Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Denver, Colorado, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 307 miles (or 494 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 Denver 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• 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.
• The base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• 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.

Facts about Denver International Airport (DEN):

• DIA has Wi-Fi access throughout the airport.
• The closest airport to Denver International Airport (DEN) is Centennial Airport (APA), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) SSW of DEN.
• After the airport's runways were completed but before it opened, the airport used the codes.
• "Mustang" has gotten mixed reviews.
• Because of Denver International Airport's high elevation of 5,431 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at DEN. Combined with a high temperature, this could make DEN a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Airport officials say its large area contributes to DIA having the highest number of wildlife strikes of any airport in the United States.
• Denver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the nation because of its location.
• The furthest airport from Denver International Airport (DEN) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,877 miles (17,505 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Denver International Airport handled 52,556,359 passengers last year.
• Denver International Airport (DEN) has 6 runways.