Hot & High: today's highest density altitudes
Live density altitude at about 300 high and hot US airports, ranked from the latest METARs — plus the US fields with the highest density altitude on a typical summer afternoon.
Levan Sulakvelidze · Instrument-rated private pilot · Summer ranking updated October 2026Density altitude right now
Top 10 right now
All airports
| # | Airport | Field elev | Temp | Altimeter | Observed |
|---|
< +1,000near field elevation+1,000–2,999noticeably thin+3,000 fthigh & hotTap any airport to open it in the calculator.
US airports with the highest summer density altitude
Elevation sets the floor; summer heat does the rest. Of US public-use airports that sell fuel, 361 have a typical summer-afternoon density altitude of 6,000 ft or more:
Lake County Airport (KLXV) in Leadville, Colorado tops the list: on a typical July afternoon your airplane feels close to 13,000 ft of density altitude before it leaves the ground. Here are the top 50, ranked by typical summer-afternoon density altitude — an ordinary July day, not a record one.
| # | Airport | City | Elevation | Typical July high | Summer DA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake CountyKLXVLeadville, CO · 9,934 ft | Leadville, CO | 9,934 ft | 20.7 °C / 69 °F | 12,978 ft |
| 2 | Telluride RegionalKTEXTelluride, CO · 9,070 ft | Telluride, CO | 9,070 ft | 22.8 °C / 73 °F | 12,161 ft |
| 3 | Mineral County MemorialC24Creede, CO · 8,680 ft | Creede, CO | 8,680 ft | 23.8 °C / 75 °F | 11,798 ft |
| 4 | Silver WestC08Westcliffe, CO · 8,290 ft | Westcliffe, CO | 8,290 ft | 26.2 °C / 79 °F | 11,604 ft |
| 5 | Angel FireKAXXAngel Fire, NM · 8,380 ft | Angel Fire, NM | 8,380 ft | 24.1 °C / 75 °F | 11,462 ft |
| 6 | Astronaut Kent RomingerKRCVDel Norte, CO · 7,955 ft | Del Norte, CO | 7,955 ft | 27.3 °C / 81 °F | 11,322 ft |
| 7 | Granby-Grand CountyKGNBGranby, CO · 8,207 ft | Granby, CO | 8,207 ft | 24.4 °C / 76 °F | 11,285 ft |
| 8 | Central Colorado RegionalKAEJBuena Vista, CO · 7,950 ft | Buena Vista, CO | 7,950 ft | 26.4 °C / 80 °F | 11,207 ft |
| 9 | Monte Vista MunicipalKMVIMonte Vista, CO · 7,611 ft | Monte Vista, CO | 7,611 ft | 29.0 °C / 84 °F | 11,100 ft |
| 10 | Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy FieldKASEAspen, CO · 7,838 ft | Aspen, CO | 7,838 ft | 26.6 °C / 80 °F | 11,092 ft |
| 11 | Gunnison-Crested Butte RegionalKGUCGunnison, CO · 7,680 ft | Gunnison, CO | 7,680 ft | 27.4 °C / 81 °F | 10,992 ft |
| 12 | Bryce CanyonKBCEBryce Canyon, UT · 7,590 ft | Bryce Canyon, UT | 7,590 ft | 28.3 °C / 83 °F | 10,989 ft |
| 13 | San Luis Valley Regional/Bergman FieldKALSAlamosa, CO · 7,540 ft | Alamosa, CO | 7,540 ft | 28.7 °C / 84 °F | 10,975 ft |
| 14 | Leach1V8Center, CO · 7,598 ft | Center, CO | 7,598 ft | 27.8 °C / 82 °F | 10,939 ft |
| 15 | Salida/Harriett Alexander FieldKANKSalida, CO · 7,523 ft | Salida, CO | 7,523 ft | 28.2 °C / 83 °F | 10,894 ft |
| 16 | Stevens FieldKPSOPagosa Springs, CO · 7,663 ft | Pagosa Springs, CO | 7,663 ft | 26.5 °C / 80 °F | 10,864 ft |
| 17 | Mc Elroy Airfield20VKremmling, CO · 7,416 ft | Kremmling, CO | 7,416 ft | 27.5 °C / 82 °F | 10,678 ft |
| 18 | Kemmerer MunicipalKEMMKemmerer, WY · 7,289 ft | Kemmerer, WY | 7,289 ft | 28.0 °C / 82 °F | 10,580 ft |
| 19 | Evanston-Uinta County Burns FieldKEVWEvanston, WY · 7,143 ft | Evanston, WY | 7,143 ft | 28.6 °C / 83 °F | 10,472 ft |
| 20 | Springerville MunicipalKJTCSpringerville, AZ · 7,055 ft | Springerville, AZ | 7,055 ft | 29.4 °C / 85 °F | 10,460 ft |
| 21 | Laramie RegionalKLARLaramie, WY · 7,284 ft | Laramie, WY | 7,284 ft | 27.0 °C / 81 °F | 10,454 ft |
