---
title: "YOW is which airport? Ottawa"
description: "YOW is Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Canada. Why the code is YOW and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/yow/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is YOW?

**YOW is: Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport**

Ottawa, Canada

## Why the code is YOW

Y prefix plus OW, from the Ottawa radio identifier.

This is the explanation in general circulation and it is very likely right, but no primary document has been published that settles it. Treated as an account rather than a fact.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** YOW
- **ICAO code:** CYOW
- **Airport:** Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
- **City:** Ottawa, Canada
- **Code origin:** The usual account, unverified

Ottawa is a capital-city airport with modest traffic, because Canada's political capital is not its commercial one. Most international connections route through Toronto or Montreal.

## The other code, CYOW

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

## Common questions

### What airport is YOW?

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, in Ottawa, Canada.

### Why is Ottawa's airport called YOW?

Y prefix plus OW, from the Ottawa radio identifier.

### What is the difference between YOW and CYOW?

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

## Related pages

- [Canada](https://atoneplace.net/country/canada/)
- [The flag of Canada](https://atoneplace.net/flag/canada/)
- [Airport codes in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/canada/)
- [What airport is YYZ?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/yyz/)
- [What airport is YVR?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/yvr/)
- [What airport is YUL?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/yul/)
- [What airport is YYC?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/yyc/)
- [What airport is YEG?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/yeg/)
- [What airport is YHZ?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/yhz/)

## Sources

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