William P. Hobby Airport

Known as Hobby Airport, William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is only seven miles from Houston's downtown. For those who wish to avoid the hubbub of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which also serves the Houston region, it's a terrific airport.

However, this smaller airport, which bears the name of a previous governor of Texas, is expanding swiftly and currently handles over 8 million passengers annually.

Know Before You Go

Most flights to William P. Hobby Airport are domestic because George Bush Intercontinental Airport handles all foreign flights into Houston. The airport is served by numerous reputable US airlines, and some of the busiest routes link it to Atlanta, LA, New York, and Austin.

Due to its compact size, Hobby Airport offers a few benefits. Often, the security procedure seems to be completed more quickly and with greater personalization. There are a few dining establishments and shopping opportunities near Hobby Airport, but there is only a little variety.

Terminal Transfer

There is only one terminal with two concourses (one domestic and one international) and 30 overall gates.

Getting into Town

Train: The William P. Hobby Airport lacks a train station; however, you can take the METROBus at Curb Zone 3 outside Arrivals. The Downtown Transit Center, located between Jefferson and Pierce Roads, is where travelers can also take a bus or taxi into downtown Houston and board a train. Taxi: As you leave the arrivals area of the terminal, head to zone 3 to find taxis. A flat rate based on a zone system applies to taxis traveling to locations in Houston. However, cabs are also permitted to tack on additional fees, such as a $1.25 departure fee added to the total meter rate and a $1 per trip late-night surcharge from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

In Houston, there are 11 taxi zones: Ellington Airport and Southeast Houston are included in Zone 1, cab prices are $27; downtown Houston is included in Zone 2, where it's $22; the Bush Intercontinental Airport is in Zone 8, where they are $60; and the NASA Space Center is located in Zone 9, where they are $31.

Bus: Route 88 of the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority connects the airport with downtown Houston. Outside the area for baggage claim, buses depart from Zone 13. Every 30 to 40 minutes during the week, from 5:09 am to 12:42 am, and on Saturdays from 5:50 am to 11:21 pm, buses depart from the airport. The first bus fare is $1.25. Car Parking

Most of the airport's parking spaces are located in the four-story garage that connects to the terminal. Additional 4,000 parking spaces are available in two ecopark lots. The eco-park lots are close to the terminal and are situated on either side of the garage.

The parking garage has hourly rates of $3, $6 for the first two hours, $8 for the next three, $10 for the next five, and $20 for the entire day. For the first 24 hours, Ecopark fees start at $9.24, excluding tax and airport fees. Off Airport Boulevard, there is a free parking space where cars can wait to pick up incoming customers.

Information Desks

Between Papasitos Cantina and Euro Cafe in the main terminal building is where you can find the airport's information desk. The bilingual customer service agents are dispersed throughout the airport. Additionally, they have a lot of expertise in lodging and local activities.

Hotels near William P. Hobby Airport, Houston

• Best Western Plus Hobby Airport Inn and Suites
• La Quinta by Wyndham Houston Hobby Airport
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Houston Hobby Airport
• GreenTree Hotel Houston Hobby
• Red Roof Inn & Suites Houston - Hobby Airport

Airport Facilities

Money and communications:

The terminal has public phones, mailboxes, ATMs, and currency exchange stations.

Carts for carrying luggage can be rented around the terminal for a few bucks. You can call the lost-and-found center or go to the information desk and ask the service staff for assistance.

Business and conferences: Concourse C on the third floor of the terminal building houses a meeting room. It may be reserved at the airport's information desk and comes with audio-visual equipment, faxing, and photocopying capabilities.

Other amenities: The airport offers a shoe shine stand, convenience stores, smoking places, pet relief areas, an interfaith chapel, massage chairs, and phone charging stations.

Wi-Fi: Accessing a webpage displaying flight information is the only free Wi-Fi service offered at William P. Hobby Airport. If you want to view other pages, you must sign up with Boingo and purchase a package through its website.

Shopping: Shopping options are limited at William P. Hobby Airport due to its size. You can find fantastic mementos at the Rodeo Houston store and Discover Houston Space City, including cowboy hats. Visit the Hudson News store for newspapers and magazines. Clothes and accessories are sold by Life is Good.

Food and drink: William P. Hobby Airport offers a wide variety of delectable dishes and beverages. These include on-the-go meals from places like Wendy's, Subway, Barry's Pizza, Euro Cafe, and Pappasito's Cantina.

However, it appears that the airport lacks high-quality coffee shops, so travelers looking for their daily caffeine fix might try Euro Cafe or Peet's.

FAQs about William P. Hobby Airport