather than the passenger building: Signature Aviation, Atlantic Aviation and Million Air all operate here. They are on different parts of the field and they are not interchangeable for a driver, so we ask for the terminal name as well as the airport. Signature is a partner of ours in the United Kingdom; we claim no relationship with any handler in New York and we do not need one to get the car to the right door.
Westchester is a port of entry, so a flight from Europe clears United States Customs and Border Protection here without a detour to a commercial airport. The handler arranges the clearance in advance and it is worth confirming the hours when the flight is booked rather than the night before, because staffing is not round the clock in the way it is at the big international fields. A clean clearance at White Plains is one of the fastest arrivals into the New York area.
The county announced a further modernisation of the passenger terminal in 2026. It is a commercial-side project and private arrivals are unaffected, but construction around an airport has a way of moving access roads, so we check the approach in the week of travel rather than assuming last year's route.
Planning it well
What we ask before a White Plains arrival
Six things that decide whether this is the right field and whether the car is in the right place.
- Which private terminal, by name. Signature, Atlantic and Million Air are all on the field and a driver sent to the wrong one loses twenty minutes
- The aircraft type, because the runway and the neighbours rule out the largest jets and the answer changes the whole plan
- Whether the arrival is international, so the customs clearance is arranged and timed rather than assumed
- The real destination. If it is Greenwich or Bedford this is almost always the right field; if it is Midtown, Teterboro usually wins
- The departure time at the other end of the trip, so the overnight restraint hours are built in before anything is confirmed
- Whether a second car is needed for luggage or staff. See private jet and FBO transfers and group travel
Onward
Around a New York trip
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date and time, tail number or operator, which private terminal, passengers and luggage, and the address in Westchester, Connecticut or the city. Say if the flight is international so the clearance is in the plan. We come back with a clear price and an honest drive time. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About White Plains
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In New York and Connecticut cars are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey holds both ends of the journey.
Is Westchester better than Teterboro?
For Greenwich, Stamford, Bedford and the Connecticut shore, almost always, because it avoids the Hudson crossings entirely. For Midtown, Teterboro is usually quicker.
Can a large jet land at HPN?
Midsize and many heavy jets, yes. The runway is a little over 6,500 feet and the field is noise sensitive, so the largest ultra long range types are normally planned into another airport. Ask your operator before the charter is confirmed.
Is there a curfew?
Not a legal one. Operators are asked to avoid flying in or out between midnight and half past six in the morning, and the request carries weight locally.
Do we clear customs there?
Yes. It is a port of entry and the handler arranges the clearance in advance. Confirm the hours when the flight is booked, because the customs facility is not staffed around the clock.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter and London to New York.
