Oak Island, North Carolina · field elev 26 ft

Density Altitude at Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field (KSUT)

Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field sits at 26 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (92 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,117 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈2,117 ft station: SOUTHPORT 5 N · 6 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at SOUTHPORT 5 N (6 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 47.8 −697 ft 60.0 116 ft
February 50.1 −542 ft 62.5 280 ft
March 55.5 −181 ft 68.2 649 ft
April 63.3 332 ft 75.8 1,135 ft
May 71.2 842 ft 82.5 1,556 ft
June 78.7 1,318 ft 88.4 1,921 ft
July 82.2 1,537 ft 91.6 2,117 ft
August 80.8 1,449 ft 90.4 2,044 ft
September 76.3 1,166 ft 86.5 1,804 ft
October 66.6 546 ft 78.9 1,330 ft
November 57.1 −75 ft 69.9 759 ft
December 50.5 −515 ft 62.9 306 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 KSUT

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 2,142 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 2,142 ft

Field elevation 26 ft — the air behaves like 2,142 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
27 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 KSUT in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 92 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field reaches roughly 2,117 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 KSUT on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −697 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,537 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 26 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field?

26 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KSUT (ICAO) / SUT (FAA), in Oak Island, North Carolina.