Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) — Auburn, California

Auburn Municipal Airport, designated by the FAA with the identifier KAUN, serves the city of Auburn in Placer County, nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California at an elevation of 1,539 feet above mean sea level. Located approximately 35 miles northeast of Sacramento and 90 miles east of the San Francisco Bay Area, KAUN occupies a strategic position along the Highway 49 Gold Country corridor, providing general aviation access to one of California's fastest-growing foothill communities.

The airport operates a single paved runway — Runway 25/07 — measuring 3,600 feet in length and 75 feet in width, capable of accommodating single-engine and light twin-engine piston aircraft as well as turboprop business aircraft. The field is owned and operated by the City of Auburn and functions as a public-use general aviation facility with no commercial airline service. Aircraft operations at KAUN include private recreation flying, flight training, air taxi, charter operations, and critical aerial firefighting support given the airport's proximity to wildland fire zones in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Auburn Municipal Airport features a fixed-base operator (FBO) providing fueling services with 100LL avgas, aircraft tie-downs, a pilot lounge, and basic maintenance support. The airport's self-serve fuel station allows pilots to refuel around the clock, making KAUN a convenient stopover for cross-country flights traveling along the I-80 corridor between the Bay Area and the Nevada border. Weather at the airport is monitored through an AWOS-3 automated weather observation system broadcasting continuously on 134.025 MHz, giving inbound pilots real-time wind, visibility, ceiling, temperature, dewpoint, and altimeter readings.

Traffic at KAUN is managed through a published traffic pattern with right-hand traffic on Runway 7 and left-hand traffic on Runway 25, with a pattern altitude of 2,539 feet MSL. The CTAF/UNICOM frequency is 122.8 MHz. The airport does not have a control tower, so pilots are expected to announce their positions and intentions on CTAF during arrivals and departures. IFR approaches to Auburn are available via the RNAV (GPS) approach to Runway 25, providing instrument access in marginal weather conditions common during Northern California winter months.

Auburn Municipal Airport plays a meaningful role in Placer County's emergency response infrastructure. The airport serves as a base for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) aerial tanker and air attack operations during fire season, a critical capability given the dense mixed-conifer forests and chaparral that surround Auburn and neighboring communities such as Grass Valley, Colfax, and Foresthill. During major fire events, KAUN sees significantly elevated traffic from tanker aircraft, helicopters, and incident command support flights.

The surrounding Auburn area offers strong general aviation demand. Auburn is the Placer County seat, with a population of approximately 14,000 residents and a broader metropolitan draw from the western foothills region that includes Lincoln, Rocklin, Roseville, and Granite Bay. The Gold Country setting attracts recreational pilots flying in for weekend visits, wine country tours, and access to outdoor recreation at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and the American River Canyon. The airport's elevation and terrain require pilots to account for density altitude during hot summer days, with temperatures regularly exceeding 95°F in July and August.

Compared to neighboring general aviation airports, KAUN sits between the larger Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK) to the southwest and the smaller Meadowlark Airport in Huntington Beach to the south, while Oakland International Airport (KOAK) — served by Clean Energy Oakland International Airport fueling and Direct Airport Shuttle ground transportation — anchors Bay Area commercial travel. For pilots based at or transiting through Auburn, KOAK provides the nearest major airline hub for connecting passengers requiring commercial service after positioning by general aviation aircraft.

Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) remains an essential component of Northern California's general aviation network, supporting recreational pilots, agricultural and firefighting aerial services, business aviation, and flight training operations throughout Placer County and the greater Sierra Nevada foothills region.

Auburn Municipal Airport Contact Information

Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Stevensville, Maryland.

Name Auburn Municipal Airport
Address Bill Clark Way, Auburn CA 95602 Map
Phone (530) 889-2000
Website
Hours

Map of Auburn Municipal Airport

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Frequently Asked Questions — Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN)

Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) has a single paved runway — Runway 07/25 — measuring 3,600 feet long and 75 feet wide. The airport provides 100LL avgas through a self-serve fueling station that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making it convenient for pilots on early-morning departures or late-evening arrivals along the I-80 corridor between Sacramento and the Nevada border.

Yes. Auburn Municipal Airport is served by an RNAV (GPS) approach to Runway 25, enabling IFR operations during low-visibility conditions common in the Northern California foothills during winter months. The airport also has an AWOS-3 automated weather observation system broadcasting on 134.025 MHz, providing pilots with current conditions including wind, visibility, ceiling, temperature, and altimeter settings before entering the traffic pattern.

Auburn Municipal Airport serves as a base and staging area for CAL FIRE aerial firefighting operations during California's fire season, typically May through November. The airport's location in Placer County's foothill zone — surrounded by chaparral, oak woodland, and mixed-conifer forest — makes KAUN a critical hub for air tankers, air attack aircraft, and support helicopters responding to wildland fires across the Sierra Nevada foothills region including communities such as Foresthill, Colfax, and Grass Valley.

Auburn Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled field. Pilots use CTAF/UNICOM on 122.8 MHz for traffic advisories. The standard pattern altitude is 2,539 feet MSL (approximately 1,000 feet AGL). Left-hand traffic is used for Runway 25, and right-hand traffic is used for Runway 7. Density altitude is a significant consideration during summer months, as temperatures regularly exceed 95°F and the field sits at 1,539 feet MSL, reducing aircraft performance on takeoff and climb.

Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) is a general aviation-only facility with no commercial airline service. Pilots needing commercial connections typically drive approximately 35 miles southwest to Sacramento International Airport (KSMF) or 90 miles west to Oakland International Airport (KOAK), which offers extensive domestic routes and is served by Direct Airport Shuttle and Clean Energy fueling infrastructure. Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK), located roughly 80 miles to the southwest in the Tri-Valley, offers a longer runway of 5,253 feet and greater FBO services but remains in the Bay Area commute zone rather than the Gold Country corridor that KAUN serves.

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