Santa Barbara, California · field elev 14 ft

Density Altitude at Santa Barbara Municipal (KSBA)

Santa Barbara Municipal sits at 14 ft, and even a typical August afternoon (75 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 1,038 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: August · ≈1,038 ft station: SANTA BARBARA MUNI AP · 0 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at SANTA BARBARA 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 52.8 −376 ft 64.2 376 ft
February 53.7 −316 ft 63.8 350 ft
March 56.1 −156 ft 65.9 486 ft
April 58.0 −30 ft 67.8 609 ft
May 60.3 121 ft 69.2 699 ft
June 62.4 258 ft 70.3 770 ft
July 65.7 473 ft 73.3 961 ft
August 66.2 506 ft 74.5 1,038 ft
September 65.0 428 ft 74.3 1,025 ft
October 62.1 239 ft 73.4 968 ft
November 56.7 −116 ft 69.2 699 ft
December 52.3 −409 ft 64.3 382 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 KSBA

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 1,069 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 1,069 ft

Field elevation 14 ft — the air behaves like 1,069 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
15 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 California fields

All California airports →

Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at KSBA in summer?

On a typical August afternoon — around 75 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Santa Barbara Municipal reaches roughly 1,038 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 KSBA on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −409 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 506 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 14 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Santa Barbara Municipal?

14 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KSBA (ICAO) / SBA (FAA), in Santa Barbara, California.