---
title: "IAH is which airport? Houston"
description: "IAH is George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, United States. Why the code is IAH and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/iah/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is IAH?

**IAH is: George Bush Intercontinental Airport**

Houston, United States

## Why the code is IAH

Intercontinental Airport Houston, its name when the code was assigned.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** IAH
- **ICAO code:** KIAH
- **Airport:** George Bush Intercontinental Airport
- **City:** Houston, United States
- **Opened:** 1969
- **Code origin:** Documented

It opened as Houston Intercontinental and was renamed for George H. W. Bush in 1997, keeping the code. Houston's other airport, Hobby, holds HOU — so the city has one airport whose code contains an H for Houston and another that is mostly H for Houston, which does not help anyone.

## Codes people book by mistake

| Code | What it actually is |
| --- | --- |
| HOU | William P. Hobby Airport, closer to downtown, used heavily by Southwest. |

## The other code, KIAH

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, IAH, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, KIAH, 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 KIAH looks nothing like IAH.

## Common questions

### What airport is IAH?

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, in Houston, United States.

### Why is Houston's airport called IAH?

Intercontinental Airport Houston, its name when the code was assigned.

### What is the difference between IAH and KIAH?

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

### Is IAH the same as HOU?

No. HOU is william P. Hobby Airport, closer to downtown, used heavily by Southwest.

## Related pages

- [United States](https://atoneplace.net/country/united-states/)
- [The flag of United States](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-states/)
- [Airport codes in United States](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/united-states/)
- [What airport is JFK?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/jfk/)
- [What airport is LAX?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/lax/)
- [What airport is ORD?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/ord/)
- [What airport is ATL?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/atl/)
- [What airport is MCO?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/mco/)
- [What airport is DFW?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/dfw/)
- [What airport is EWR?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/ewr/)
- [What airport is SFO?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/sfo/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)