Knoxville, Tennessee · field elev 986 ft
Density Altitude at Mc Ghee Tyson (KTYS)
Mc Ghee Tyson sits at 986 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (88 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,090 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 | 39.1 | −96 ft | 48.2 | 520 ft |
| February | 42.9 | 163 ft | 52.8 | 827 ft |
| March | 50.6 | 681 ft | 61.4 | 1,391 ft |
| April | 59.6 | 1,274 ft | 71.2 | 2,020 ft |
| May | 67.9 | 1,810 ft | 78.9 | 2,505 ft |
| June | 75.3 | 2,279 ft | 85.7 | 2,925 ft |
| July | 78.5 | 2,480 ft | 88.4 | 3,090 ft |
| August | 77.6 | 2,423 ft | 87.8 | 3,054 ft |
| September | 71.8 | 2,058 ft | 82.5 | 2,728 ft |
| October | 60.3 | 1,320 ft | 71.7 | 2,052 ft |
| November | 49.0 | 574 ft | 60.0 | 1,300 ft |
| December | 41.9 | 95 ft | 51.0 | 707 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 KTYS
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 986 ft — the air behaves like 3,066 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 987 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 Tennessee fields
- KDKX — Knoxville Downtown Island
Knoxville · elev 833 ft
- KGKT — Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge
Sevierville · elev 1,014 ft
- KMNV — Monroe County
Madisonville · elev 1,031 ft
- KJAU — Colonel Tommy C Stiner Airfield
Jacksboro · elev 1,180 ft
- KRKW — Rockwood Municipal
Rockwood · elev 1,664 ft
- KMMI — Mcminn County
Athens · elev 874 ft
- KMOR — Moore-Murrell
Morristown · elev 1,313 ft
- 3A2 — The New Tazewell/Wayne Coffey Municipal
Tazewell · elev 1,179 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at KTYS in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 88 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Mc Ghee Tyson reaches roughly 3,090 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 KTYS on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −96 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,480 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 986 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Mc Ghee Tyson?
986 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KTYS (ICAO) / TYS (FAA), in Knoxville, Tennessee.