Nonstop flight route between Columbia, Missouri, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from COU to RCA:
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- About this route
- COU Airport Information
- RCA Airport Information
- Facts about COU
- Facts about RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to COU
- List of Nearest Airports to COU
- Map of Furthest Airports from COU
- List of Furthest Airports from COU
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Columbia Regional Airport (COU), Columbia, Missouri, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 671 miles (or 1,080 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 Columbia Regional Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | COU / KCOU |
Airport Name: | Columbia Regional Airport |
Location: | Columbia, Missouri, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°49'5"N by 92°13'10"W |
Area Served: | Columbia, Missouri |
Operator/Owner: | City of Columbia |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 889 feet (271 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from COU |
More Information: | COU Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Facts about Columbia Regional Airport (COU):
- In August 2012, Frontier Airlines announced plans to have twice weekly flights from Columbia to Orlando.
- The furthest airport from Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,886 miles (17,519 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Columbia Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 889 feet, planes can take off or land at Columbia Regional Airport 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 closest airport to Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is Jefferson City Memorial Airport (JEF), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) SSE of COU.
- Columbia Regional Airport (COU) has 2 runways.
- Prior to 2001 service was operated by Trans World Express using Jetstream 41 aircraft to St.
- Scheduled passenger service was subsidized by the U.S.
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
- The closest airport to Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) S of RCA.
- The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
- The base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
- Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
- The furthest airport from Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,579 miles (17,026 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.