Houston, Texas · field elev 96 ft

Density Altitude at George Bush Intcntl/Houston (KIAH)

George Bush Intcntl/Houston sits at 96 ft, and even a typical August afternoon (95 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,403 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: August · ≈2,403 ft station: HOUSTON INTERCONT AP · 1 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at HOUSTON INTERCONT AP (1 mi from the field) · standard pressure, dry air
Month Avg temp °F DA at avg temp Afternoon high °F DA on a typical afternoon
January 53.8 −208 ft 63.8 451 ft
February 57.7 51 ft 67.8 710 ft
March 63.8 451 ft 74.0 1,106 ft
April 70.0 851 ft 80.1 1,491 ft
May 77.4 1,322 ft 86.9 1,914 ft
June 83.0 1,672 ft 92.3 2,245 ft
July 85.1 1,803 ft 94.5 2,379 ft
August 85.2 1,809 ft 94.9 2,403 ft
September 80.5 1,516 ft 90.4 2,129 ft
October 71.8 966 ft 82.8 1,660 ft
November 62.0 333 ft 72.6 1,017 ft
December 55.4 −101 ft 65.3 548 ft

▲ above 5,000 ft · ⚠ above 8,000 ft. These are planning references at standard pressure and dry air — afternoon humidity and low pressure both push the real number higher. Run today's values below.

Run today’s numbers for KIAH

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 2,409 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 2,409 ft

Field elevation 96 ft — the air behaves like 2,409 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
97 ft
ISA DEVIATION
RULE-OF-THUMB DA
AIR DENSITY INDEX
AIR DENSITY
WATER · GRAINS/LB

For training and reference · verify with official sources and your POH before flight · no tool on this site renders a go / no-go judgment

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Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at KIAH in summer?

On a typical August afternoon — around 95 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at George Bush Intcntl/Houston reaches roughly 2,403 ft at standard pressure. Hotter-than-normal days, low pressure, and humidity all push it higher, so run the day's actual numbers before flying.

What is the density altitude at KIAH on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −208 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,809 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 96 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of George Bush Intcntl/Houston?

96 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KIAH (ICAO) / IAH (FAA), in Houston, Texas.