Nonstop flight route between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,780 miles (or 4,474 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 large distance between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU):

• The Luis Muñoz Marín Airport has one main terminal building with four concourses and a separate terminal with one concourse.
• The closest airport to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) is Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) W of SJU.
• The airport opened on May 22, 1955.
• In addition to being known as "Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport", another name for SJU is "Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín".
• The airport is owned by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority but managed by Aerostar Airport Holdings, a public-private partnership which was awarded a lease by the government of Puerto Rico to operate and manage the airport for 40 years.
• Until 1955, the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport was the main international airport of Puerto Rico.
• Because of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport's relatively low elevation of 9 feet, planes can take off or land at Luis Muñoz Marín 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 furthest airport from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (meaning Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,246 miles (19,708 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) has 2 runways.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.