Centre Hall, Pennsylvania · field elev 1,245 ft

Density Altitude at Penns Cave (N74)

Penns Cave sits at 1,245 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (84 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,136 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈3,136 ft station: MILLHEIM · 7 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at MILLHEIM (7 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 23.5 −862 ft 32.3 −243 ft
February 27.0 −614 ft 36.6 54 ft
March 35.2 −42 ft 45.7 674 ft
April 47.2 774 ft 59.7 1,600 ft
May 58.0 1,489 ft 70.9 2,319 ft
June 67.0 2,071 ft 79.4 2,852 ft
July 71.2 2,338 ft 84.0 3,136 ft
August 69.0 2,198 ft 81.7 2,995 ft
September 61.4 1,710 ft 73.9 2,508 ft
October 49.7 941 ft 61.5 1,717 ft
November 38.5 185 ft 48.3 848 ft
December 29.8 −417 ft 37.7 130 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 N74

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 3,136 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 3,136 ft

Field elevation 1,245 ft — the air behaves like 3,136 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
1,246 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 N74 in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 84 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Penns Cave reaches roughly 3,136 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 N74 on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −862 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,338 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 1,245 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Penns Cave?

1,245 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is N74 (FAA), in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.