George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Map (Most Up-To-Date)
IAH Terminal A is a “tuning fork” layout inside Houston’s main airport complex: one central core that splits into two long concourses (North and South). The building is relatively shallow from curb to security, but it’s vertically stacked across four levels, which is where most navigation mistakes happen. Level 2 handles departures, checkpoints, and gates; the secure-area “escape” to other terminals is up on Level 3 (Skyway).
Map Table
| Level | Gate Zones | Security | Inter-terminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3 | — | — | Skyway station, central atrium |
| Level 2 | North A1–A15, South A17–A30 | North checkpoint, South checkpoint | Skyway access up from atrium |
| Level 1 | — | — | Baggage claim zones, curb pickup |
| Level LL | — | — | Subway platform, inter-terminal train |
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Map Strategy
- Default to the North security checkpoint for TSA PreCheck/CLEAR reliability, even if your gate is in the South concourse; a short post-security walk beats an unpredictable standard-line merge.
- Treat Level 3 Skyway as the only airside exit from Terminal A; no airside walking to B/C/D/E, so don’t burn time searching for a corridor.
- Use the landside Subway on Level LL when bags or check-in force a terminal change; it’s the fastest “wrong terminal” recovery path without going back outside.
- Do not route “check bags at A” for United-assigned Terminal A departures; United bag drop is not in Terminal A, so your plan must start at Terminal C for checked luggage.
2026 George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Map + Printable PDF
Terminal A in 2026 still runs as a split North/South concourse with two checkpoints feeding one shared post-security atrium. The terminal’s key navigational constraint remains vertical: Skyway access is only post-security on Level 3, while the landside Subway is only on Level LL. Plan your printable map marks around those two nodes.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Level 1 Arrivals Map 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Level 2 Departures and Check In Map 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Level 3 Skyway Map 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Level 4 Parking Map 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Level 5 Parking Map 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Level LL Subway Map 2025
George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal A Map Guide
What is the exact on-map location of the TSA PreCheck entry point at Terminal A (so you don’t accidentally join the standard line)?
The most reliable TSA PreCheck entry point is at Terminal A’s North Security Checkpoint on Level 2 (Departures), where the dedicated PreCheck lane sits immediately beside the CLEAR lane before the general boarding-pass scanners. It’s the checkpoint serving the A1–A15 side.
The PreCheck/CLEAR entrance is in the North ticketing lobby, between the Delta Air Lines check-in counters and the former Southwest counter area. On the map, route to the North side curb entrance (Door A-113) and walk straight into the Level 2 lobby; the PreCheck/CLEAR banners are positioned to the left of the standard queue as you face the checkpoint. If you accidentally enter the South checkpoint area and don’t see a dedicated PreCheck lane, the fastest fix is a 2–3 minute lobby walk back to the North checkpoint.
What is the exact walking distance (or time) from the Terminal A departures curb entrance to the start of the standard TSA queue?
Walking takes about 45–90 seconds, covering roughly 35–50 meters (115–165 feet) from a Terminal A departures curb door to the start of the standard TSA queue. The queue mouth is close because Terminal A’s ticketing lobby is shallow front-to-back.
From Door A-113 (North) or Door A-115 (South) on Level 2, walk straight past the first bank of check-in queuing stanchions; the standard TSA line begins at the open queue entrance facing the checkpoint podiums. If you’re aiming for the North checkpoint, the standard-line entrance sits immediately in front of the checkpoint area, with PreCheck/CLEAR positioned off to the side nearest the Delta/former-Southwest counter bank.
From Terminal A post-security, where is the Skyway/AirTrain platform entrance located (exact corridor/landmark on the terminal map)?
The Skyway entrance is on Level 3, directly above Terminal A’s central post-security atrium, reached from the escalator/elevator bank in the middle of the concourse split. It is not at the ends of either gate pier.
After clearing either the North or South checkpoint, walk into the shared central food court/retail atrium (the hub where the North and South concourse corridors branch). On the map, the Skyway access point is the vertical core between those two corridor mouths: look for the centrally located escalators/elevators that sit equidistant between the “to Gates A1–A15” and “to Gates A17–A30” directions. Follow the overhead “Skyway” signs up one level to the platform.
Which Skyway/AirTrain station stop name should you exit at to reach Terminal C’s main concourse (not baggage claim)?
The correct stop is “Terminal C,” which drops you into Terminal C’s secure-side core near the central concourse. Exiting at “Terminal C” keeps you airside and positioned for gates, not baggage claim.
From the Terminal C Skyway platform (arriving on Level 3), follow signs down toward the departures/gate level and then follow the gate-direction signage for the main concourses (Gates C1–C15 or Gates C29–C45). Staying on the Skyway to the Terminal C stop avoids the inefficient detour of getting off at Terminal B and trying to walk over to C.
Where is the landside underground train (“subway”) entrance in Terminal A (exact level + nearest mapped landmark from baggage claim)?
The Subway entrance is on Level LL (Lower Level), directly below Terminal A’s Level 1 baggage claim, accessed from the central elevator/escalator bank between the color-zoned carousels. It is a pre-security connector.
From baggage claim (Level 1), route to the middle of the hall near the transition between the Blue and Purple baggage-claim zones, where the main vertical core is mapped. Use that escalator/elevator bank down one level to Level LL; the entrance is signed “Subway” / “Inter-Terminal Train.” If you’re standing at a carousel, the correct direction is toward the central core rather than toward the outer curb doors.
What is the exact walking distance from Terminal A baggage claim to the landside underground train entrance?
Walking takes about 30–60 seconds and is under 30 meters (about 100 feet) from Terminal A baggage claim to the elevator/escalator bank that leads down to the Subway. The access point is vertically aligned with the terminal’s central core.
