Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH), Illinois
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) is a towered, public-use field in Carbondale / Murphysboro, Illinois, sitting at 411 feet elevation and recording 2,253 total annual operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, of which 846 are business aviation movements. The airport is roughly 73.64 nautical miles from the nearest metro area and offers a primary runway of 6,506 feet alongside two shorter crosswind and secondary strips, supporting a mix of training activity and business turboprop and jet traffic.
Runways
Southern Illinois Airport has three paved runways. The longest, 18L/36R, is 6,506 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Southern Illinois Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Southern Illinois Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Scott AFB / Midamerica Saint Louis (KBLV), 54 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Southern Illinois Airport recorded 846 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in October. Business aviation traffic at KMDH is concentrated in the spring and fall, with October, March, and August showing the highest monthly operation counts.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 101 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Southern Illinois Airport averages 14.4 days above 90°F in July and 24.5 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88.4°F, and January the coldest, at 41.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Southern Illinois Airport has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
A marked power line, 39 feet in height, is located 1,872 feet from the runway and 192 feet left of centerline. The approach ratio is 42:1.
MALSR lighting on runway 18L, VASI on runway 06, and PAPI on runways 24 and 36R are pilot-activated, along with MIRL on runway 06/24 and HIRL on runway 18L/36R, via CTAF. When the control tower is closed, HIRL on runway 18L/36R is preset to medium intensity and can be increased via CTAF. When the control tower is closed, lighting on runway 18R/36L is available by request only.
Runway 06/24 is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 operations involving scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 9 passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 30 passenger seats.
Runway 18R/36L is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 operations involving scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 9 passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 30 passenger seats.
Runway 6 and runway 18R/36L intersect. Verify the correct compass heading for runway 6 departures.
Birds have been reported on and in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 350/F/D/X/T
PCR VALUE: 270/F/D/X/T
PCR VALUE: 40/F/D/X/T
The visual glide slope indicator is unusable beyond 6 degrees right of course. The PVASI is out of service indefinitely.
The airport experiences high student training activity.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Southern Illinois Airport has five airfields within 34 NM. The closest is Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (KMWA), 11.52 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KMDH
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KMDH.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What runways are available at KMDH?
Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) has three paved asphalt runways. Runway 18L/36R is the longest at 6,506 feet with a 100-foot width, and it carries MALSR lighting on the 18L end plus HIRL edge lighting. Runway 06/24 measures 4,163 feet with medium-intensity edge lighting, while runway 18R/36L is 3,498 feet long and only 60 feet wide. Runway 06/24 and 18R/36L both carry restrictions for larger scheduled and non-scheduled passenger operations under Part 121 and Part 380.
Is Jet A fuel available at KMDH?
Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) stocks both 100LL and Jet A fuel, and the field is attended around the clock according to its ALL / ALL / ALL schedule. This fuel availability is drawn from the airport's published fuel type data rather than inferred from traffic patterns. The airport is towered, which supports fuel and ramp coordination during operating hours. Dispatchers planning fuel stops for jet traffic can expect Jet A to be on hand at KMDH without needing to arrange an alternate uplift point nearby.
Does KMDH have customs clearance onsite?
Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) does not have customs processing onsite. The nearest customs facility is KBLV, located approximately 53.66 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from international origins need to route through KBLV or another designated port of entry before or after landing at KMDH. Dispatchers should factor this distance into routing plans for any flight requiring customs clearance.
What obstacles or approach hazards affect KMDH operations?
Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) has a marked power line obstruction 39 feet in height, located 1,872 feet from the runway and 192 feet left of centerline, with an approach ratio of 42:1. Separately, runway 6 and runway 18R/36L intersect, so crews are advised to verify the correct compass heading for runway 6 departures. Birds have also been reported on and in the vicinity of the airport. These factors are relevant for approach and departure planning at KMDH, particularly for pilots unfamiliar with the field layout.
When does business aviation traffic peak at KMDH?
Business aviation traffic at Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) is concentrated in the spring and fall months, according to FAA TFMSC data for 2025. October recorded the highest monthly total at 101 operations, followed by March at 83 and August at 84. Winter months show noticeably lower activity, with January at 41 operations and February at 52. This seasonal pattern is worth noting for dispatchers scheduling recurring flights into KMDH throughout the year.