| 22 | Fort BridgerKFBRFort Bridger, WY · 7,038 ft | Fort Bridger, WY | 7,038 ft | 29.4 °C / 85 °F | 10,438 ft |
| 23 | Taos RegionalKSKXTaos, NM · 7,095 ft | Taos, NM | 7,095 ft | 28.7 °C / 84 °F | 10,424 ft |
| 24 | Mammoth YosemiteKMMHMammoth Lakes, CA · 7,135 ft | Mammoth Lakes, CA | 7,135 ft | 28.1 °C / 83 °F | 10,402 ft |
| 25 | MonticelloU64Monticello, UT · 6,970 ft | Monticello, UT | 6,970 ft | 29.6 °C / 85 °F | 10,378 ft |
| 26 | Wayne Wonderland38ULoa, UT · 7,027 ft | Loa, UT | 7,027 ft | 29.0 °C / 84 °F | 10,377 ft |
| 27 | Flagstaff PulliamKFLGFlagstaff, AZ · 7,015 ft | Flagstaff, AZ | 7,015 ft | 28.8 °C / 84 °F | 10,337 ft |
| 28 | Los AlamosKLAMLos Alamos, NM · 7,171 ft | Los Alamos, NM | 7,171 ft | 26.9 °C / 80 °F | 10,303 ft |
| 29 | Shively FieldKSAASaratoga, WY · 7,014 ft | Saratoga, WY | 7,014 ft | 28.5 °C / 83 °F | 10,301 ft |
| 30 | Ralph Wenz FieldKPNAPinedale, WY · 7,096 ft | Pinedale, WY | 7,096 ft | 27.3 °C / 81 °F | 10,258 ft |
| 31 | Dubois MunicipalKDUBDubois, WY · 7,299 ft | Dubois, WY | 7,299 ft | 25.2 °C / 77 °F | 10,257 ft |
| 32 | Miley Memorial FieldKBPIBig Piney, WY · 6,994 ft | Big Piney, WY | 6,994 ft | 28.2 °C / 83 °F | 10,239 ft |
| 33 | Southwest Wyoming RegionalKRKSRock Springs, WY · 6,765 ft | Rock Springs, WY | 6,765 ft | 30.1 °C / 86 °F | 10,184 ft |
| 34 | Grand Canyon Ntl ParkKGCNGrand Canyon, AZ · 6,609 ft | Grand Canyon, AZ | 6,609 ft | 31.1 °C / 88 °F | 10,111 ft |
| 35 | Rawlins Municipal/Harvey FieldKRWLRawlins, WY · 6,817 ft | Rawlins, WY | 6,817 ft | 28.8 °C / 84 °F | 10,092 ft |
| 36 | Las Vegas MunicipalKLVSLas Vegas, NM · 6,877 ft | Las Vegas, NM | 6,877 ft | 28.1 °C / 83 °F | 10,083 ft |
| 37 | Durango-La Plata CountyKDRODurango, CO · 6,689 ft | Durango, CO | 6,689 ft | 29.9 °C / 86 °F | 10,067 ft |
| 38 | H A Clark Memorial FieldKCMRWilliams, AZ · 6,691 ft | Williams, AZ | 6,691 ft | 29.8 °C / 86 °F | 10,057 ft |
| 39 | Meadow LakeKFLYColorado Springs, CO · 6,878 ft | Colorado Springs, CO | 6,878 ft | 27.4 °C / 81 °F | 10,000 ft |
| 40 | Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams FieldKSBSSteamboat Springs, CO · 6,882 ft | Steamboat Springs, CO | 6,882 ft | 27.3 °C / 81 °F | 9,994 ft |
| 41 | Grants-Milan MunicipalKGNTGrants, NM · 6,537 ft | Grants, NM | 6,537 ft | 30.8 °C / 87 °F | 9,986 ft |
| 42 | Eagle County RegionalKEGEEagle, CO · 6,547 ft | Eagle, CO | 6,547 ft | 30.6 °C / 87 °F | 9,975 ft |
| 43 | Animas Air Park00CDurango, CO · 6,684 ft | Durango, CO | 6,684 ft | 29.1 °C / 84 °F | 9,964 ft |
| 44 | Gallup MunicipalKGUPGallup, NM · 6,473 ft | Gallup, NM | 6,473 ft | 31.2 °C / 88 °F | 9,954 ft |
| 45 | Sierra Blanca RegionalKSRRRuidoso, NM · 6,814 ft | Ruidoso, NM | 6,814 ft | 27.6 °C / 82 °F | 9,945 ft |
| 46 | Big Bear CityL35Big Bear City, CA · 6,752 ft | Big Bear City, CA | 6,752 ft | 28.1 °C / 83 °F | 9,929 ft |
| 47 | Sandia Airpark Estates East1N1Edgewood, NM · 6,565 ft | Edgewood, NM | 6,565 ft | 29.7 °C / 85 °F | 9,889 ft |
| 48 | Yampa ValleyKHDNHayden, CO · 6,606 ft | Hayden, CO | 6,606 ft | 28.9 °C / 84 °F | 9,844 ft |
| 49 | Show Low RegionalKSOWShow Low, AZ · 6,416 ft | Show Low, AZ | 6,416 ft | 30.7 °C / 87 °F | 9,824 ft |
| 50 | DixonKDWXDixon, WY · 6,549 ft | Dixon, WY | 6,549 ft | 29.3 °C / 85 °F | 9,821 ft |
Summer DA assumes standard pressure and the mean July daily high at field elevation (see method); real afternoons vary by ±1,000 ft. Airports shown with an FAA identifier only have no ICAO code or METAR, so they can't appear on the live board.
