Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Portland, Oregon, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Portland International Airport (PDX), Portland, Oregon, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 577 miles (or 928 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 Castle Airport and Portland International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• The EPA currently has this base listed on their database due to the bulk wastes such as solvents, oils, fuels, and sludges which were disposed in pits at landfills around the base until 1977.
• It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Because of Castle Airport's relatively low elevation of 191 feet, planes can take off or land at Castle 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 airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Portland International Airport (PDX):

• The "super airport" had a terminal on the north side, off Marine Drive, and five runways.
• Portland International Airport (PDX) has 3 runways.
• Portland International Airport handled 1,502,956 passengers last year.
• The early 1990s saw a food court and extension added to Concourse C, and the opening of the new Concourse D in 1994.
• A new terminal opened in 1959, which for the most part serves as the present facility.
• In 1948 the entire airport grounds were flooded during the Vanport Flood, forcing scheduled airline services to reroute to nearby Troutdale Airport.
• By the 1980s, the terminal building began an extensive renovation in order to update PDX to meet future needs.
• In 1966 PDX had nonstop flights to SLC, DEN, ORD and no other cities farther east than Boise.
• Because of Portland International Airport's relatively low elevation of 30 feet, planes can take off or land at Portland 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 international section of Concourse D was renamed the Governor Victor G.
• PDX has a shopping mall behind its ticketing counters, with all shops and restaurants open every day.
• The furthest airport from Portland International Airport (PDX) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,903 miles (17,546 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Portland International Airport (PDX) is Portland-Troutdale Airport (TTD), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ESE of PDX.