Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Map

Description:
This map shows roads, buildings, terminals, and parking lots in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

About Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) east of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Phoenix and serves as one of the busiest commercial airports in the country. The facility is identified by the IATA airport code PHX and the ICAO code KPHX.

The airport sits at an elevation of 1,135 feet (346 m) above mean sea level and covers approximately 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) within the Salt River Valley. Its boundaries adjoin the city of Tempe to the east and south.

The City of Phoenix acquired the site in 1928. The name "Sky Harbor" was chosen to evoke the maritime concept of a safe refuge, applying the word harbor to an aerial context. A modest airfield operated on the grounds in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and the first permanent municipal terminal opened on October 18, 1935. Subsequent decades brought considerable expansion driven by population growth in metropolitan Phoenix and the broader rise of commercial aviation in the American Southwest. During World War II the airport also served military aviation purposes before returning to full civilian operation after the war.

Phoenix Sky Harbor consistently ranks among the ten busiest airports in the United States by passenger volume, handling between 45 and 50 million passengers per year in recent years. Nonstop service is available to destinations throughout the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and several points in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The airport currently operates two active passenger terminals. Terminal 4, the larger facility, opened in 1990 and accommodates the majority of the airport's gates and airline operations. Terminal 3 opened in 1979 and underwent significant renovation in subsequent years. Terminal 2, which entered service in 1962, was permanently closed in April 2020 and has since been demolished. Terminal 1, the original 1952 structure, was removed in 1990 to make way for Terminal 4.

Three runways serve flight operations. The primary runway, designated 8/26, measures 11,489 feet (3,501 m) in length and 150 feet (46 m) in width. Two parallel runways designated 7L/25R and 7R/25L each measure 7,800 feet (2,377 m) in length. The Federal Aviation Administration classifies the surrounding airspace as Class B, reflecting the volume and complexity of air traffic over the Phoenix metropolitan area.

American Airlines operates a major hub at Phoenix Sky Harbor and accounts for a large share of the airport's daily departures. Southwest Airlines maintains a significant focus city operation, primarily from Terminal 3. Other carriers with substantial service include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Spirit Airlines, along with regional and charter operators. Several international airlines provide seasonal or year-round service to European and Latin American destinations.

The PHX Sky Train is an automated people mover that opened in phases beginning in 2013. It connects Terminal 3, Terminal 4, the Rental Car Center on the airport's east side, and the 44th Street/Washington station on the Valley Metro Rail light rail system. The Sky Train operates continuously around the clock and is fare-free for airport users traveling between its stations.

Road access is available via Interstate 10 and State Route 143. The Valley Metro Rail light rail system provides public transit connections to downtown Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa through the 44th Street/Washington and Washington/Central Avenue stations adjacent to the airport.

The airport's position within a densely developed urban area imposes practical limits on physical expansion and generates ongoing noise concerns for surrounding residential communities. Noise abatement procedures govern certain departure and arrival paths, particularly during nighttime hours.