Death Valley National Park, California · field elev 25 ft
Density Altitude at Stovepipe Wells (L09)
Stovepipe Wells sits at 25 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (115 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,503 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 | 53.6 | −309 ft | 65.0 | 441 ft |
| February | 59.7 | 95 ft | 70.6 | 802 ft |
| March | 68.1 | 642 ft | 79.3 | 1,354 ft |
| April | 76.1 | 1,153 ft | 88.1 | 1,901 ft |
| May | 85.8 | 1,759 ft | 98.4 | 2,528 ft |
| June | 95.7 | 2,365 ft | 108.6 | 3,135 ft |
| July | 102.3 | 2,762 ft | 114.9 | 3,503 ft |
| August | 100.1 | 2,630 ft | 113.0 | 3,392 ft |
| September | 91.8 | 2,128 ft | 104.5 | 2,892 ft |
| October | 76.9 | 1,203 ft | 89.1 | 1,963 ft |
| November | 62.1 | 252 ft | 73.6 | 994 ft |
| December | 51.8 | −429 ft | 62.6 | 285 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 L09
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 25 ft — the air behaves like 3,509 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 26 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
- L06 — Furnace Creek
Death Valley National Park · elev −210 ft
- O26 — Lone Pine/Death Valley
Lone Pine · elev 3,710 ft
- L72 — Trona
Trona · elev 1,718 ft
- 2O7 — Independence
Independence · elev 3,908 ft
- L80 — Monache Meadows
Lone Pine · elev 7,874 ft
- L61 — Shoshone
Shoshone · elev 1,568 ft
- KIYK — Inyokern
Inyokern · elev 2,457 ft
- KBIH — Bishop
Bishop · elev 4,124 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at L09 in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 115 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Stovepipe Wells reaches roughly 3,503 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 L09 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −429 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,762 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 25 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Stovepipe Wells?
25 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is L09 (FAA), in Death Valley National Park, California.