American Lake Seaplane Base Seaplane Base

W37 · Tacoma, WA · Non-towered

Elevation
235 ft MSL
Longest runway
5,500 ft 02/20
Runway
1
Mag var
20E

Nearby now

Loading…

Weather

METAR observed

Loading current weather…

TAF forecast

Loading forecast…

Sun & FAA night2026-08-07 · night begins 09:09 PM
EventLocal (PDT)UTC
Morning civil twilight
Loggable night ends
05:22 AM12:22Z
Sunrise05:57 AM12:57Z
Sunset08:35 PM03:35Z
Evening civil twilight
Loggable night begins
09:09 PM04:09Z
Loggable night (§1.1)
09:09 PM → 05:22 AM
Night currency (§61.57)
09:35 PM → 04:57 AM

Plan a flight from W37

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

Loading winds aloft…

Full reports: nearest reporting station

Advisories

NOTAMs

Loading NOTAMs…

All W37 NOTAMs, grouped and decoded

Pilot reports

Loading PIREPs…

All pilot reports near W37

Airspace hazards

Checking advisories…

Runways

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

Prefer one flat page? Full runway details for W37 → · New to pattern entries? The 45° entry, explained → · Teaching here? Print the W37 kneeboard →

Comms & NavAids

Communication frequencies

Taxi & takeoff

CTAF
122.9

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

Nearby navigation aids

TCM 109.60 · OLM 113.40 · SEA 116.80
NavAidTypeFreq · chRangeRadial / Dist magnetic
TCM · Mcchord TACAN 109.60 · 33X r249° / 3.5 NM
OLM · Olympia VORTAC 113.40 · 81X High r035° / 17.3 NM
SEA · Seattle VORTAC 116.80 · 115X High r191° / 20.4 NM

Prefer one flat list? All W37 frequencies →

Charts & procedures

Airport

VFR sectional →

Airport info

Airport information

FAA LID
W37
Coordinates
47.1415, -122.5610
Elevation
235 ft MSL
Magnetic variation
20E
Sectional chart
SEATTLE
Airport use
Public
Control tower
No
ARTCC
SEATTLE (ZSE)
Flight service (FSS)
SEATTLE · 122.5 · 1-800-WX-BRIEF
NOTAM facility
SEA
Attendance
UNATNDD
Segmented circle
No
Activated
1987/09
Distance from city
3 SW

Night operations

Pilot-controlled lighting
Usually keyed on CTAF 122.9 — confirm the click sequence in the Chart Supplement ↗

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

Ownership & management 2 contacts
Owner
CITY OF LAKEWOOD
6000 MAIN ST. SW, LAKEWOOD, WA
253-589-2489
Manager
SCOTT WILLIAMS
6000 MAIN ST. SW, LAKEWOOD, WA
253-983-7887
Remarks FAA · 6 notes

General

  • ARPT UNDERLIES MCCHORD AFB CLASS D AIRSPACE.
  • SWIMMERS & BOATERS IN THE AREA.
  • DAY USE ONLY RECOMMENDED.
  • NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES IN EFFECT; CTC AMGR 253-589-2489, EXTENSION 7741.
  • SEAPLANE DOCK AVAILABLE DURING PARK HOURS, 7:00 AM TO SUNSET.
  • FOR CD CTC SEATTLE APCH AT 206-214-4723.

Nearby airports

Loading nearby conditions…

Also nearby: KZ10 Fort Lewis Road / Pacemaker Landing Zone Airport (9 NM) · 3B8 Shady Acres Airport (9 NM) · 00WA Howell Airport (private) (9 NM)

About W37

American Lake Seaplane Base (W37) is a seaplane base in Tacoma, WA, at 235 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 5,500 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for W37, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.

Does W37 have a control tower?

No. American Lake Seaplane Base is a non-towered (pilot-controlled) seaplane base; use the published CTAF/UNICOM in the Comms & NavAids section.

What is the longest runway at W37?

American Lake Seaplane Base has 1 runway; the longest is 5,500 ft. See the Runways section for headings, surface, and lighting.

Where is W37?

American Lake Seaplane Base is in Tacoma, WA, at an elevation of 235 ft MSL. Coordinates: 47.1415, -122.5610.

Fly out of W37 often?

Save W37 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.

Get the appSoon

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 W37 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.