Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Denver, Colorado, United States:
Departure Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Arrival Airport:
(39°54'32"N by 105°7'1"W)
Distance from RCA to BJC:
310.96 miles (500.43 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- BJC Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about BJC
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to BJC
- List of Nearest Airports to BJC
- Map of Furthest Airports from BJC
- List of Furthest Airports from BJC
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), Denver, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 311 miles (or 500 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure 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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BJC / KBJC |
| Airport Name: | Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport |
| Location: | Denver, Colorado, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 39°54'32"N by 105°7'1"W |
| Area Served: | Denver, Colorado |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 5673 feet (1,729 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 3 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BJC |
| More Information: | BJC Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
- 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.
- To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
- An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
- 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.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
- The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
- The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
Facts about Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC):
- The furthest airport from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,886 miles (17,519 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) is Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) NNW of BJC.
- Because of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport's high elevation of 5,673 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at BJC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make BJC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) has 3 runways.
- Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport covers an area of 1,700 acres at an elevation of 5,673 feet above mean sea level.
| 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 | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.70 miles (17.22 km) NNW | Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU) | Boulder, Colorado, United States | |
| 2 | 23.77 miles (38.26 km) E | Denver International Airport (DEN) | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| 3 | 27.40 miles (44.09 km) SSE | Centennial Airport (APA) | Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States | |
| 4 | 37.93 miles (61.05 km) N | Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL) | Fort Collins/Loveland, Colorado, United States | |
| 5 | 44.58 miles (71.74 km) NE | Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY) | Greeley, Colorado, United States | |
| 6 | 64.96 miles (104.54 km) SSE | United States Air Force Academy (AFF) | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | |
| 7 | 79.39 miles (127.77 km) SSE | City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS) | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | |
| 8 | 79.66 miles (128.19 km) SW | Lake County Airport (LXV) | Leadville, Colorado, United States | |
| 9 | 85.60 miles (137.76 km) N | Francis E. Warren Air Force Base (FEW) | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 87.63 miles (141.02 km) N | Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS) | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 97.37 miles (156.70 km) W | Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) | Eagle, Colorado (near Vail), United States | |
| 12 | 101.26 miles (162.96 km) NNW | Laramie Regional Airport (LAR) | Laramie, Wyoming, United States | |
| 13 | 101.38 miles (163.15 km) WNW | Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS) | Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States | |
| 14 | 101.93 miles (164.04 km) E | Colorado Plains Regional Airport (AKO) | Akron, Colorado, United States | |
| 15 | 104.64 miles (168.40 km) WSW | Aspen–Pitkin County Airport (ASE) | Aspen, Colorado, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,885.91 miles (17,519.13 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,750.30 miles (17,300.89 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,716.25 miles (17,246.10 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,695.97 miles (17,213.45 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,524.44 miles (16,937.41 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,410.97 miles (16,754.79 km) ESE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| 7 | 10,401.29 miles (16,739.21 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 8 | 10,365.91 miles (16,682.27 km) ESE | Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) | Fianarantsoa, Madagascar | |
| 9 | 10,297.63 miles (16,572.38 km) SE | Toamasino Airport (TMM) | Toamasina, Madagascar | |
| 10 | 10,260.86 miles (16,513.21 km) SE | Sainte Marie Airport (SMS) | Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar | |
| 11 | 10,250.92 miles (16,497.22 km) SE | Ivato International Airport (TNR) | Antananarivo, Madagascar | |
| 12 | 10,233.96 miles (16,469.93 km) ESE | Manja Airport (MJA) | Manja, Menabe, Madagascar | |
| 13 | 10,215.70 miles (16,440.53 km) ESE | Andavadoaka Airport (DVD) | Andavadoaka, Toliara province, Atsimo-Andrefana region, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,204.51 miles (16,422.53 km) ESE | Morombe Airport (MXM) | Morombe, Madagascar | |
| 15 | 10,198.16 miles (16,412.31 km) ESE | Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) | Miandrivazo, Madagascar | |