Planespotting Houston — KIAH
George Bush Intercontinental sits about 23 miles north of downtown Houston and is one of United's largest hubs, with a strong long-haul and cargo side on top. It is also one of the few US airports with spotting spots the airport itself recognises: Lee Road under the runway 27 approach and Rankin Road beside the departure runways. IAH has five runways and a very consistent pattern. In the usual west flow, arrivals split between 26R, 26L and 27 while departures go southeast off the parallel 15L and 15R, with nearly every widebody using 15L. In east flow, arrivals switch to 8L and 8R and departures use 15L/15R and 9; north winds after a cold front bring the rarer 33L/33R departures. Summers are hot and hazy, so the low winter sun from November to February is the season locals wait for. Spotterra shows which flow is active and alerts you when a heavy freighter or a rare visitor heads for Houston.
- DAL800 A21N 32 000 ft
- UAL253 B772 6 575 ft
- GJS4526 CRJ7 3 900 ft
- FFT1704 A320 2 950 ft
- ASH3990 E75L 2 900 ft
- ASH6309 E75L 2 850 ft RWY 26L
- DAL1682 A320 2 850 ft RWY 26L
- UCA4838 E45X 2 625 ft RWY 26L
Conditions right now
Runways
- 15L/33R RWY 33R 3,668 × 46 m · 12,034 × 151 ft concrete
- 15R/33L 3,057 × 46 m · 10,030 × 151 ft concrete
- 09/27 3,044 × 46 m · 9,987 × 151 ft asphalt
- 08R/26L 2,862 × 46 m · 9,390 × 151 ft concrete
- 08L/26R 2,740 × 46 m · 8,990 × 151 ft concrete
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 16:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody70%
- Widebody14%
- Cargo8%
- Bizjet5%
- GA2%
- Turboprop1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Lee Road — runway 27 arrivals
The best-known IAH spot, with a gravel parking area just north of the runway 27 approach. Aircraft cross Lee Road at about 200 ft, giving clean side-on shots of United narrowbodies, Latin American carriers and many international arrivals. The A380 and the largest aircraft generally use other runways.
- Getting there
- East side of Lee Road, roughly 450 m south of Will Clayton Parkway. Car only; free gravel lot with a portable toilet. To get the sun behind you, walk south toward the bend in the road — there is no shoulder and traffic is fast, so stay well clear. No shade.
- Best time
- West flow (27 arrivals). Works most of the day from south of the approach path; on long summer days move along the road as the sun swings round.
- Lens
- 100–185 mm; a 777 needs about 100–160 mm, an A320 135–185 mm.
Rankin Road — 15L/15R departures
The other recognised spot and the local favourite, at the end of Rankin Road on the western boundary. In west flow almost every departure, including the long-haul widebodies off 15L, climbs out or lines up in front of you. In rare north flow, line-ups on 33L happen close by.
- Getting there
- Take Rankin Road east from Aldine Westfield Road to the paved turning circle at the airport fence. Park on the asphalt and stay next to your car — airport operations currently ask spotters not to drive or walk up the hill. No facilities; gas stations on Aldine Westfield Road. Bring mosquito spray for evenings.
- Best time
- Afternoon to dusk, as you face east-northeast: from about 2 pm in winter and 4 pm in summer.
- Lens
- 70–160 mm for a 777, 120–400 mm for a 737-800.
Greens Road at Stephenson Road
Further along the 15L departure path, where widebodies often start a right turn back toward the north. This is the place for banking shots of heavies; narrowbodies are usually too high by now.
- Getting there
- Greens Road west of JFK Boulevard; turn onto Stephenson Road and park on the open gravel and grass area. Off airport property, no facilities.
- Best time
- West flow departures, afternoon until sunset.
- Lens
- About 240 mm for a 777, 300 mm or more for a 737.
Terminal A/B garage roof (Level 8)
The top deck of the Terminal A/B garage looks north over runway 8R and the taxiways to the departure runways. On east-flow days you get touchdowns on 8R, and all day you can watch widebodies taxi out from the northern concourses. Good for night shots with a tripod.
- Getting there
- Follow signs for Terminal A/B parking; the helix takes you up to Level 8. Hourly parking fee. Local guides advise phoning Houston Airport System operations before spotting from the garages; even then you may be checked.
- Best time
- Looking north the light is fine all day; 8R arrivals in east flow, ideally on clear winter days before heat haze builds.
- Lens
- About 340 mm for an A320 on 8R; 70–200 mm for ramp activity.
Rigid Road — 8R arrivals
A pull-off by a retention pond in an industrial park west of the field, under the 8R approach. It gives plain side-on airborne arrivals, but it is the reliable fallback when east flow is running and the garage roof is hazy.
- Getting there
- From Aldine Westfield Road turn west onto Rigid Road; the pull-off is on the left before Intercontinental Crossing Drive. Avoid the neighbouring sports field, where spotters have been asked to leave.
- Best time
- East flow (8R arrivals); usable most of the day except summer evenings.
- Lens
- 100–300 mm.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
United and United Express dominate with 737s, A320s, 757s, 767s, 777s and 787s plus Embraer and CRJ regional jets, with routes deep into Latin America. International carriers include Emirates with the A380, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Air France, ANA, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus. American, Delta, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit use Terminal A. The cargo side is strong: FedEx, UPS, Cargolux, Qatar Cargo, Atlas and other 747F and 777F operators, with occasional Antonov visits.
FAQ
What's that plane over Houston?
Open Spotterra's live map to see every aircraft around Houston in real time, including type, registration and route — useful for telling an Emirates A380 from a Cargolux 747 on approach to IAH.
Is spotting allowed at IAH?
Yes, at the recognised spots. Lee Road and Rankin Road are known to airport operations. At Rankin Road, stay on the asphalt next to your vehicle and off the hill. Local spotters also advise calling airport operations before using the terminal garages.
Which runways does Houston use?
In typical west flow, IAH lands on 26R, 26L and 27 and departs on 15L and 15R. In east flow it lands on 8L and 8R. North winds bring departures off 33L and 33R.
When is the best season for IAH?
November to February: lower humidity, less haze and a low sun. Summer midday is hot, hazy and best avoided.
Spotterra watches the sky over Houston
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