---
title: "ARN is which airport? Stockholm"
description: "ARN is Stockholm Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Why the code is ARN and not something you could guess, what ESSA means, and the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/arn/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is ARN?

**ARN is: Stockholm Arlanda Airport**

Stockholm, Sweden

## Why the code is ARN

ARlaNda, the name of the site. Stockholm collectively is STO.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** ARN
- **ICAO code:** ESSA
- **Airport:** Stockholm Arlanda Airport
- **City:** Stockholm, Sweden
- **Code origin:** Documented

Arlanda is 25 miles north of Stockholm. The name was invented for the airport, formed from Arlanda's parish name Ärlinghundra, and chosen partly because it began with AR and so would sort early in timetables.

## The other code, ESSA

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, ARN, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, ESSA, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why ESSA looks nothing like ARN.

## Common questions

### What airport is ARN?

Stockholm Arlanda Airport, in Stockholm, Sweden.

### Why is Stockholm's airport called ARN?

ARlaNda, the name of the site. Stockholm collectively is STO.

### What is the difference between ARN and ESSA?

ARN is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. ESSA is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [Sweden](https://atoneplace.net/country/sweden/)
- [The flag of Sweden](https://atoneplace.net/flag/sweden/)
- [Airport codes in Sweden](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/sweden/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]