Nonstop flight route between Louisville, Kentucky, United States and Birmingham, Alabama, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from LOU to BHM:
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- About this route
- LOU Airport Information
- BHM Airport Information
- Facts about LOU
- Facts about BHM
- Map of Nearest Airports to LOU
- List of Nearest Airports to LOU
- Map of Furthest Airports from LOU
- List of Furthest Airports from LOU
- Map of Nearest Airports to BHM
- List of Nearest Airports to BHM
- Map of Furthest Airports from BHM
- List of Furthest Airports from BHM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Bowman Field (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky, United States and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), Birmingham, Alabama, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 328 miles (or 528 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 Bowman Field and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LOU / KLOU |
Airport Name: | Bowman Field |
Location: | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°13'41"N by 85°39'48"W |
Area Served: | Louisville, Kentucky |
Operator/Owner: | Louisville Regional Airport Authority (LRAA) |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 546 feet (166 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LOU |
More Information: | LOU Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BHM / KBHM |
Airport Name: | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport |
Location: | Birmingham, Alabama, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°33'50"N by 86°45'7"W |
Area Served: | Birmingham, Alabama |
Operator/Owner: | City of Birmingham |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 650 feet (198 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from BHM |
More Information: | BHM Maps & Info |
Facts about Bowman Field (LOU):
- Bowman Field (LOU) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Bowman Field (LOU) is Louisville International Airport (SDF), which is located only 5 miles (9 kilometers) SW of LOU.
- Bowman Field is Kentucky's first commercial airport and is the oldest continually operating commercial airfield in North America.
- The buildings of the Bowman Field Historic District are related not only by proximity and historical function, but by their Art Deco/Art Moderne styling and use of masonry materials such as brick, stone and concrete.
- During the Great Depression, Louisvillians would often come to the Art Deco terminal building to watch airplanes depart and land as a form of inexpensive entertainment.
- Because of Bowman Field's relatively low elevation of 546 feet, planes can take off or land at Bowman Field 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.
- Today Bowman Field is home to hundreds of privately owned aircraft as well as several commercial operations, including Central American Airways, which opened its doors in 1946, Falcon Aviation, Aero Club of Louisville, Inc., and Louisville Executive Aviation.
- The furthest airport from Bowman Field (LOU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,243 miles (18,093 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Bowman Field is surrounded by tree-lined suburban neighborhoods, but accidents are relatively rare.
- The dominant landmark of Bowman Field is its terminal, known as the Administration Building, styled in aerodynamic Moderne.
Facts about Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM):
- The interior of the terminal was renovated in the early 1990s and completed in 1993 at a cost of $50.4 million which included new floor surfaces, lighting, wall coverings, renovated public spaces, and public art.
- World War II saw the airport leased to the United States Army Air Forces for $1 a year to support national defense.
- Because of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport's relatively low elevation of 650 feet, planes can take off or land at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International 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 Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is St. Clair County Airport (PLR), which is located 29 miles (47 kilometers) E of BHM.
- In the early 1990s Runway 18/36 was extended to 7,100 feet, allowing use by airline jets.
- During the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, pilots and crews from the Alabama Air National Guard's 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Birmingham were selected to train Cuban exile fliers in Nicaragua to fly the Douglas B-26 Invader in the close air support role.
- In 1973 the current semi-circular terminal was completed west of the 1962 terminal and air traffic control tower.
- The furthest airport from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,183 miles (17,998 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) has 2 runways.