Nonstop flight route between Decatur, Illinois, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:
Departure Airport:
(39°50'3"N by 88°51'56"W)
Arrival Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Distance from DEC to RCA:
786.85 miles (1,266.31 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- DEC Airport Information
- RCA Airport Information
- Facts about DEC
- Facts about RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to DEC
- List of Nearest Airports to DEC
- Map of Furthest Airports from DEC
- List of Furthest Airports from DEC
- 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 Decatur Airport (DEC), Decatur, Illinois, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 787 miles (or 1,266 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 Decatur 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: | DEC / KDEC |
| Airport Name: | Decatur Airport |
| Location: | Decatur, Illinois, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 39°50'3"N by 88°51'56"W |
| Area Served: | Decatur, Illinois |
| Operator/Owner: | Decatur Park District |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 682 feet (208 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 3 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DEC |
| More Information: | DEC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
| Airport Names: |
|
| 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 Decatur Airport (DEC):
- Because of Decatur Airport's relatively low elevation of 682 feet, planes can take off or land at Decatur 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 Decatur Airport (DEC) is University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI), which is located 34 miles (55 kilometers) ENE of DEC.
- The furthest airport from Decatur Airport (DEC) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,056 miles (17,793 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The Illinois Army National Guard has an Army Aviation Support Facility at the airport.
- Decatur Airport (DEC) has 3 runways.
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- 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.
- Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
- 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.
- When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
- Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
- An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
- Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 34.19 miles (55.02 km) ENE | University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI) | Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, United States |     |
| 2 | 39.74 miles (63.96 km) SE | Coles County Memorial Airport (MTO) | Mattoon/Charleston, Illinois, United States | |
| 3 | 43.11 miles (69.38 km) W | Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI) | Springfield, Illinois, United States | |
| 4 | 44.49 miles (71.60 km) N | Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI) | Bloomington, Illinois, United States | |
| 5 | 71.77 miles (115.50 km) ENE | Vermilion Regional Airport (DNV) | Danville, Illinois, United States | |
| 6 | 72.06 miles (115.96 km) NW | General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) | Peoria, Illinois, United States | |
| 7 | 74.24 miles (119.47 km) SSW | Greenville Airport (GRE) | Greenville, Illinois, United States | |
| 8 | 82.50 miles (132.78 km) S | Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) | Salem, Illinois, United States | |
| 9 | 87.02 miles (140.04 km) ESE | Terre Haute International Airport Hulman Field (HUF) | Terre Haute, Indiana, United States | |
| 10 | 90.48 miles (145.61 km) ESE | Sullivan County Airport (SIV) | Sullivan, Indiana, United States | |
| 11 | 90.73 miles (146.02 km) SW | St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN) | Alton, Illinois, United States | |
| 12 | 99.06 miles (159.42 km) NE | Kentland Municipal Airport (KKT) | Kentland, Indiana, United States | |
| 13 | 99.70 miles (160.45 km) SE | Ed-Air Airport (OTN) | Oaktown, Indiana, United States | |
| 14 | 100.03 miles (160.99 km) SE | Lawrenceville–Vincennes International Airport (LWV) | Lawrenceville, Illinois, United States | |
| 15 | 100.87 miles (162.34 km) NNE | Greater Kankakee Airport (IKK) | Kankakee, Illinois, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,055.79 miles (17,792.53 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,033.16 miles (17,756.11 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,010.48 miles (17,719.61 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,009.70 miles (17,718.36 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 10,973.92 miles (17,660.77 km) WSW | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 10,959.31 miles (17,637.25 km) WSW | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,949.73 miles (17,621.83 km) WSW | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,939.97 miles (17,606.14 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,938.75 miles (17,604.17 km) WSW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,915.31 miles (17,566.45 km) W | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,897.41 miles (17,537.64 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,873.03 miles (17,498.40 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,848.43 miles (17,458.81 km) WSW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 10,844.55 miles (17,452.57 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,824.71 miles (17,420.65 km) WSW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) S | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States | |
| 2 | 41.93 miles (67.49 km) WNW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 82.62 miles (132.96 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 90.44 miles (145.55 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 122.78 miles (197.60 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.94 miles (223.59 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 7 | 142.03 miles (228.58 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.26 miles (233.77 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 9 | 148.71 miles (239.33 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 153.78 miles (247.49 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 154.79 miles (249.12 km) SE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 159.20 miles (256.21 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 162.60 miles (261.68 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 183.63 miles (295.52 km) N | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | |
| 15 | 188.89 miles (303.99 km) SE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,579.32 miles (17,025.72 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,460.72 miles (16,834.85 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,437.71 miles (16,797.83 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,415.77 miles (16,762.51 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,301.11 miles (16,577.99 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,292.17 miles (16,563.61 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,268.77 miles (16,525.95 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,252.53 miles (16,499.80 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,244.09 miles (16,486.22 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,200.19 miles (16,415.58 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,193.03 miles (16,404.05 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,186.88 miles (16,394.16 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,186.40 miles (16,393.38 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,176.73 miles (16,377.83 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,162.30 miles (16,354.60 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |