Ruth Haines
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is an international airport located in Houston, Texas, approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston. The airport covers 1,304 acres and has a single terminal with two concourses (one domestic and one international) and 30 overall gates. The airport was originally opened in June 1927 as a private landing field and was renamed after former Texas governor William P. Hobby in 1967. Today, the airport is served by seven airlines and offers flights to over 70 destinations worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Distance from downtown Houston | 11 miles southeast |
| Year of opening | 1927 |
| Area | 1,304 acres |
| Number of runways | 3 |
| Terminals | 1 |
| Concourses | 2 |
| Gates | 30 |
| Transportation | METRO local bus service, Lyft, Uber, taxis, courtesy vans |
| Art | Sculptures, photographs |
| Accolades | Top Five Performing Airports and Premier Customer Service in the North American Region (2009), 5-Star Airport in North America (2022), Best Regional Airport in North America (2022) |
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What You'll Learn
- William P. Hobby Airport is located 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston, Texas
- The airport is named after former Texas governor, William P. Hobby
- It is a 5-star airport with a single terminal, two concourses, and 30 gates
- Hobby Airport is accessible by bus, rail, and road
- The airport has a rich history, dating back to 1927, and has undergone several expansions
William P. Hobby Airport is located 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston, Texas
The airport's name was changed back to Houston Municipal Airport because regulations did not allow federal improvement funds for an airport named after a living person. In 1967, the airport was renamed William P. Hobby Airport, in honour of the former Texas governor and Houston civic leader. William P. Hobby Airport has a rich history, with several expansions and renovations over the years. It became the first airport in Texas to implement full biometric entry and exit for international passengers in February 2020.
The airport has a single terminal with two concourses: one domestic and one international. The domestic concourse opened in 2003 and features various retail shops and restaurants. The international concourse opened in October 2015 after a $150 million project financed by Southwest Airlines. The airline operates the majority of the airport's domestic and international flights. William P. Hobby Airport is easily accessible via the METRO local bus service, with more than 80 routes and thousands of shelters and stops. It also offers a range of ground transportation options, including taxis, ride-sharing services, and shuttle services.
The airport has achieved notable accolades, including being named the first 5-Star Airport in North America by Skytrax in 2022. It has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainability, with a target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. William P. Hobby Airport is an important aviation hub for Houston, accommodating over twelve million passengers in 2015, which accounted for about 20% of all passengers served by the Houston Airport System. It has played a significant role in the growth of the state and continues to expand and improve its facilities to meet the demands of modern aviation travel.
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The airport is named after former Texas governor, William P. Hobby
William P. Hobby Airport, located approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston, is named after former Texas governor William P. Hobby. Covering 1,304 acres, the airport has three runways and a single terminal with two concourses (one domestic and one international) and 30 gates overall.
William P. Hobby was born in 1878 in Moscow, Texas, and began working at the age of 17 as a circulation clerk for the Houston Post in 1895. He was promoted to business writer in 1901 and left the publication in 1907 to become manager and part owner of the Beaumont Enterprise. Hobby entered politics in 1914, joining the Democratic Party and running for Lieutenant Governor of Texas. He was elected and served until 1917 when Governor James Edward Ferguson was impeached and forced to resign from office in a corruption case. Hobby succeeded him, becoming the youngest governor in state history at 39. He went on to defeat Ferguson in the 1918 Democratic primary and won the general election, serving a full term until 1921.
Following his governorship, Hobby returned to the Beaumont Enterprise. In 1924, he was invited to become president of the Houston Post and later became chairman of the board of the Houston Post Company. The airport that bears his name opened in June 1927 as a private landing field known as W.T. Carter Field. It was served by Braniff International Airways and Eastern Air Lines in the 1930s and was acquired by the city of Houston in 1937, becoming Houston Municipal Airport. The airport has since undergone various improvements and expansions, including the addition of an international concourse in 2015 and a $250 million expansion project announced in 2020.
William P. Hobby's legacy extends beyond his tenure as governor. His son, William P. Hobby Jr., served as lieutenant governor of Texas from 1973 to 1991, continuing the family's long association with Texas politics. Hobby himself remained active in various roles, including serving on the Texas Air Control Board and the Board of Directors of Texas Technological College.
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It is a 5-star airport with a single terminal, two concourses, and 30 gates
William P. Hobby Airport is a 5-star airport located in Houston, Texas, approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Covering 1,304 acres, the airport has a single terminal with two concourses and 30 gates. The airport's single terminal houses both domestic and international concourses, with the former featuring various retail shops and restaurants, and the latter opening in 2015.
The airport's history dates back to 1927 when it was a private landing field known as W.T. Carter Field. Over the years, it has undergone several name changes and expansions to accommodate the growing aviation market. In 1938, the airport was renamed the Howard R. Hughes Airport after the Texas governor and Houston civic leader, but it later reverted to Houston Municipal Airport due to regulations regarding federal improvement funds. In 1967, it was renamed William P. Hobby Airport, honouring the former Texas governor.
William P. Hobby Airport has a rich aviation history, with Braniff International Airways, Eastern Air Lines, and Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) operating flights to various domestic and international destinations. The airport has continued to expand and improve, with a new international terminal constructed between 2013 and 2015, and ongoing expansion projects, such as Southwest's $250 million investment to add seven gates.
The airport offers a range of transportation options, including bus, rail, and shuttle services, as well as ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. It is also committed to sustainability, with initiatives such as carbon reduction strategies and book-sharing libraries, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030. William P. Hobby Airport is recognised for its excellence, having received awards for top performance and customer service, and becoming the first 5-Star Airport in North America by Skytrax in 2022.
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Hobby Airport is accessible by bus, rail, and road
William P. Hobby Airport, colloquially referred to as Houston Hobby, is an international airport in Houston, Texas. Located 7 miles from downtown Houston, Hobby Airport is accessible by bus, rail, and road.
By Bus
The airport can be accessed by bus from downtown Houston. From the Downtown Transit Center, take the Green Line eastbound to the Magnolia Park Transit Center. From there, board the 50 Broadway bus to the Hobby Transit Center. The entire trip will take just over 45 minutes.
By Rail
The airport is served by the METRORail, with three light rail lines in and around downtown Houston. The Red Line travels along Main Street through downtown Houston, the Museum District, and the Texas Medical Center. You can transfer to the Green Line at Central Station Main, and then take the Green Line eastbound to the Magnolia Park Transit Center to connect with the 50 Broadway bus to the airport.
By Road
The airport is accessible by road, located 7 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts are available at the airport for pickup and drop-off. Additionally, courtesy vans are operated by various hotels and motels in the Houston area, and can be requested using the courtesy telephones in the baggage claim areas.
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The airport has a rich history, dating back to 1927, and has undergone several expansions
William P. Hobby Airport has a rich history that dates back to 1927. The airport is located approximately seven to eleven miles from downtown Houston, Texas, and has undergone several expansions and name changes over the years.
The airport began as a 600-acre private landing field known as W.T. Carter Field, established by Texas businessman and city council member W. T. Carter, Jr. in 1927. Carter formed an aviation company and constructed the airfield on his own land after the city council rejected his proposal to build Houston's first airport. The WR-4 Hangar, often regarded as Houston's oldest aviation structure, opened in 1928 and serviced airmail planes. In June 1937, the city of Houston acquired the site and renamed it Houston Municipal Airport. The airport's original art deco terminal building, which opened in 1940, now houses the 1940 Air Terminal Museum.
In 1938, the airport was briefly renamed Howard R. Hughes Airport after Howard Hughes, who was responsible for significant improvements, including the construction of the airport's first control tower. However, the name was changed back to Houston Municipal Airport because Hughes was still alive, and regulations prohibited federal improvement funds from being used to name an airport after a living person.
In 1948, Braniff Airlines included Houston on routes from Dallas to Central and South America, marking the beginning of international flights from the airport. The airport continued to expand, adding an international wing in 1949 and introducing new routes to Central America and Europe. From 1954 to 1957, the City of Houston expanded the existing terminal, added a new modern terminal, and remodelled the runway system to accommodate these new destinations. As a result, the airport was renamed Houston International Airport.
In 1967, the airport was renamed William P. Hobby Airport after the 27th Governor of Texas, William P. Hobby. This name change was intended to coincide with the opening of the Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969, but it occurred two years earlier. Despite the name change, the airport continued to experience growth and expansion. In 1966, Houston-based Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) introduced nonstop flights to several destinations, and Braniff operated flights via interchange agreements with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and United Airlines, offering daily services to London, England, and Frankfurt, Germany.
William P. Hobby Airport has continued to undergo expansions and improvements to accommodate increasing passenger traffic. In 2013, construction began on a new international terminal, which opened in October 2015 with a $150 million expansion project financed by Southwest Airlines. In 2020, Hobby Airport became the first airport in Texas to implement full biometric entry and exit for international passengers. The airport has also received awards and recognition for its performance and customer service, achieving 5-Star Airport status in North America by Skytrax in 2022.
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Frequently asked questions
William P. Hobby Airport is located in Houston, Texas, approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
You can access William P. Hobby Airport via the METRO local bus service, METRORail, or METROLift. The entire trip from the Downtown Transit Center takes just over 45 minutes.
William P. Hobby Airport has various retail shops, restaurants, and an interfaith chapel. The airport also features artwork, including sculptures and photographs.
