McClellan-Palomar Airport

McClellan-Palomar Airport (KCRQ) sits in Carlsbad, California, 30 miles north of downtown San Diego and 75 miles south of LAX. It is the principal business-aviation airport for north San Diego County, serving the Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas, La Jolla north, and San Marcos corporate corridor. There is limited commercial service and the field is dominated by GA and charter movements.

Runway 6/24 is 4,897 feet — which handles light, midsize, and many super-midsize jets, but constrains heavy and ultra-long-range operations significantly. Heavy charter into the Carlsbad / La Jolla market often diverts to KSAN (Lindbergh Field) or KMYF (Montgomery-Gibbs) instead. Two FBOs (Magellan Aviation and Premier Jet) handle private movements. Field elevation is 331 feet, no density-altitude concerns. The biotech corridor in Carlsbad and the surfing/coastal corporate clusters in Del Mar and Encinitas generate steady year-round demand; the structural peaks are summer beach season (June–September) and major north-county events. Ground time to Carlsbad and the beaches is 10–15 minutes; La Jolla is 25–30 minutes; downtown San Diego is 35–45.

McClellan–Palomar Airport is a county-owned public airport located 3 miles southeast of downtown Carlsbad in San Diego County, California. The airport opened in 1959, replacing Del Mar Municipal Airport. It supports both general aviation and limited commercial service. As of March 2013, it was the fourth-busiest single-runway airport in the United States.