Auburn Airport (AUN) — Placer County's Gateway to the Sierra Nevada Foothills

Auburn Airport, officially designated with FAA identifier AUN, is a general aviation facility situated in the rolling foothills of Placer County, approximately 1 mile southeast of downtown Auburn, California. Nestled at an elevation of 1,539 feet above sea level, the airport sits within the scenic western slope of the Sierra Nevada foothills, offering pilots and passengers sweeping views of the surrounding oak woodland terrain that defines this stretch of Gold Country.

The airport occupies a compact but functional footprint serving Placer County's private pilots, flight training operations, and light cargo needs. Auburn Airport features a single runway — Runway 7/25 — measuring 3,200 feet in length and 60 feet in width, surfaced with asphalt. While this runway length limits operations to piston-engine singles, light twins, and some turboprop aircraft, it comfortably accommodates the overwhelming majority of general aviation traffic that makes AUN its home base or a waypoint destination.

Auburn, California is the county seat of Placer County and lies along Interstate 80 approximately 34 miles northeast of Sacramento. The city's population of roughly 14,000 residents anchors a broader foothill community that stretches through communities like Loomis, Rocklin, and the western edge of the Tahoe National Forest. For pilots, AUN's location makes it an ideal departure or arrival point for recreational flights into the Sierra Nevada, with Truckee-Tahoe Airport (KTRK) and Nervino Airport reachable within short general aviation legs to the northeast.

Aviation services at Auburn Airport include self-serve 100LL avgas fueling, a pilot lounge, and transient aircraft tie-down areas. The facility is owned and operated by Placer County, which has maintained AUN as a public-use airport supporting the regional general aviation community. Hangar availability at Auburn Airport has historically been in high demand, reflecting the vibrant private pilot community in the greater Placer County and Sacramento foothills region.

Flight training is a cornerstone activity at Auburn Airport. Local flight schools and certified flight instructors based at AUN leverage the airport's relatively low traffic volume and manageable pattern altitude to introduce student pilots to the fundamentals of cross-country navigation, mountain flying awareness, and Sierra foothills terrain management. The airport's proximity to Class B and Class C airspace in the Sacramento Valley also gives student pilots accessible opportunities to learn radio communications and airspace procedures without being based in high-congestion metropolitan airports.

Weather at Auburn Airport is strongly influenced by its foothill elevation. While the Sacramento Valley below frequently experiences tule fog in winter months that can shut down lower-elevation airports, AUN sits above the typical fog layer, often remaining VFR when Sacramento Executive (KSAC) and Sacramento International (KSMF) are socked in. Conversely, summer afternoon convective activity building over the Sierra Nevada requires pilots departing AUN eastbound to remain vigilant about rapidly developing thunderstorms, a standard consideration for any Sierra Nevada foothill operation.

The airport is located at 1273 Bell Road, Auburn, CA 95603, and is accessible year-round. No control tower operates at AUN — it is an uncontrolled airport with operations conducted on CTAF frequency 122.8 MHz. Pilots operating in and out of Auburn Airport should self-announce on the CTAF and maintain visual separation from other traffic in the pattern, particularly during busy weekend mornings when recreational flying activity peaks in the foothill communities.

For the Auburn and greater Placer County community, AUN serves as more than an aviation facility — it is a connector to California's mountain recreation economy, enabling backcountry access for campers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts who use light aircraft to reach remote destinations across the Sierra Nevada. The airport's continued operation under Placer County stewardship reflects the ongoing value that general aviation brings to rural and foothill communities throughout Northern California.

Auburn Airport Contact Information

Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Auburn, California.

Name Auburn Airport
Address 13630 New Airport Road, Auburn CA 95602 Map
Phone (530) 823-0888
Website
Hours

Map of Auburn Airport

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Airports near Auburn

Frequently Asked Questions — Auburn Airport (AUN), Auburn, California

Auburn Airport (AUN) has a single asphalt runway — Runway 7/25 — that is 3,200 feet long and 60 feet wide. This length is well-suited for single-engine piston aircraft such as the Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee, and Cirrus SR22, as well as light twin-engine aircraft. Larger turboprops and jets are generally not suited for AUN due to the runway length and elevation constraints at 1,539 feet MSL. Pilots with high-performance aircraft should calculate their performance data carefully, especially during hot summer afternoons when density altitude at AUN can significantly exceed field elevation.

Auburn Airport offers self-serve 100LL avgas (100 Low Lead), which is the standard aviation gasoline used by the vast majority of piston-engine aircraft operating at general aviation airports across California. The self-serve fueling station at AUN allows pilots to fuel their aircraft at any time using a credit card. Jet-A fuel for turbine-engine aircraft is not typically available on-site at Auburn Airport, so turbine operators should plan their fuel stops accordingly at larger nearby facilities such as Sacramento Executive Airport (KSAC) or Roseville's nearby options.

At 1,539 feet MSL, Auburn Airport sits above the tule fog layer that frequently grounds lower-elevation Sacramento Valley airports in winter, making AUN one of the more reliable VFR airports in the region during fog season. However, pilots must account for higher density altitude during summer months — on a 95°F afternoon, density altitude at AUN can exceed 4,000 feet, meaningfully reducing aircraft climb performance and extending takeoff distances. Eastbound departures toward the Sierra Nevada require awareness of rapidly building afternoon convective activity, and pilots planning flights deeper into the mountains should obtain current weather briefings and consider early morning departures to avoid afternoon thunderstorm development over higher terrain.

Auburn Airport (AUN) is a general aviation facility and does not offer scheduled commercial airline service. Residents of Auburn and Placer County seeking commercial flights have two primary options: Sacramento International Airport (SMF), located approximately 42 miles southwest via Interstate 80, is the primary commercial gateway for the region and serves major carriers including Southwest, Delta, United, American, and Alaska Airlines with domestic and some international routes. For Oakland-area travel, Oakland International Airport (OAK) — also known as Clean Energy Oakland International Airport — is approximately 100 miles southwest and provides additional low-cost carrier options, including Southwest and Spirit, particularly for Bay Area-bound passengers.

Auburn Airport, operated by Placer County, offers both hangar and transient tie-down options for aircraft. Hangar space at AUN has historically been in strong demand given the robust general aviation community in the Placer County and Sacramento foothills area, and waitlists for based-aircraft hangar tenancy have been common. Transient pilots visiting Auburn can use tie-down spaces on the ramp, which are available on a self-service basis. Pilots interested in basing their aircraft at AUN should contact the Placer County Airports Division directly to inquire about current hangar availability and tie-down lease arrangements, as availability changes with the local aviation demand in this active Gold Country flying community.

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