San Diego/El Cajon, California · field elev 388 ft
Density Altitude at Gillespie Field (KSEE)
Gillespie Field sits at 388 ft, and even a typical August afternoon (89 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,374 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 | 55.9 | 293 ft | 69.3 | 1,165 ft |
| February | 56.8 | 352 ft | 69.2 | 1,159 ft |
| March | 59.7 | 543 ft | 71.3 | 1,293 ft |
| April | 62.6 | 733 ft | 74.5 | 1,496 ft |
| May | 66.1 | 959 ft | 76.2 | 1,604 ft |
| June | 70.1 | 1,216 ft | 80.8 | 1,892 ft |
| July | 74.7 | 1,509 ft | 86.1 | 2,221 ft |
| August | 76.6 | 1,629 ft | 88.6 | 2,374 ft |
| September | 74.7 | 1,509 ft | 87.3 | 2,295 ft |
| October | 68.3 | 1,101 ft | 81.0 | 1,905 ft |
| November | 61.2 | 641 ft | 75.2 | 1,541 ft |
| December | 55.1 | 240 ft | 68.5 | 1,114 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 KSEE
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 388 ft — the air behaves like 2,399 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 389 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
- KMYF — Montgomery-Gibbs Exec
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- KSAN — San Diego International
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- KRNM — Ramona
Ramona · elev 1,395 ft
- KSDM — Brown Field Municipal
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- KCRQ — Mc Clellan-Palomar
Carlsbad · elev 331 ft
- KOKB — Bob Maxwell Meml Airfield
Oceanside · elev 28 ft
- L18 — Fallbrook Community Airpark
Fallbrook · elev 711 ft
- L08 — Borrego Valley
Borrego Springs · elev 522 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at KSEE in summer?
On a typical August afternoon — around 89 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Gillespie Field reaches roughly 2,374 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 KSEE on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly 240 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,629 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 388 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Gillespie Field?
388 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KSEE (ICAO) / SEE (FAA), in San Diego/El Cajon, California.