Waukegan National Airport (KUGN), Illinois
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Waukegan National Airport (KUGN) sits on Chicago's north shore in Lake County, Illinois, roughly 33 nautical miles from the metro core. The field is towered and operates two paved runways, with the primary strip long enough to handle the bulk of the business turbine traffic that makes up most of its annual operations. On-site CBP inspection services and a USDA compliance agreement give operators a customs option without a diversion to a larger gateway.
Runways
Waukegan National Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 05/23, is 6,001 ft long and 150 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
Waukegan National 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
Waukegan National Airport has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Waukegan National Airport recorded 6,538 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June and August. Business aviation traffic at KUGN is concentrated in the late spring through late summer months, peaking in August.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 659 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Waukegan National Airport averages 3.9 days above 90°F in July and 28.2 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81.3°F, and January the coldest, at 30.9°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Waukegan National Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
For clearance delivery when the control tower is closed, contact Chicago Approach.
The control tower operates the MALSR on Runway 23. Runway 05 has REIL lighting, and Runway 05/23 has HIRL lighting. Runway 14/32 and taxiways have MIRL/taxiway lighting on CTAF. When the tower is closed, use CTAF to increase intensity and activate the lighting.
The approach ratio is 26:1 at the displaced threshold.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Fuel is provided under a DOD contract. 100LL is available 24 hours a day by credit card from the self-serve pump on the transient ramp.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Waukegan National Airport has five airfields within 26 NM. The closest is Kenosha Regional (KENW), 10.77 NM north.
Part of the Chicago area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KUGN
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 KUGN.
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
Does KUGN have on-site customs clearance?
Yes, Waukegan National Airport offers on-site CBP inspection services along with a USDA compliance agreement. This means arriving international flights can clear customs directly at KUGN rather than diverting to a designated customs airport. The combination of CBP and USDA coverage is relevant for operators carrying agricultural cargo or livestock in addition to standard passenger clearance. Crews should still confirm current inspection staffing and any advance notice requirements before planning an international arrival. No distance to an alternate customs airport applies here since service is provided directly on the field.
What is the main runway at Waukegan National Airport?
Waukegan National Airport's primary runway is 05/23, a 6,001-foot asphalt strip that is 150 feet wide. It carries REIL lighting on Runway 05 and HIRL lighting across the full 05/23 length, plus an ATCT-controlled MALSR system on Runway 23. The secondary runway, 14/32, is shorter at 3,750 feet and narrower at 75 feet, with MIRL lighting. Together the two runways give KUGN enough length on 05/23 to accommodate most business jet traffic operating through the field.
Is fuel available at KUGN outside staffed hours?
100LL is available 24 hours a day at Waukegan National Airport through a self-serve pump on the transient ramp, accessible by credit card. Jet A is also listed among the field's fuel types, though the self-serve arrangement described in airport remarks applies specifically to 100LL. Fuel supply at KUGN is provided under a DOD contract, which is a detail crews may want to note when planning fuel logistics. Operators needing Jet A outside normal attendance should confirm service arrangements in advance.
How does traffic at Waukegan National Airport vary through the year?
Business aviation operations at Waukegan National Airport follow a clear seasonal pattern, based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025. Monthly bizav operations run in the 400s during January through April, then climb into the 600s from May onward. August is the peak month with 659 operations, followed closely by June at 651. Traffic eases back into the 500s by November and December, tracking the broader seasonal pattern common to general aviation airports in the upper Midwest.
What obstacle or approach considerations apply at KUGN?
Waukegan National Airport reports an approach ratio of 26:1 at the displaced threshold, a slope figure relevant to instrument and visual approach planning. Airport remarks also note bird activity on and in the vicinity of the airport, which crews should factor into arrival and departure planning. When the airport traffic control tower is closed, clearance delivery is handled through Chicago Approach rather than a local frequency. These combined factors are worth reviewing during approach briefings for flights into KUGN.