The Las Vegas airport is called Harry Reid International Airport, and its code is LAS. If you booked a trip a few years ago, you probably knew it as McCarran International Airport. The airport did not move and nothing else changed about flying in or out of it. Clark County gave it a new name in December 2021, and the old name still shows up in plenty of apps, signs, and conversations.
- The Las Vegas airport is Harry Reid International Airport, code LAS.
- It was called McCarran International Airport until December 14, 2021.
- Harry Reid and McCarran are the same airport, in the same location.
- The codes LAS (IATA) and KLAS (ICAO) never changed.
- It sits in Paradise, NV, about five miles from downtown Las Vegas.
What’s in This Guide
The Short Answer: Harry Reid International (LAS)
There is one major commercial airport in Las Vegas, and it is Harry Reid International Airport. You will see it written as “Harry Reid International,” “Reid International,” or just by its code, LAS. There is no separate “Las Vegas International Airport,” so if a listing uses that phrase, it is referring to this same airport by an informal name.
The airport is in the unincorporated community of Paradise, Nevada, roughly five miles south of downtown Las Vegas and right off the south end of the Strip. That short distance is a big part of why so many visitors land, grab a ride, and are checking into a Strip hotel within 15 or 20 minutes.
That passenger volume makes LAS one of the busiest airports in the United States, and for a city of roughly 650,000 residents, the traffic is almost entirely travelers. If you want the full breakdown, see the latest Las Vegas airport passenger numbers.
Here is where the airport sits relative to the Strip and downtown:
Source: Harry Reid International Airport official website | Harry Reid International Airport reference
The Airport’s Names Over Time
The confusion over what to call the Las Vegas airport makes more sense once you see how many names it has carried. It has been renamed more than once, and the current name is the newest of the bunch.
The airport opened in January 1943 as Alamo Field. In 1948, after Clark County took it over and commercial passenger flights began, it was renamed McCarran Field on December 19, 1948, after Nevada U.S. Senator Pat McCarran. As the facility grew into a full international gateway, it operated for decades as McCarran International Airport, the name most people over 25 grew up with.
That held until 2021. On February 16, 2021, the Clark County Commission voted unanimously to rename the airport, and on December 14, 2021, it officially became Harry Reid International Airport. The new name honors Harry Reid, a former U.S. Senate Majority Leader from Nevada, who died later that same month.
Source: Harry Reid International Airport history | Las Vegas Sun coverage of the 2021 vote
Harry Reid vs. McCarran: Why People Still Say the Old Name
If you still hear “McCarran,” you are not out of date so much as early to a slow habit change. A name that was in place for more than 70 years does not disappear from signs, maps, luggage tags, and muscle memory overnight. Here is how the old name and the new name line up.
| Detail | McCarran International (old) | Harry Reid International (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Retired name (pre-Dec 2021) | Official name since Dec 14, 2021 |
| Airport code | LAS | LAS (unchanged) |
| Location | Paradise, NV | Paradise, NV (same site) |
| Named after | Sen. Pat McCarran | Sen. Harry Reid |
| You’ll still see it on | Older maps, signs, GPS, booking tools | Boarding passes, new signage, official site |
So whichever name a travel site, a rideshare app, or a relative uses, they are all talking about the airport with the code LAS. When you confirm a pickup, the name on the reservation matters far less than the terminal and the airline, which is why it helps to know where to meet your chauffeur at the airport.
The LAS Code, KLAS, and Your Boarding Pass
The thing that never changes, no matter what the airport is called, is its code. The three-letter IATA code LAS is short for Las Vegas, and it has stayed constant through the Alamo Field, McCarran, and Harry Reid eras. Pilots and air traffic systems use the four-letter ICAO code KLAS, which also did not change.
This is why the renaming caused so little disruption for travelers. Your flights, your booking confirmations, and your boarding passes all key off the code, not the honorific name. If your ticket says LAS, you are flying to the Las Vegas airport, full stop, whether the gate signs say McCarran or Harry Reid.
Source: Harry Reid International Airport codes
Why the Name Matters When You Book a Ride
For most of your trip, the airport’s name is trivia. The one moment it can matter is when you arrange ground transportation, because older directories and some booking forms still list “McCarran.” If you are comparing options, make sure every quote points to the same airport, LAS in Paradise, Nevada, so you are comparing apples to apples.
From there, the decision is less about the name and more about how you want to get to your hotel. A taxi line, a rideshare pickup, and a pre-booked chauffeur are three very different arrival experiences, and we broke them down in our guide to comparing a taxi, rideshare, or chauffeur from the airport. For a full walkthrough of terminals, baggage, and pickup zones, see our complete Harry Reid International Airport guide.
Personal Sedan Services runs licensed, background-checked chauffeurs who track your flight by its LAS code and flight number, so your driver is there whether you land early, late, or exactly on time. No surge pricing, no shared rides, and no guessing which curb to stand at.
See our Las Vegas airport shuttle service
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Las Vegas airport called?
Is Harry Reid the same airport as McCarran?
What is the airport code for Las Vegas?
Why was McCarran airport renamed Harry Reid?
How far is Harry Reid International Airport from the Strip?
Related Las Vegas Airport Terms
- Harry Reid International Airport is the current official name of the Las Vegas airport.
- McCarran International Airport is the former name, used until December 2021.
- LAS is the IATA airport code for Las Vegas, printed on your boarding pass.
- KLAS is the ICAO code used by pilots and air traffic control.
- Paradise, NV is the community where the airport is located, just off the Strip. Read our full airport guide for terminals and pickup zones.
- Las Vegas airport shuttle is the ground transportation that carries arrivals from LAS to their hotel. Compare taxi, rideshare, and chauffeur options.
Sources
Airport name, codes, location, and 2025 passenger figures: Harry Reid International Airport official website and Harry Reid International Airport reference. Renaming vote and effective date: Las Vegas Sun.
