Castle Airport

MER · KMER · Merced, CA · Towered · Print kneeboard

Elevation

190 ft MSL

Longest runway

11,802 ft 13/31

Runway

Mag var

15E

ATIS 124.475 Tower 118.175 Ground 133.575 Approach 120.95

Airport diagram

FAA airport diagramView full size ↓

Nearby now

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Weather

METAR observed

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TAF forecast

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Sun & FAA night2026-08-04 · night begins 08:36 PM

Event	Local (PDT)	UTC
Morning civil twilight Loggable night ends	05:40 AM	12:40Z
Sunrise	06:09 AM	13:09Z
Sunset	08:07 PM	03:07Z
Evening civil twilight Loggable night begins	08:36 PM	03:36Z

Loggable night (§1.1)

08:36 PM → 05:40 AM

Night currency (§61.57)

09:07 PM → 05:09 AM

Plan a flight from KMER

Destination

TAS (kt)Burn (gph)Reserve (hr)Cruise (ft)Max alt (ft)Wind from (°)Wind (kt)

Past 24 hours category · wind · ceiling · visibility trends

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Winds aloft NOAA forecast · 3,000 to 53,000 ft

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Advisories

NOTAMs

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Pilot reports

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Airspace hazards

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Runways

RWY 13LEFT traffic

Heading: 126° mag · 141° true
Dimensions: 11,802 × 150 ft
TPA: 1,200 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) · standard
Surface: ASPH-CONC
Lights: 4-light PAPI (left) (3°) + ALSF1
CTAF: 118.175

More details — RWY 13

Threshold elev: 190 ft
Markings: nonprecision
Threshold crossing height: 75 ft
TDZ elevation: 190 ft

Condition: Good. Edge lights: High. Weight bearing: Single wheel 155k, Double wheel 200k, Dual tandem 415k, Double dual tandem 720k.

Pattern side: FAA NASR · TPA standard 1,000 ft AGL (not charted) · layout: FAA runway-end coordinates

Will it fit? Your aircraft's required runway length (from the POH) — checked against every runway here

ft · ≥1.5× comfortable, under 1.25× tight · saved across airports

Runway	Length	Your margin
13/31	11,802 ft

Prefer one flat page? Full runway details for KMER → · New to pattern entries? The 45° entry, explained → · Teaching here? Print the KMER kneeboard →

Comms & NavAids

Communication frequencies

Before taxi

“Castle”

ATIS

124.475

Taxi & takeoff

“Castle”

Ground

133.575

Tower

118.175

Departure & arrival

“Norcal”

App/Dep

120.95

Also

CTAF

118.175

UNICOM

122.95

ATC assigns the exact frequency (in your clearance or on handoff) — which one depends on your SID (departing) or STAR (arriving).

By procedure & sector (2 frequencies)

Frequency	Used by
235.775	LCL/P
269.45	APCH/P DEP/P

Source: FAA NASR (current 28-day cycle).

Instrument landing systems

RWY 31

Runway	ILS
RWY 31	LOC/GS · CAT I · LOC 109.5 (MER) · GS 3.00°

Source: FAA NASR (current 28-day cycle).

Nearby navigation aids

HYP 113.85 · MOD 114.60

NavAid	Type	Freq · ch	Range	Radial / Dist magnetic
HYP · El Nido	VOR/DME	113.85 · 85Y	Low	r305° / 12.6 NM
MOD · Modesto	VOR/DME	114.60 · 93X	High	r111° / 23.8 NM

Prefer one flat list? All KMER frequencies →

Charts & procedures

Lowest minimums here: ILS with vertical guidance · VFR sectional →

Airport info

From the field

Do you run KMER, or an FBO, flight school, or shop on it? Claim your listing to keep fuel, fees, hours, and services current.

Airport information

ICAO / IATA: KMER / MER
Coordinates: 37.3805, -120.5680
Elevation: 190 ft MSL
Magnetic variation: 15E
Sectional chart: SAN FRANCISCO
Airport use: Public
Control tower: Yes
Tower hours: 0700-2100
Airspace: Class D · CLASS D SVC 0700-2100; OTHER TIMES CLASS G
Weather station: AWOS-3 · 124.475 · ☎ 209-725-0104
ARTCC: OAKLAND (ZOA)
Flight service (FSS): RANCHO MURIETA · 1-800-WX-BRIEF
NOTAM facility: MER
Attendance: MON-FRI 0800-1700
Beacon: white-green (SS-SR)
Segmented circle: Yes
Wind indicator: lighted
Activated: 1942/07
Distance from city: 3 NE

Night operations

Airport lighting: SEE RMK
Rotating beacon: white-green · SS-SR
Pilot-controlled lighting: WHEN ATCT CLSD ACTVT ALSF1 RWYS 13 & 31; HIRL RWY 13/31 - CTAF; 3 CLICKS ON, 5 CLICKS INCR INTST, 7 CLICKS OFF. PAPI RWYS 13 & 31 OPR CONSLY. on 118.175 — Chart Supplement ↗

Runway lighting aids — 13: 4-light PAPI (left) + ALSF1 · 31: 4-light PAPI (left) + ALSF1.

