Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Peoria, Illinois, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to PIA:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- PIA Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about PIA
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
- Map of Furthest Airports from MER
- List of Furthest Airports from MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to PIA
- List of Nearest Airports to PIA
- Map of Furthest Airports from PIA
- List of Furthest Airports from PIA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA), Peoria, Illinois, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,664 miles (or 2,678 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 General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MER / KMER |
Airport Name: | Castle Airport |
Location: | Atwater, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W |
Operator/Owner: | Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 191 feet (58 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MER |
More Information: | MER Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PIA / KPIA |
Airport Name: | General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport |
Location: | Peoria, Illinois, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 40°39'51"N by 89°41'35"W |
Area Served: | Peoria, Illinois |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 661 feet (201 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from PIA |
More Information: | PIA Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- 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 closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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.
- The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- 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.
Facts about General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA):
- This airport is in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport.
- The furthest airport from General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,003 miles (17,707 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) has 2 runways.
- Peoria International Airport covers 3,800 acres at an elevation of 661 feet above mean sea level.
- General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport handled 592,101 passengers last year.
- The closest airport to General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) is Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) ESE of PIA.
- Because of General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport's relatively low elevation of 661 feet, planes can take off or land at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria 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.