IAH vs Hobby: Which Houston Airport Is Better for Your Trip?

The short answer

• Fly into Hobby (HOU) if you're headed Downtown, to the Medical Center, NRG Park, Clear Lake or Galveston, and Southwest flies your route.
• Fly into IAH (Bush Intercontinental) if you're flying internationally or on United, or you're staying in The Woodlands, Kingwood, Spring or north Houston.
• The Galleria and Katy sit in between. Pick whichever has the better flight.

Hobby Airport (HOU) at a glance

Hobby is about 7 miles southeast of Downtown. It's smaller and quicker to get through, with 30 gates across two concourses. Southwest carries the large majority of its passengers, and Delta, Frontier and Allegiant also fly there. Southwest runs international flights to Mexico and Latin America from Hobby's international concourse.

Bush Intercontinental (IAH) at a glance

IAH is about 23 miles north of Downtown and is a major United hub, with terminals A through E and most of Houston's long-haul international flights. The expanded Terminal D-West Pier opened in October 2024 with six new gates for international service, as part of the airport's larger terminal redevelopment.

Typical drive times by car service

These are outside of rush hour. Allow more time on weekday mornings and afternoons, and on Rodeo, OTC and holiday weeks.

• Downtown: about 20 minutes from Hobby, 35–45 from IAH
• Galleria / Uptown: about 25–30 minutes from Hobby, 35–45 from IAH
• Texas Medical Center: about 20 minutes from Hobby, 40–50 from IAH
• The Woodlands: about 30 minutes from IAH, 50–60 from Hobby
• Galveston cruise port: about 55 minutes from Hobby, 1 hour 20 from IAH

Getting picked up: what to expect

Both airports keep the arrivals curb moving. Drivers can't wait at the curb for passengers who haven't come out yet, and IAH points waiting drivers to free cell phone lots. With a chauffeur, you skip all of that. We track your flight, the chauffeur meets you inside at baggage claim with a name sign, helps with bags, and walks you to the car.

• Text your chauffeur when you land and again when you have your bags.
• International arrivals at IAH take longer after customs, and we time the meet for that.
• Traveling as a group or with lots of luggage? A Suburban, Yukon XL or Sprinter beats two rideshares.

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