FAA night windows (civil twilight, loggable night §1.1, currency §61.57) are under Sun & FAA night in the Weather section.

Services fuel · repairs · oxygen · attendance

Fuel available: 100LL, Jet A, Jet A-1
Airframe service: MINOR
Powerplant service: MINOR
Parking: tiedowns, hangars

Ownership & management 2 contacts

Owner

MERCED COUNTY

2222 M STREET, MERCED, CA

209-385-7686

Manager

GEORGE CLOVER

2222 M STREET, MERCED, CA

209-617-5399

Remarks FAA · 15 notes

General

RY 13/31 180 DEGREE TURNS PROHIBITIED.
FOR ARPT INFO 209-385-7686, EXTN 4180.
RY 31 WILL BE THE DESIGNATED CALM WIND RY (WIND 5 KNOTS OR LESS).
OPPOSITE END OF RY NOT VISIBLE ON TKOF. WHEN ATCT CLSD OPPOSITE DIRECTION TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED.
CIVILIAN AND MILITARY TRAINING MAY OCCASIONALLY CAUSE PATTERN CONGESTION.
WHEN ATCT CLSD MAX OF 5 ACFT PMTD IN VFR TFC PAT AT ANY ONE TIME AND 2000 FT CIG AND 3 MIS VIS RCMDD.
FOR CD WHEN ATCT IS CLSD CTC NORCAL APCH AT 916-361-0516.
TWY B CLSD TO ACFT GTR THAN 30000 LBS.

Runways

1,000 FT PAVED BLAST PAD BOTH ENDS OF RY.

Lighting

WHEN ATCT CLSD ACTVT ALSF1 RWYS 13 & 31; HIRL RWY 13/31 - CTAF; 3 CLICKS ON, 5 CLICKS INCR INTST, 7 CLICKS OFF. PAPI RWYS 13 & 31 OPR CONSLY.
ALSF1 RY 13/31 SEQUENCED FLASHING LGTS OTS INDEFLY.

Fuel

FOR FUEL FM 1800-0900 CALL (209) 725-1455.

Contact

MAILING ADDRESS
COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DESK PHONE 209-385-7686, EXTN 4180.

Embed KMER weather on your site free widget for schools, clubs & FBOs

Live METAR, flight category, and favored runway for KMER — paste this into your website's HTML. It updates automatically and stays free.

<iframe src="https://skyready.app/embed/airport?icao=KMER" title="KMER live weather — SkyReady" width="100%" height="300" style="border:1px solid #dce5f2;border-radius:12px;max-width:420px" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font:14px system-ui;margin:6px 0 0"><a href="https://skyready.app/airport/kmer">KMER live weather &amp; runways by SkyReady</a></p>

More widgets — crosswind, E6B, density altitude — on the embed page.

Nearby airports

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Also nearby: O15 Turlock Municipal Airport (9 NM) · 34CN Bonanza Hills Airport (private) (12 NM) · CA03 Flying M Airport (private) (14 NM) · 9CL0 Turlock Airpark (private) (14 NM) · CL84 Ahlem Farms Airport (private) (17 NM)

About KMER

Castle Airport (MER · KMER) is an airport in Merced, CA, at 190 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 11,802 ft, with a control tower. This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for KMER, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.

Does KMER have a control tower?

Yes. Castle Airport has an operating FAA control tower. See the Comms & NavAids section for tower and ground frequencies.

What is the longest runway at KMER?

Castle Airport has 1 runway; the longest is 11,802 ft. See the Runways section for headings, surface, and lighting.

Where is KMER?

Castle Airport is in Merced, CA, at an elevation of 190 ft MSL. Coordinates: 37.3805, -120.5680.

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Save KMER as your home base in the SkyReady app for a one-tap Go/No-Go readiness brief, weather alerts, and automatic FAA currency — free to log.

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Weather is live from the Aviation Weather Center; airport facility data is from the FAA NASR (28-day cycle). For planning and education only; always verify against official sources. Open KMER in a full tool: METAR/TAF decoder, crosswind calculator, sun & night times, or the density altitude calculator. Planning from here? Find the nearest airport with fuel or an approach, or check whether an IFR alternate is required.