Taft, California · field elev 858 ft
Density Altitude at Taft-Kern County (L17)
Taft-Kern County sits at 858 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (99 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,556 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 | 49.8 | 469 ft | 59.1 | 1,084 ft |
| February | 53.4 | 709 ft | 63.1 | 1,344 ft |
| March | 59.2 | 1,090 ft | 70.0 | 1,787 ft |
| April | 62.8 | 1,324 ft | 76.0 | 2,167 ft |
| May | 70.3 | 1,806 ft | 84.1 | 2,671 ft |
| June | 76.2 | 2,179 ft | 92.6 | 3,190 ft |
| July | 83.3 | 2,621 ft | 98.7 | 3,556 ft |
| August | 81.9 | 2,535 ft | 98.0 | 3,515 ft |
| September | 77.3 | 2,248 ft | 92.4 | 3,178 ft |
| October | 67.5 | 1,627 ft | 81.0 | 2,479 ft |
| November | 56.8 | 933 ft | 66.8 | 1,582 ft |
| December | 49.6 | 456 ft | 58.6 | 1,051 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 L17
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 858 ft — the air behaves like 3,574 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 859 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
- L62 — Elk Hills-Buttonwillow
Buttonwillow · elev 326 ft
- L88 — New Cuyama
New Cuyama · elev 2,204 ft
- L45 — Bakersfield Municipal
Bakersfield · elev 378 ft
- KMIT — Shafter-Minter Field
Shafter · elev 425 ft
- KBFL — Meadows Field
Bakersfield · elev 510 ft
- L19 — Wasco-Kern County
Wasco · elev 312 ft
- L73 — Poso-Kern County
Famoso · elev 635 ft
- KDLO — Delano Municipal
Delano · elev 316 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at L17 in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 99 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Taft-Kern County reaches roughly 3,556 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 L17 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly 456 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,621 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 858 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Taft-Kern County?
858 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is L17 (FAA), in Taft, California.