Caledonia, Minnesota · field elev 1,179 ft

Density Altitude at Houston County (KCHU)

Houston County sits at 1,179 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (81 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,883 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈2,883 ft station: CALEDONIA · 2 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at CALEDONIA (2 mi from the field) · standard pressure, dry air
Month Avg temp °F DA at avg temp Afternoon high °F DA on a typical afternoon
January 16.1 −1,476 ft 24.4 −881 ft
February 20.1 −1,188 ft 29.0 −556 ft
March 32.1 −339 ft 41.3 294 ft
April 45.3 565 ft 55.7 1,257 ft
May 57.6 1,381 ft 67.8 2,041 ft
June 67.7 2,034 ft 77.3 2,641 ft
July 71.4 2,270 ft 81.2 2,883 ft
August 69.2 2,130 ft 79.1 2,753 ft
September 61.4 1,629 ft 72.1 2,314 ft
October 48.7 793 ft 58.7 1,453 ft
November 34.5 −173 ft 42.7 389 ft
December 22.3 −1,030 ft 29.8 −500 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 KCHU

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 2,871 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 2,871 ft

Field elevation 1,179 ft — the air behaves like 2,871 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
1,180 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

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Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at KCHU in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 81 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Houston County reaches roughly 2,883 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 KCHU on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −1,476 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,270 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 1,179 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Houston County?

1,179 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KCHU (ICAO) / CHU (FAA), in Caledonia, Minnesota.