Death Valley National Park, California · field elev −210 ft

Density Altitude at Furnace Creek (L06)

Furnace Creek sits at −210 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (117 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,364 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈3,364 ft station: DEATH VALLEY NP · 1 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at DEATH VALLEY NP (1 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 54.9 −513 ft 67.2 295 ft
February 61.3 −90 ft 73.7 712 ft
March 69.8 462 ft 82.6 1,273 ft
April 77.9 978 ft 91.0 1,793 ft
May 87.8 1,596 ft 100.7 2,381 ft
June 97.5 2,188 ft 111.1 2,997 ft
July 104.2 2,590 ft 117.4 3,364 ft
August 102.3 2,477 ft 115.9 3,277 ft
September 93.4 1,940 ft 107.7 2,797 ft
October 78.9 1,041 ft 93.3 1,934 ft
November 64.0 87 ft 77.4 947 ft
December 53.4 −613 ft 65.6 191 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 L06

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 3,341 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 3,341 ft

Field elevation −210 ft — the air behaves like 3,341 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
−209 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 L06 in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 117 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Furnace Creek reaches roughly 3,364 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 L06 on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −613 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,590 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of −210 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Furnace Creek?

−210 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is L06 (FAA), in Death Valley National Park, California.