MER · medium airport

Castle Airport

Merced, United States

Airports

MERmedium airport

Castle Airport

Merced, United States

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Destinations

KMER

ICAO

191 ft

Elevation

TravelerPulse profile

Former Air Force base turned civilian aviation hub.

Opened

1995

Location

Merced, United States

Castle Airport, designated IATA code MER and ICAO code KMER, is a public airport located in Merced, California, United States. It occupies the former Castle Air Force Base, which was a Strategic Air Command installation closed in 1995 under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Following its conversion to civilian use, the airport serves general aviation, cargo, and limited commercial operations in the Central Valley region of California. The site retains much of its military infrastructure, including long runways capable of accommodating large aircraft. The adjacent Castle Air Museum preserves a significant collection of historic military aircraft on the former base grounds, making the area a point of interest beyond aviation operations.

Terminals

The airport has limited passenger terminal facilities, primarily oriented toward general aviation and occasional charter or cargo operations rather than scheduled commercial service.

Getting to & from

The airport is accessible by road via Highway 99 and local routes connecting to downtown Merced, with ground transport options including taxis and rental cars.

Notable facts

›Originally operated as Castle Air Force Base, a key Strategic Air Command base during the Cold War.
›Closed as a military installation in 1995 under the BRAC process.
›Features two long runways, including one over 11,000 feet, a legacy of its military role.
›Castle Air Museum, located on the former base, houses over 60 historic military aircraft.
›Situated in California's Central Valley, approximately 55 miles north of Fresno.

Official website Wikipedia

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Encyclopaedia

Castle Airport is a public airport in unincorporated Merced County, California, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Merced. The airport is operated by the Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development. It is owned jointly by the city of Merced, the city of Atwater, and Merced County. The airport was formerly designated as Castle Air Force Base (1941–1995), a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base which was closed after the end of the Cold War in 1995.

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