Raleigh, North Carolina · field elev 243 ft
Density Altitude at Southern Wake Regional (5W5)
Southern Wake Regional sits at 243 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (88 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,130 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.
Typical density altitude by month
| Month | Avg temp °F | DA at avg temp | Afternoon high °F | DA on a typical afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39.8 | −973 ft | 51.9 | −152 ft |
| February | 42.3 | −802 ft | 55.6 | 94 ft |
| March | 49.5 | −313 ft | 63.5 | 612 ft |
| April | 58.7 | 299 ft | 72.2 | 1,172 ft |
| May | 66.4 | 800 ft | 77.9 | 1,533 ft |
| June | 74.0 | 1,287 ft | 84.5 | 1,945 ft |
| July | 77.5 | 1,508 ft | 87.5 | 2,130 ft |
| August | 76.4 | 1,439 ft | 86.6 | 2,075 ft |
| September | 69.7 | 1,013 ft | 79.8 | 1,652 ft |
| October | 58.5 | 285 ft | 71.1 | 1,102 ft |
| November | 48.4 | −387 ft | 61.2 | 462 ft |
| December | 42.3 | −802 ft | 54.4 | 14 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 5W5
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 243 ft — the air behaves like 2,161 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 244 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
Nearby North Carolina fields
- KHRJ — Harnett Regional Jetport
Erwin · elev 202 ft
- KJNX — Johnston Regional
Smithfield · elev 164 ft
- KRDU — Raleigh-Durham International
Raleigh/Durham · elev 435 ft
- KTTA — Raleigh Exec Jetport At Sanford-Lee County
Sanford · elev 247 ft
- KLHZ — Triangle North Exec
Louisburg · elev 368 ft
- W03 — Wilson Industrial Air Center
Wilson · elev 160 ft
- KGWW — Wayne Exec Jetport
Goldsboro · elev 134 ft
- KFAY — Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field
Fayetteville · elev 189 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at 5W5 in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 88 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Southern Wake Regional reaches roughly 2,130 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 5W5 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −973 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,508 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 243 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Southern Wake Regional?
243 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is 5W5 (FAA), in Raleigh, North Carolina.