Wilmington, Delaware · field elev 80 ft

Density Altitude at New Castle (KILG)

New Castle sits at 80 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (87 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 1,888 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈1,888 ft station: WILMINGTON NEW CASTLE CO AP · 1 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at WILMINGTON NEW CASTLE CO AP (1 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 33.5 −1,614 ft 41.4 −1,066 ft
February 35.5 −1,474 ft 44.1 −881 ft
March 43.2 −943 ft 52.5 −314 ft
April 53.9 −221 ft 64.2 457 ft
May 63.5 412 ft 73.5 1,055 ft
June 72.6 998 ft 82.2 1,603 ft
July 77.6 1,315 ft 86.8 1,888 ft
August 75.8 1,201 ft 84.9 1,771 ft
September 68.9 761 ft 78.5 1,371 ft
October 57.2 −2 ft 67.0 639 ft
November 46.6 −711 ft 55.9 −88 ft
December 38.2 −1,287 ft 46.0 −752 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 KILG

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 1,901 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 1,901 ft

Field elevation 80 ft — the air behaves like 1,901 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
81 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 Delaware fields

All Delaware airports →

Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at KILG in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 87 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at New Castle reaches roughly 1,888 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 KILG on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −1,614 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,315 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 80 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of New Castle?

80 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KILG (ICAO) / ILG (FAA), in Wilmington, Delaware.