Method & caveats
Live board
Each airport's latest METAR from aviationweather.gov supplies the temperature and altimeter setting. Combined with field elevation, density altitude comes from the same formula as the density altitude calculator:
PA = elevation + (29.92 − altimeter) × 1000ISA temp = 15 − 1.98 × PA / 1000 (°C)DA = PA + 120 × (OAT − ISA temp)vs field is density altitude minus field elevation — how much higher the airplane thinks it is than the runway it's sitting on. It's negative on a cold, high-pressure day. Colors: green below +1,000 ft, amber +1,000 to +2,999 ft, red +3,000 ft or more.
Summer ranking
Summer DA = field elevation + 120 × (mean July daily high − ISA temperature). The July high is the 2024–25 mean daily maximum from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), taken at field elevation. It assumes standard pressure (29.92 inHg) and ignores humidity, so it's a ranking of how hot-and-high each field typically runs — real afternoons vary by ±1,000 ft or more.
Which airports
Airports were screened from FAA NASR data (October 2026 cycle): public-use, operational, with fuel available. The live board tracks the roughly 300 of these that report a METAR and have a typical summer-afternoon density altitude of 4,500 ft or more.
Educational only — not for flight planning. METARs can be up to an hour old, and conditions change fast on summer afternoons. Before you fly, use your POH performance charts and current official weather.
Want to run the numbers yourself? Read how to calculate density altitude.
Frequently asked questions
Which US airport has the highest density altitude?
Lake County Airport (KLXV) in Leadville, Colorado. At 9,934 ft it's the highest public-use airport in North America, and on a typical July afternoon its density altitude is close to 13,000 ft. Telluride (KTEX) and Creede (C24) follow at roughly 12,200 and 11,800 ft. Leadville usually tops the live board too, but a lower desert field on a hot afternoon can post the biggest jump above its own elevation.
Why is density altitude highest on summer afternoons?
Temperature is the big day-to-day driver. Every 1 °C above standard adds roughly 120 ft of density altitude, and surface temperature peaks in mid-to-late afternoon. A 7,000 ft field at 30 °C is about 29 °C warmer than standard — roughly 3,500 ft of extra density altitude — while the same field at dawn may sit only a few hundred feet above its elevation. Low pressure ahead of storms adds more. That's why mountain pilots like to depart early.
How much does density altitude hurt takeoff performance?
As a rule of thumb, a normally-aspirated light single needs roughly 10% more takeoff distance for every 1,000 ft of density altitude and loses about 3% of its engine power per 1,000 ft. At 8,000 ft density altitude that's about a quarter less power and a ground roll approaching double the sea-level figure, with climb rate hurt even more. These are rules of thumb only — your POH performance charts govern. Try the takeoff and landing distance calculator to see the effect.
How often is the Hot & High board updated?
The board pulls the latest METAR for every airport and refreshes about every 10 minutes; leave the page open and it updates itself. Most airports issue a METAR once an hour, plus specials when the weather changes, so each row shows its observation time in Zulu and how old it is. The summer ranking is a climatology and changes only when it's re-run with new data.
Why isn't my airport on the live board?
The live board tracks about 300 METAR-reporting US airports whose typical summer-afternoon density altitude is 4,500 ft or more. Airports without their own weather report — several on the summer list, such as Creede (C24) — can't be shown live. You can still check any airport in the density altitude calculator, which uses the nearest METAR within 25 nm.
Instrument-rated private pilot and the builder of DensityAlt. High-and-hot fields are where density altitude stops being a textbook number — it's the difference between a comfortable climb and watching the far end of the runway arrive. This board makes that number obvious before the throttle goes up. LinkedIn · GitHub