Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Maracaibo, Venezuela:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and La Chinita International Airport (MAR), Maracaibo, Venezuela would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,486 miles (or 5,611 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and La Chinita International Airport, 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and La Chinita International Airport. 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 Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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 closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The airport was built by the United States Army during World War II, known as Santa Maria Army Air Field.
• A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Santa Maria Public Airport is three miles south of Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, California.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.

Facts about La Chinita International Airport (MAR):

• La Chinita International Airport (MAR) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "La Chinita International Airport", another name for MAR is "Aeropuerto Internacional La Chinita".
• Because of La Chinita International Airport's relatively low elevation of 235 feet, planes can take off or land at La Chinita 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 La Chinita International Airport (MAR) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to La Chinita International Airport (meaning La Chinita International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,261 miles (19,732 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• The closest airport to La Chinita International Airport (MAR) is Oro Negro Airport (CBS), which is located 32 miles (51 kilometers) ESE of MAR.