Salton Sea Airport: Gateway to California's Inland Sea
Salton Sea Airport in Salton City sits along the western shore of California's largest lake, serving pilots who access the remote desert communities and wildlife refuges surrounding the Salton Sea. The airport operates at roughly 220 feet below sea level, placing it among the lowest-elevation general aviation fields in North America and giving arriving aircraft noticeably higher indicated airspeed on approach. Caltrans Division of Aeronautics lists Salton City as a key desert corridor stop between the Imperial Valley and the Coachella Valley.
Recreational pilots, birding enthusiasts, and anglers use Salton Sea Airport to reach the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge and the Salton Sea State Recreation Area. The surrounding Imperial Valley's agricultural operations also depend on aviation services for crop-dusting and aerial survey work over the farmland southeast of the lake. With the FAA's Western-Pacific Region overseeing airspace in this corridor, Salton City ties into the broader low-desert VFR network that includes Thermal and Blythe.
What elevation is Salton Sea Airport?
Salton Sea Airport sits approximately 220 feet below sea level, making it one of the lowest general aviation airports in the continental United States.
What services are available at Salton Sea Airport in Salton City?
The airport offers basic general aviation access including a paved runway suitable for light single and twin-engine aircraft serving the Salton City and Salton Sea recreation area.
Is Salton Sea Airport open to the public?
Yes, Salton Sea Airport is a public-use general aviation facility managed under Caltrans Division of Aeronautics oversight and is available to transient pilots visiting the region.
What is the closest major airport to Salton Sea Airport?
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) and Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) in Thermal are the nearest commercial and regional airports, both roughly 30–40 miles north.
Are there fueling facilities at Salton Sea Airport?
Fuel availability at Salton Sea Airport is limited; pilots are advised to check current NOTAMs and top off at Palm Springs or Thermal before departing for the Salton City area.
Salton Sea Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Salton City, California.
| Name | Salton Sea Airport |
| Address | Air Park Drive, Salton City CA 92274 Map |
| Phone | (760) 394-4129 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Salton Sea Airport
Planning Your Visit to Salton Sea Airport
Pilots transiting through Salton City should be aware of the unique density-altitude considerations at Salton Sea Airport despite the below-sea-level elevation—summer temperatures frequently exceed 110°F, which dramatically affects aircraft performance. The airport is a useful waypoint on VFR routes between the lower Colorado River corridor and the Coachella Valley, with Blythe Airport to the east and Desert Resorts Regional (TRM) to the north forming a triangle of general aviation services across the eastern Riverside County desert.
The Salton Sea region is undergoing ecological study and restoration projects that periodically involve aerial survey flights staged from this field. Conservation pilots with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife have used local airports in this corridor for wildlife monitoring. Visitors arriving by air to explore the sea's unique ecosystem should confirm current runway conditions with Caltrans aeronautics resources before filing a flight plan to Salton City.