Challis Airport (KLLJ), Idaho
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Challis Airport (KLLJ) sits in a high mountain valley in central Idaho, serving general aviation and business traffic out of Challis with a single paved runway. The field is unattended outside weekday daytime hours, though fuel is available on site for piston and jet operators passing through the region. There is no customs facility on the airport, and the nearest customs-capable field is KBOI, about 104 nautical miles away.
Runways
Challis Airport has one paved runway, 17/35, 4,601 ft long and 60 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Challis Airport has Jet A and 100 available on the field. Fueling is available from 7am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Challis Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Boise Air Trml / Gowen Field (KBOI), 104 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Challis Airport recorded 48 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Business aviation traffic at KLLJ builds through the summer and peaks in September, with the quietest months falling in late winter and spring.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 10 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Challis Airport averages 14.8 days above 90°F in July and 31.0 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.9°F, and December the coldest, at 28.8°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Challis Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: runway notes, environmental and other notes.
The Runway 17 PAPI is unusable beyond 7 degrees right and left of centerline, and unusable beyond 2.5 nautical miles from the threshold due to terrain.
On Runway 17/35, landing on Runway 17 and departing on Runway 35 is recommended when wind conditions permit.
Deer are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Be alert for helicopter operations adjacent to the southeast end of the airport.
An ASOS weather station is located on the airport.
The airport is located in a high mountain valley.
For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Challis Airport has four airfields within 46 NM. The closest is Flying Joseph Ranch, 19.57 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KLLJ
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.
$1,200.00 catering order at KLLJ.
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 runway does KLLJ have and is it paved?
KLLJ has one paved runway, 17/35, measuring 4,601 feet long and 60 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the only runway serving Challis Airport, so all fixed-wing arrivals and departures use this single strip regardless of aircraft type. Pilots should plan around its length and mountain-valley setting when calculating performance.
Is fuel available at Challis Airport?
Yes, Challis Airport (KLLJ) stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel on site. This makes it usable for a mix of piston and turbine business aircraft operating in the area. Fuel availability aligns with the airport's attended schedule, Monday through Friday from 0700 to 1700 local time.
Does KLLJ have customs clearance on site?
No, Challis Airport (KLLJ) does not have an onsite customs facility. The nearest airport with customs service is KBOI, located approximately 104 nautical miles away. Operators requiring customs clearance near Challis need to route through Boise or another designated port of entry instead.
Which runway direction is recommended at KLLJ?
At KLLJ, the airport remarks recommend landing on Runway 17 and departing on Runway 35 when wind conditions permit. This guidance reflects local terrain and wind patterns in the high mountain valley where Challis Airport is located. Pilots should also note helicopter operations near the southeast end of the field and the presence of deer on and around the airport.