Mason City, Iowa · field elev 1,213 ft

Density Altitude at Mason City Municipal (KMCW)

Mason City Municipal sits at 1,213 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (83 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,005 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈3,005 ft station: MASON CITY MUNI AP · 0 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at MASON CITY MUNI AP (0 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 15.7 −1,463 ft 24.2 −852 ft
February 20.0 −1,152 ft 28.5 −549 ft
March 32.9 −241 ft 42.1 391 ft
April 46.0 654 ft 57.5 1,417 ft
May 58.2 1,463 ft 69.6 2,197 ft
June 68.5 2,127 ft 79.6 2,825 ft
July 71.5 2,318 ft 82.5 3,005 ft
August 68.9 2,153 ft 80.2 2,863 ft
September 61.4 1,671 ft 74.1 2,482 ft
October 48.2 802 ft 59.9 1,573 ft
November 33.9 −172 ft 43.6 492 ft
December 21.6 −1,038 ft 29.7 −464 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 KMCW

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 3,036 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 3,036 ft

Field elevation 1,213 ft — the air behaves like 3,036 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
1,214 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 Iowa fields

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Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at KMCW in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 83 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Mason City Municipal reaches roughly 3,005 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 KMCW on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −1,463 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,318 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 1,213 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Mason City Municipal?

1,213 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KMCW (ICAO) / MCW (FAA), in Mason City, Iowa.