Blythe Airport: Eastern Riverside County's Colorado River Aviation Crossroads
Blythe Airport anchors the aviation infrastructure of far eastern Riverside County, sitting adjacent to the Colorado River at the California-Arizona border. Located at 399 feet elevation in the Palo Verde Valley, Blythe serves agricultural aviation operations across some of California's most productive cotton and alfalfa farmland, while also functioning as a fuel and rest stop on the busy VFR corridor between Phoenix and Los Angeles. The airport features a paved runway exceeding 6,000 feet, making it suitable for turboprop and light jet aircraft transiting the desert Southwest.
Blythe's position along the Colorado River makes it a staging point for aerial firefighting support during the California fire season, with air tanker and lead-plane operations occasionally coordinated from the field in support of BLM and Cal Fire operations in the Mojave Desert region. The city's river recreation economy—boating, off-road vehicle parks, and sport fishing—draws weekend pilots from the Los Angeles Basin who make the approximately 140-nautical-mile hop across the San Bernardino Mountains and Mojave Desert to reach Blythe's warmer winter temperatures.
Does Blythe Airport have fuel services?
Yes, Blythe Airport (BLH) provides aviation fuel (100LL and Jet-A) and is a commonly used fuel stop on VFR routes between the Los Angeles Basin and the Arizona desert.
What is the runway length at Blythe Airport?
Blythe Airport's primary runway measures approximately 6,148 feet, accommodating single-engine, twin-engine, turboprop, and light jet aircraft.
Is Blythe Airport used for agricultural aviation?
Yes. The Palo Verde Valley's extensive agriculture relies on aerial application services (crop dusting), and Blythe Airport supports these operations for farms growing cotton, alfalfa, and other irrigated crops.
How far is Blythe Airport from the Arizona border?
Blythe Airport is less than 5 miles from the Colorado River and the California-Arizona state line, making it the westernmost fuel stop before crossing into Arizona along the I-10 corridor.
Blythe Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Blythe, California.
| Name | Blythe Airport |
| Address | 17240 West Hobsonway, Blythe CA 92225 Map |
| Phone | (760) 922-6125 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Blythe Airport
Airports near Blythe
Blythe Airport and Regional Desert Aviation Connectivity
Blythe Airport connects the isolated Palo Verde Valley to the broader Southern California general aviation network, with flights typically routed through the low-altitude desert VFR corridors that thread between restricted military airspace over the Chocolate Mountains Gunnery Range to the south and the Twenty-Nine Palms Marine Air Ground Task Force training areas to the northwest. Pilots planning cross-country routes through this corridor should carefully review current TFRs and the extensive restricted area structure managed by the FAA's Western-Pacific Region.
The Blythe area hosts the Palo Verde Valley Airport District, which oversees airport operations and long-term planning. Efforts to attract additional services and maintain the runway infrastructure reflect Blythe's role as a lifeline airport for a community more than 100 miles from the nearest commercial airport at Palm Springs (PSP). Emergency medical transport, law enforcement aviation, and occasional military training flights round out the operational picture at this critical eastern Riverside County general aviation facility.