King City Municipal Airport (KIC) — Serving the Salinas Valley Since 1944

King City Municipal Airport, with the FAA identifier KIC, sits at an elevation of 333 feet above sea level on the western edge of King City, California, in the heart of Monterey County's agricultural Salinas Valley. The airport spans approximately 220 acres and is owned and operated by the City of King City, providing general aviation services to growers, ranchers, agricultural contractors, and private pilots who depend on air access in this rural corridor of Central California.

The airport features a single asphalt runway, Runway 11/29, measuring 4,005 feet in length and 75 feet wide — sufficient for single-engine and light twin-engine aircraft operating under typical Central California conditions. The runway is in serviceable condition and maintained by city public works staff. King City Municipal Airport is classified as a general aviation reliever airport under the FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS), which qualifies it for federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding cycles used for pavement rehabilitation and safety improvements.

Located at 1 Airport Road, King City, CA 93930, the facility sits roughly 1.5 miles north of downtown King City and about 60 miles south of Salinas on the US-101 corridor. The surrounding terrain is characteristic of the southern Salinas Valley — broad, flat agricultural land flanked by the Santa Lucia Range to the west and the Gabilan Mountains to the east. Pilots flying into KIC benefit from generally clear visual meteorological conditions during summer months, though tule fog is a recurring hazard in winter months from December through February, occasionally reducing visibility to near zero along the valley floor.

KIC is an uncontrolled airport with no operating control tower. Pilots use the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) of 122.8 MHz for self-announce procedures on the traffic pattern. There are no instrument approach procedures published for King City Municipal Airport, making the field VFR-only. Pilots operating into KIC must maintain situational awareness for agricultural aircraft operating in the region, including crop dusters and survey aircraft that regularly transit Monterey County airspace at low altitudes.

Fuel services at King City Municipal Airport include 100LL aviation gasoline (Avgas) available via self-serve pump. Jet-A turbine fuel is not available on field, which limits operations for turbine-powered aircraft. Pilots requiring Jet-A should plan to fuel at Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), approximately 45 miles to the northwest, or at Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS), approximately 60 miles north. The self-serve Avgas station accepts major credit cards and is accessible around the clock.

The airport's fixed-base operator (FBO) services are minimal and consistent with a rural general aviation field of its size and traffic volume. Tie-down spaces are available on the ramp for overnight and transient aircraft. There is no on-site aircraft maintenance facility with an active A&P mechanic on staff, though local mechanics serve the field on a call-out basis. Pilots requiring maintenance should contact city administration at (831) 386-5901 to obtain referrals to local aviation maintenance providers in the region.

King City Municipal Airport plays a meaningful economic role for Monterey County's agriculture industry. The Salinas Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States, known globally for lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, and wine grapes. Agricultural operators use KIC as a base for aerial application aircraft — commonly referred to as ag planes — that treat crops across thousands of acres surrounding King City. The airport also supports aerial survey flights, law enforcement operations for the Monterey County Sheriff, and occasional medevac positioning flights connecting to trauma centers in Salinas and the Monterey Peninsula.

For pilots flying the California coast corridor between the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California, King City Municipal Airport represents a convenient fuel and rest stop along the US-101 air corridor. The field is approximately 130 nautical miles south of San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) and 165 nautical miles north of Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), making it a logical waypoint for cross-country flights in light singles. Rental cars are not available on the airport property, but the downtown core of King City is within walking distance or a short taxi ride, offering lodging at the Motel 6 King City and dining along Broadway Street.

For flight planning purposes, KIC's coordinates are 36°13′41″N, 121°07′56″W (36.2281° N, 121.1322° W). Pilots should consult current NOTAMs through the FAA's NOTAM system and check ASOS weather data from nearby Salinas (SNS) or Monterey (MRY) prior to flight, as King City does not operate its own ASOS or AWOS station. Wind and visibility conditions in the Salinas Valley can differ significantly from coastal readings at Monterey due to the marine layer dynamics and valley channeling effects.

King City Municipal Airport Contact Information

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

Name King City Municipal Airport
Address 110 Airport Road, King CA 93930 Map
Phone
Website
Hours

Map of King City Municipal Airport


Frequently Asked Questions — King City Municipal Airport (KIC)

King City Municipal Airport (KIC) offers 100LL Avgas via a self-serve pump that accepts major credit cards and is accessible 24 hours a day. Jet-A turbine fuel is not available at KIC. Pilots requiring Jet-A should divert to Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS) approximately 60 miles north or Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) approximately 45 miles northwest. The airport itself has no staffed tower or fixed operating hours — it is an uncontrolled field, so transient pilots may arrive at any time, though city administrative offices are reachable at (831) 386-5901 during business hours for questions about ramp fees and tie-downs.

No. King City Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled, VFR-only airport. There is no operating control tower, and no instrument approach procedures (IAP) are published for the field. Pilots must operate under visual flight rules and use the CTAF frequency of 122.8 MHz for self-announce traffic advisories on the pattern. During winter months, tule fog along the Salinas Valley floor can reduce visibility to near zero without warning. Pilots planning flights into KIC during November through February should obtain thorough weather briefings and have alternate airports — such as SNS or MRY — clearly identified in their flight plan before departing.

Runway 11/29 at King City Municipal Airport measures 4,005 feet long by 75 feet wide, surfaced in asphalt. This length comfortably accommodates most single-engine piston aircraft and light twins such as the Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee, Beechcraft Bonanza, and Cessna 310 under standard conditions. Pilots operating heavier twins or turboprops should carefully compute performance figures accounting for density altitude — King City sits at 333 feet MSL, and summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F, increasing effective density altitude. Larger cabin-class aircraft or jets are generally not suitable for KIC given the runway length and lack of Jet-A fuel. Agricultural operators regularly use the field with purpose-built ag aircraft such as the Air Tractor AT-502 and Grumman Ag Cat.

King City Municipal Airport (KIC) is a rural general aviation field that serves a distinctly different function from Bay Area airports like Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). Livermore Municipal, located approximately 110 nautical miles north, is a busy general aviation reliever airport with a control tower, instrument approaches, and charter services. Oakland International handles commercial airline traffic and cargo operations on a regional scale. Meadowlark Airport in Huntington Beach and Direct Airport Shuttle operations serve entirely separate markets. KIC's role is hyper-local — it provides Monterey County's southern agricultural corridor with air access that larger airports cannot conveniently serve. Pilots based at Livermore or Oakland occasionally transit through KIC on coastal flights or agricultural survey missions in the Salinas Valley region.

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