Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Puerto Cabezas Airport (PUZ), Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,717 miles (or 4,372 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 Puerto Cabezas 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 Puerto Cabezas 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):

• The airport was built by the United States Army during World War II, known as Santa Maria Army Air Field.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• 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 extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).
• 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.
• 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 (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The first airline to serve Santa Maria was Southwest Airways operating Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft.
• 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.

Facts about Puerto Cabezas Airport (PUZ):

• The new air terminal has a total area of 477 m2 and a 2,400 m2 parking lot for 30 vehicles.
• The closest airport to Puerto Cabezas Airport (PUZ) is Waspam Airport (WSP), which is located 62 miles (100 kilometers) NW of PUZ.
• The furthest airport from Puerto Cabezas Airport (PUZ) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Puerto Cabezas Airport (meaning Puerto Cabezas Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,308 miles (19,808 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Puerto Cabezas Airport (PUZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• There are plans to make the airport an international airport.
• The terminal currently services daily regular flights by airline Avianca Nicaragua as well as for charter flights to Managua and other air terminals on the Atlantic Coast.
• Because of Puerto Cabezas Airport's relatively low elevation of 69 feet, planes can take off or land at Puerto Cabezas 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.