Chicken, Alaska · field elev 1,640 ft
Density Altitude at Chicken (PAAY)
Chicken sits at 1,640 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (70 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,759 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 | −20.0 | −3,634 ft | −11.4 | −2,957 ft |
| February | −10.6 | −2,895 ft | 0.6 | −2,039 ft |
| March | 3.4 | −1,830 ft | 20.3 | −595 ft |
| April | 27.1 | −113 ft | 42.4 | 941 ft |
| May | 43.8 | 1,036 ft | 58.2 | 1,989 ft |
| June | 53.3 | 1,668 ft | 68.5 | 2,651 ft |
| July | 56.1 | 1,852 ft | 70.2 | 2,759 ft |
| August | 50.3 | 1,470 ft | 64.3 | 2,383 ft |
| September | 39.3 | 731 ft | 52.7 | 1,629 ft |
| October | 20.0 | −616 ft | 30.5 | 125 ft |
| November | −5.3 | −2,487 ft | 3.5 | −1,822 ft |
| December | −14.9 | −3,231 ft | −7.0 | −2,617 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 PAAY
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 1,640 ft — the air behaves like 2,746 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 1,641 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 Alaska fields
- BYA — Boundary
Boundary · elev 2,940 ft
- PAEG — Eagle
Eagle · elev 907 ft
- PFTO — Tok Junction
Tok · elev 1,643 ft
- TSG — Tanacross
Tanacross · elev 1,559 ft
- 3T4 — Tetlin
Tetlin · elev 1,671 ft
- PAOR — Northway
Northway · elev 1,720 ft
- L20 — Coal Creek
Yukon Charley Rivers · elev 867 ft
- D66 — Delta Junction
Delta Junction · elev 1,150 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at PAAY in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 70 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Chicken reaches roughly 2,759 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 PAAY on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −3,634 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,852 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 1,640 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Chicken?
1,640 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is PAAY (ICAO) / CKX (FAA), in Chicken, Alaska.