Nonstop flight route between St. Paul, Minnesota, United States and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from STP to GRF:
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- About this route
- STP Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about STP
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to STP
- List of Nearest Airports to STP
- Map of Furthest Airports from STP
- List of Furthest Airports from STP
- Map of Nearest Airports to GRF
- List of Nearest Airports to GRF
- Map of Furthest Airports from GRF
- List of Furthest Airports from GRF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP), St. Paul, Minnesota, United States and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,416 miles (or 2,279 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 St. Paul Downtown Airport and Gray Army Airfield, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | STP / KSTP |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | St. Paul, Minnesota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 44°56'3"N by 93°3'36"W |
Area Served: | St. Paul, Minnesota |
Operator/Owner: | Metropolitan Airports Commission |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 705 feet (215 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from STP |
More Information: | STP Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GRF / KGRF |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°4'45"N by 122°34'50"W |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 300 feet (91 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GRF |
More Information: | GRF Maps & Info |
Facts about St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP):
- The closest airport to St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) is Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Wold–Chamberlain Airport (MSP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) WSW of STP.
- In addition to being known as "St. Paul Downtown Airport", another name for STP is "Holman Field".
- The airport is home to an installation of the Minnesota Army National Guard.
- St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) has 3 runways.
- During World War II, Northwest Airlines employed up to 5,000 people at the site, modifying new B-24 Liberator bombers, some of which received the highly classified H2X radar, which proved to be an invaluable tool in the European theater.
- The furthest airport from St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,764 miles (17,324 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- In 2009, a removable flood wall was installed that is only erected when flooding is imminent, leaving the views of the river intact for the rest of the year.
- Because of St. Paul Downtown Airport's relatively low elevation of 705 feet, planes can take off or land at St. Paul Downtown 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.
Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):
- The 1938 construction included two paved runways, a boiler plant, headquarters building, metal balloon hangar, six-plane hangar, corrugated-iron hangar, storehouse, flight-surgeon office, and film-storage building.
- The furthest airport from Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,809 miles (17,395 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Because of Gray Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 300 feet, planes can take off or land at Gray Army Airfield 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.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
- In 1926, the War Department observing aviation expansion overseas requested additional aviation funding.
- During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
- With World War II, Gray Army Airfield received 1.7 million dollars for new hangars and improved facilities.
- August 1984 saw GAAF become one of few test centers for the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
- World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
- The closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
- Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
- Camp Lewis advocates pushed for it to be a major dirigible and fixed-wing field.