Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an airport located in New Jersey. It is located between Newark and Elizabeth. It is around 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is owned by the city of Newark and run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It was the first major airport in the United States. It is the busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area by number of flights.