Houghton Lake Heights, Michigan · field elev 1,165 ft
Density Altitude at Houghton Lake State (5Y2)
Houghton Lake State sits at 1,165 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (81 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,823 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 | 19.0 | −1,284 ft | 27.6 | −672 ft |
| February | 20.0 | −1,212 ft | 30.8 | −447 ft |
| March | 29.1 | −566 ft | 41.1 | 263 ft |
| April | 41.5 | 290 ft | 54.1 | 1,134 ft |
| May | 54.1 | 1,134 ft | 67.2 | 1,985 ft |
| June | 63.8 | 1,767 ft | 76.6 | 2,580 ft |
| July | 67.7 | 2,017 ft | 80.5 | 2,823 ft |
| August | 66.2 | 1,921 ft | 78.7 | 2,711 ft |
| September | 58.8 | 1,443 ft | 71.2 | 2,240 ft |
| October | 46.7 | 642 ft | 57.4 | 1,351 ft |
| November | 35.2 | −142 ft | 43.6 | 433 ft |
| December | 25.0 | −856 ft | 32.5 | −329 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 5Y2
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 1,165 ft — the air behaves like 2,854 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 1,166 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 Michigan fields
- KHTL — Roscommon County/Blodgett Meml
Houghton Lake · elev 1,150 ft
- 6Y0 — Moorestown Airpark
Moorestown · elev 1,211 ft
- 3RC — Roscommon Conservation
Roscommon · elev 1,157 ft
- Y91 — Home Acres Sky Ranch
Lake City · elev 1,246 ft
- 80D — Clare County
Harrison · elev 1,142 ft
- 6Y6 — St Helen
St Helen · elev 1,198 ft
- 5M6 — Sugar Springs Airpark
Gladwin · elev 953 ft
- KGOV — Grayling Aaf
Grayling · elev 1,158 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at 5Y2 in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 81 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Houghton Lake State reaches roughly 2,823 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 5Y2 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −1,284 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,017 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 1,165 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Houghton Lake State?
1,165 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is 5Y2 (FAA), in Houghton Lake Heights, Michigan.