Nonstop flight route between Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from APA to TCM:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- APA Airport Information
- TCM Airport Information
- Facts about APA
- Facts about TCM
- Map of Nearest Airports to APA
- List of Nearest Airports to APA
- Map of Furthest Airports from APA
- List of Furthest Airports from APA
- Map of Nearest Airports to TCM
- List of Nearest Airports to TCM
- Map of Furthest Airports from TCM
- List of Furthest Airports from TCM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Centennial Airport (APA), Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,025 miles (or 1,649 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the relatively short distance between Centennial Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | APA / KAPA |
Airport Name: | Centennial Airport |
Location: | Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 39°34'12"N by 104°50'57"W |
Area Served: | Denver, Colorado |
Operator/Owner: | Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5885 feet (1,794 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from APA |
More Information: | APA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | TCM / KTCM |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°8'16"N by 122°28'35"W |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military: Air Force Base |
Elevation: | 322 feet (98 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from TCM |
More Information: | TCM Maps & Info |
Facts about Centennial Airport (APA):
- Because of Centennial Airport's high elevation of 5,885 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at APA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make APA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The furthest airport from Centennial Airport (APA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,899 miles (17,540 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Centennial Airport (APA) is Denver International Airport (DEN), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) NNE of APA.
- Centennial Airport (APA) has 3 runways.
- In 1985 a new control tower was built.
Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):
- In 1947 Tactical Air Command moved the 62d Troop Carrier Group to McChord Field from Bergstrom Field, Texas.
- The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
- The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
- On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
- The furthest airport from McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- In 1940 McChord Field became the headquarters of the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District, with a mission for the defense of the Pacific Northwest and Upper Great Plains regions of the United States.
- On 1 August 1946, McChord was assigned to the new Air Defense Command, with a mission of air defense of the United States.
- In 1945 McChord was designated as a permanent station by the Army Air Forces.
- Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- The McChord Air Force Base facility was consolidated with the United States Army Fort Lewis on 1 February 2010 to become part of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord complex.
- McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.