KDOV sets the state benchmark with 12,903 ft, while KILG gives GA pilots towered ILS access and three runways.
The brief
Delaware flying is compact, low-elevation with a few very different airport personalities. KDOV (DOVER AFB) is the runway outlier, with 12,903 ft available at 29 ft elevation. KILG (NEW CASTLE) is the strongest civilian GA and IFR base, with towered service, ILS, three runways, two FBOs and a 7,275 ft longest runway. At 80 ft, it is also the highest listed field in the state. Most day-to-day GA planning shifts south and central from there. KGED (DELAWARE COASTAL) gives Georgetown a non-towered 5,500 ft runway with fuel. KEVY (SUMMIT) at Middletown offers 4,488 ft and fuel. 33N (DELAWARE AIRPARK) gives the Dover and Cheswold area 4,201 ft with fuel, making it a useful GA option near the state capital. Delaware has 11 public-use airports, but only 2 are towered. The other 9 are non-towered, so frequency discipline and pattern awareness matter. Runway length becomes the main constraint at the smaller fields. 15N (JENKINS) is only 2,035 ft. 0N4 (CHANDELLE) is 2,533 ft. Coastal moisture, low ceilings and summer convection can make a short Delaware hop more complicated than the mileage suggests.
Best of Delaware
Superlatives selected from the Delaware top airports list, with the why.
KDOV (DOVER AFB) has the state standout runway at 12,903 ft and sits only 29 ft MSL. It is towered with ILS, so it defines the high-capability end of Delaware flying.
KILG (NEW CASTLE) combines a 7,275 ft runway, ILS, towered service, three runways plus two FBOs. It is the most complete civilian airport in the Delaware data set.
KGED (DELAWARE COASTAL) gives Georgetown a non-towered 5,500 ft runway at 53 ft elevation. Skyline Aviation provides fuel, which makes it a practical southern Delaware stop.
KEVY (SUMMIT) has a 4,488 ft runway, 70 ft elevation and fuel through Summit Aviation. It is non-towered, so it suits pattern work plus local proficiency flights in central Delaware.
33N (DELAWARE AIRPARK) gives the Dover and Cheswold area a non-towered 4,201 ft runway with fuel. It is useful when civilian GA planning does not fit KDOV operations.
38N (SMYRNA) is short at 2,600 ft, but it has an FBO with fuel at only 18 ft elevation. It fits light-aircraft pilots who plan performance carefully.
Where pilots fly
What to know
Only KDOV and KILG are towered in this data set. They are also the only airports listed with ILS. KILG is the more typical civilian IFR and services hub, with three runways plus two FBOs. KDOV has the state’s longest runway, but it is Dover AFB. Check the Chart Supplement before assuming access or services there.
Nine of Delaware’s 11 public-use airports are non-towered. KGED, KEVY, 33N, D74, N06, 38N, 0N4, 15N and 0N5 all require self-announce discipline. Several sit close enough to other traffic flows that a good CTAF scan matters. Expect a mix of training aircraft, local piston traffic and transient GA.
The state is flat and low, with the highest listed field elevation only 80 ft at KILG. That helps with basic performance, but it can make short runways feel deceptively easy. 15N has 2,035 ft. 0N4 has 2,533 ft. 38N has 2,600 ft. Use real weight, wind and surface assumptions before arrival.
KGED gives Delaware its strongest coastal GA access, with 5,500 ft and fuel at Georgetown. Coastal moisture can lower ceilings or visibility, especially when inland fields still look workable. Build alternates around runway length and services. KILG offers the strongest IFR infrastructure. KEVY and 33N are useful VFR options when conditions allow.
Anecdotes
KDOV (DOVER AFB) has Delaware’s longest public-use runway in the data set at 12,903 ft. That is more than twice the length of KGED’s 5,500 ft runway.
KILG (NEW CASTLE) is the highest listed public-use airport in Delaware at only 80 ft MSL. It also has the most runways in the state, with three.
The Dover area is unusually dense for such a small state. Aggregate data identifies Dover as the top city by airport count, with three airports tied to the city.
Service
Ranked by services count, fuel availability, hours and host airport.
Weather
Delaware’s main pilot weather problems are low ceilings, reduced visibility, coastal moisture and summer convection. The field elevations are low, so terrain is not the dominant risk. Weather can still move quickly across the short state. Marine influence near southern Delaware can affect KGED, while northern operations around KILG can see changing ceilings with frontal passages. Shorter runways make gusts, wet pavement and tailwind components more consequential.
Training
Delaware training works best as a mix of KILG for towered and IFR procedures, then KEVY, 33N or KGED for non-towered work. KILG adds ILS and three-runway airport management. KEVY and 33N are good central-state pattern options with fuel. KGED gives more runway margin for cross-country training at 5,500 ft.
Fuel prices
Live from FBO postings · refreshed hourly
FAQ
The towered Delaware airports in the data are KDOV (DOVER AFB) and KILG (NEW CASTLE). Both also have ILS. KDOV has the longest runway in the state at 12,903 ft. KILG is the stronger civilian GA choice because it has two FBOs, three runways and a 7,275 ft longest runway. For any KDOV planning, verify access details in the Chart Supplement since it is an Air Force base.
Fuel availability is concentrated at KILG, KGED, KEVY, 33N and 38N. KILG has flyADVANCED and Atlantic Aviation. KGED has Skyline Aviation. KEVY has Summit Aviation. 33N has Delaware Airpark. 38N has Smyrna Airport. That gives Delaware six FBOs total. Smaller fields such as D74, N06, 0N4 and 15N should be treated as no-fuel planning stops unless the Chart Supplement says otherwise.
KILG is the best fit when you want tower work, IFR procedures and a larger runway environment. KEVY, 33N, KGED and 38N are useful for non-towered work. KEVY has 4,488 ft available. 33N has 4,201 ft. KGED has 5,500 ft, which gives more margin for cross-country training. For short-field proficiency, 38N at 2,600 ft and 0N4 at 2,533 ft require more disciplined performance planning.
For a non-towered fly-in with runway margin, KGED is the best pick in this list because it has 5,500 ft and an FBO. KEVY and 33N are also practical because both have fuel plus runways over 4,000 ft. D74 offers 3,585 ft at Farmington. N06 has 3,175 ft at Laurel. Treat 15N with extra care since its runway is only 2,035 ft.
Delaware elevations are low, from 18 ft at 38N to 80 ft at KILG, so terrain and density altitude are usually not the main runway problem. Runway length is the bigger issue. 15N is 2,035 ft. 0N4 is 2,533 ft. 38N is 2,600 ft. N06 is 3,175 ft. Check aircraft performance, runway condition, wind and obstacle notes before committing to a short Delaware strip.
Delaware weather planning should account for low ceilings, visibility restrictions and wind shifts tied to nearby water. KGED sits in southern Delaware near the coastal side of the state, so marine moisture can matter. KILG and the northern airports can also see busy weather transitions with fast-moving frontal systems. Low field elevations reduce terrain concerns, but they do not help with fog, coastal haze or convective summer buildups.