From the nearest carousel, walk toward the center of the baggage-claim hall (between the Blue and Purple zones) to reach the signed “Subway / Inter-Terminal Train” elevators/escalators. The only longer part is the vertical descent to Level LL; the lateral walk on Level 1 is intentionally short so arriving passengers can transfer terminals without crossing the curbside roadway.
On the airside map, what is the exact walk distance from the Skyway drop-off to Gate C1 (route after the train)?
Walking takes about 3–5 minutes and covers roughly 150–200 meters (500–650 feet) from the Terminal C Skyway drop-off to Gate C1. The route is short because C1 sits near the start of the C North concourse.
From the Terminal C Skyway station on Level 3, exit the platform and take the nearest escalator/elevator down to Level 2 (Departures/Gates). At the bottom, follow signs toward the C North concourse (Gates C1–C15); Gate C1 is one of the first gates on that pier. If you find yourself heading toward baggage claim, you’ve gone too far down—turn back to the departures/gate level.
What is the exact walk distance from Terminal A security exit to the nearest gates in Concourse A (first gate cluster)?
Walking takes about 1–2 minutes and covers roughly 50–75 meters (165–245 feet) from the security exit to the first gate cluster in Terminal A. The nearest “first gates” are different depending on which checkpoint you use.
From the North checkpoint exit, Gate A1 is immediately reachable as the first gate on the right at the start of the North concourse (A1–A15). From the South checkpoint exit, Gate A17 is immediately reachable as the first gate on the left at the start of the South concourse (A17–A30). Both exits funnel into the same central post-security atrium, so if you pop out into the food court/retail hub first, you’re only a short turn away from either A1 or A17.
Where are the nearest restrooms to the far end of Terminal A gates (closest restroom bank by gate range on the map)?
The closest dependable restroom bank to the far end of the North concourse is near Gates A12–A13, and the closest dependable restroom bank to the far end of the South concourse is near Gates A24–A25. The very tip areas by A15 and A30 tend to have fewer/smaller facilities.
For North (toward Gates A12–A15), route to the restroom bank just before the final gate stretch, anchored around the Gate A12 area, then continue to A15. For South (toward Gates A24–A30), use the restroom bank around Gate A24 before walking the last corridor segment to A30. If you’re already at the end gates, the quickest backtrack is usually to those A12 or A24 restroom nodes rather than hunting at the pier tip.
Where is the closest reliable power/charging zone in Terminal A (mapped seating area nearest the central spine)?
The closest reliable charging zone is at Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar near the entrance to the South concourse by Gate A17, where bar/booth seating typically has accessible outlets. It sits right off the central post-security atrium.
From either security exit, walk into the central food court/retail hub and turn toward the South concourse (the A17–A30 direction). Cadillac is positioned near that concourse mouth, so you can reach it without committing to the long walk down to the high-number gates. A second strong option is The Breakfast Klub area near Gate A7 on the North side, which is also closer to the central spine than the far-end hold rooms where power can be sparse.
Where exactly is the Terminal A South food court cluster located on the map (so a traveler can route to it without backtracking)?
The main South-side food cluster is immediately past the central post-security atrium at the entrance to the South concourse near Gate A17, not at the far end by the highest-number gates. It’s the first amenity-heavy node when you turn toward Gates A17–A30.
After clearing either checkpoint, walk into the central food court/retail hub (the shared sterile atrium) and then follow the corridor toward the South concourse. On the map, this is the right-hand branch from the atrium leading to A17–A30; the cluster begins right at that branch point around Gate A17, where multiple quick-service options sit before the long straight walk to A25–A30.
Which gate range is closest to the Terminal A South food court (fastest grab-and-go path by gate number)?
Gates A17–A20 are the closest gate range to the Terminal A South food cluster. Those gates sit right at the South concourse entrance where the highest density of quick-service food starts.
From the central post-security atrium, turn toward the South concourse (A17–A30) and you’ll hit the food node first, before committing down the long corridor. If you’re departing from the far South end (around A25–A30), the fastest “no backtrack” move is to grab food at the A17 cluster on the way out, then continue straight down to your gate rather than walking all the way down first and returning.
If you must “check bags elsewhere, then clear at A,” where is the fastest mapped path from Terminal A curbside → security → Skyway (single continuous route)?
Do not clear security at Terminal A if you must check bags for United, because Terminal A has no United bag-drop and the detour can cost 20–30 minutes. The fastest continuous route uses the landside Subway to reach Terminal C for bag drop, then clears security at C and uses the Skyway back to Terminal A.
| Step | Route anchor | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terminal A curb → Level 1 baggage claim core → Level LL | Elevator/escalator |
| 2 | Level LL “Subway / Inter-Terminal Train” → Terminal C | Subway |
| 3 | Terminal C Level 2 United counters | Bag drop |
| 4 | Terminal C security → Level 3 Skyway station | Walk + escalator/elevator |
| 5 | Skyway “Terminal A” stop → Level 2 gates | Skyway + escalator/elevator |
Where on the map are the Terminal A airline check-in counters located relative to North vs South curb entrances (to prevent wrong-door drop-offs)?
Terminal A’s check-in counters are split by curb door: the North entrance at Door A-113 feeds the north-side counter bank, and the South entrance at Door A-115 feeds the south-side counter bank. United counters are not in Terminal A.
North side (enter at Door A-113): Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, WestJet. South side (enter at Door A-115): American Airlines, Spirit. If you’re dropped at the wrong end, the corrective walk is through the Level 2 ticketing lobby, where queuing stanchions can slow lateral movement—so matching Door A-113 vs A-115 to your airline is the simplest time-saver.
