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

# What airport is MIA?

**MIA is: Miami International Airport**

Miami, United States

## Why the code is MIA

The first three letters of Miami.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** MIA
- **ICAO code:** KMIA
- **Airport:** Miami International Airport
- **City:** Miami, United States
- **Opened:** 1928
- **Code origin:** Documented

It handles more international freight than any other airport in the United States, largely because it is the natural transfer point between North and South America. Pan Am built its Latin American network from here, and the geography that made that work has not changed.

## The other code, KMIA

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

## Common questions

### What airport is MIA?

Miami International Airport, in Miami, United States.

### Why is Miami's airport called MIA?

The first three letters of Miami.

### What is the difference between MIA and KMIA?

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

## 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

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