SafekipediaWestchester County Airport
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Westchester County Airport (IATA: HPN, ICAO: KHPN, FAA LID: HPN) is an airport owned by the county. It is located in Westchester County, New York, United States, about three nautical miles northeast of downtown White Plains. The airport is in the towns of North Castle and Harrison, New York, and the village of Rye Brook, New York. Sometimes it is called the White Plains Airport.
The airport mainly serves Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut. The New York–Connecticut border runs along its eastern edge. It is about 33 miles north of Midtown Manhattan and helps serve the New York metropolitan area as a smaller airport.
In 2011–2015, the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems called HPN a primary commercial service airport. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had many passengers in calendar year 2019.
History
Westchester County Airport was built in 1942 during World War II to help protect New York City and Rye Lake, which is part of the city's water supply. It started as a home for an Air National Guard unit.
The first airline to fly there was American Airlines in 1949, with a morning flight from New York LaGuardia Airport to other places. Over the years, many airlines served the airport, including Mohawk Airlines, Allegheny Airlines, and United Airlines. The first jet flight was in 1965, and later, airlines like Air Florida and JetBlue also began flying there. Today, JetBlue is the biggest airline at the airport.
In 2020, the airport closed for a short time so workers could fix a runway. This happened because there were fewer flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Facilities and aircraft
Westchester County Airport covers 702 acres and sits 439 feet above mean sea level. It has two paved runways: one is 6,549 feet long and the other is 4,451 feet long. The airport has places where airplanes can get fuel, repairs, and other services. It is also home to the New York Wing Civil Air Patrol.
The airport has a small terminal with six gates, but only four can be used at the same time. The terminal has jetways, a luggage carousel, and places for passengers to wait. In 2015, work began to make the terminal bigger, and in 2019, a new area for private jets opened. In March 2026, plans were announced to update the terminal again.
Operations
Westchester County Airport works to keep noise low for nearby communities. It has six programs to control noise each day. One program asks pilots to avoid flying between midnight and 6:30 AM to keep noise down. The airport also uses a system to track noise levels and share this information with the public.
The airport follows strict rules to protect the environment. It checks water and noise regularly and updates its practices to reduce any harm. Employees receive training to help the environment. In 2004, it was one of the first airports in the U.S. to earn a special award for its environmental efforts.
Controversies
Some people worry about how the airport’s growth might affect the environment. The airport is close to important water areas, and some groups are concerned about water safety.
There are also concerns about traffic and crowded roads because many people use the airport to avoid long waits at other big airports nearby. The local government has helped by adding bus services and encouraging people to share rides.
Access
You can drive to the airport using I-684 Exit 2 and New York State Route 120, or from the east via New York State Route 120A and Rye Lake Avenue.
There is a bus called Bee-Line Route 12. It goes every day from the airport to the White Plains TransCenter and the nearby White Plains Metro-North Railroad station. The bus also stops at SUNY Purchase College and Manhattan
 System | Route(s) |
|---|---|
| Bee-Line Bus | 12 |
Airlines and destinations
Westchester County Airport, also called White Plains Airport, is a place where airplanes take off and land. It is near North Castle and Harrison, New York, and the village of Rye Brook. The airport mainly serves people living in Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut. The border between New York and Connecticut runs along the east side of the airport.
Statistics
Passenger numbers
Carrier shares
Carrier shares January 2025 - December 2025
- JetBlue, 1,277,000
- PSA, 248,000
- Breeze, 239,000
- Endeavor Air, 192,000
- Envoy, 159,000
- Other carriers, 198,000
Top destinations
| Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 707,000 | 2008 | 1,779,000 | 2014 | 1,489,000 | 2020 | 464,000 |
| 2003 | 816,000 | 2009 | 1,906,000 | 2015 | 1,490,000 | 2021 | 1,066,000 |
| 2004 | 890,000 | 2010 | 1,993,000 | 2016 | 1,506,000 | 2022 | 1,781,000 |
| 2005 | 895,000 | 2011 | 1,923,000 | 2017 | 1,500,000 | 2023 | 2,249,000 |
| 2006 | 980,000 | 2012 | 1,735,000 | 2018 | 1,548,000 | 2024 | 2,308,000 |
| 2007 | 1,615,000 | 2013 | 1,477,000 | 2019 | 1,723,000 | 2025 | 2,313,000 |
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JetBlue | 1,277,000 | 55.23% |
| 2 | PSA Airlines | 248,000 | 10.70% |
| 3 | Breeze Airways | 239,000 | 10.33% |
| 4 | Endeavor Air | 192,000 | 8.29% |
| 4 | Envoy | 159,000 | 6.88% |
| 6 | Other | 198,000 | 8.57% |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  West Palm Beach, Florida | 197,220 | JetBlue |
| 2 | Orlando, Florida | 145,550 | JetBlue |
| 3 |  Atlanta, Georgia | 137,820 | Delta |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 114,690 | JetBlue |
| 5 | Fort Myers, Florida | 81,540 | JetBlue |
| 6 |  Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 71,610 | American |
| 7 |  Charlotte, North Carolina | 67,830 | American |
| 8 |  Washington–National, D.C. | 55,330 | American |
| 9 | Tampa, Florida | 47,850 | JetBlue |
| 10 |  Detroit, Michigan | 41,550 | Delta |
Airport code
The IATA code for Westchester County Airport is HPN. People have different ideas about where this code comes from. Some think it comes from the city name, White Plains. Others think it stands for the first letters of three nearby places: Harrison, Purchase, and North Castle. The full ICAO code for the airport is KHPN.
In popular culture
The airport appeared in several movies and TV shows. It was used for The Best Man, The Thomas Crown Affair, Meet The Parents, and Random Hearts. In The West Wing, characters were told to "Fly to Westchester County Airport and rent a car" to help someone in Connecticut. In The Newsroom, an executive talked about using Teterboro or White Plains airports for private jets visiting New York City. In the 2000 film Shaft, a character landed his jet at the airport and was arrested there.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Westchester County Airport, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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