Deer Lodge-City-County Airport (38S), Montana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Deer Lodge City-County Airport (38S) is a public-use, non-towered field in Deer Lodge, Montana, at 4,693 feet elevation. It serves as a business aviation waypoint in southwestern Montana, with a single paved runway and unattended fuel service. Traffic near this airport, as tracked by FAA TFMSC, is crossborder business aviation activity rather than a total count of all operations at the field. No customs service operates onsite; the nearest customs airport is KBTM, about 28 nautical miles away.
Runways
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport has one paved runway, 13/31, 5,800 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Bert Mooney (KBTM), 28 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport recorded 590 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at 38S concentrates in the summer months, peaking in July and August before dropping off sharply through the fall and winter.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 144 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport averages 4.2 days above 90°F in July and 30.4 freeze days in January. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 79.4°F, and December the coldest, at 31.3°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: weight restrictions, runway notes and other notes.
Single-wheel apron weight bearing capacity is 30,000 pounds for the southwest apron and 50,000 pounds for the northeast apron; the taxiway to the northeast apron is rated for 50,000 pounds.
The MIRL for runway 13/31 and the PAPI systems for runways 13 and 31 are pilot-activated via CTAF.
Runway 13/31 was extended on its southeast end.
For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake ARTCC.
This is a cold temperature airport. Altitude correction is required at or below -22°C.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport has four airfields within 35 NM. The closest is Bowman Field, 14.71 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at 38S
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 38S.
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 38S offer for business aviation arrivals?
Deer Lodge City-County Airport (38S) has a single runway, 13/31, measuring 5,800 feet long and 75 feet wide with an asphalt surface. The runway was extended on its southeast end, according to airport remarks. Lighting is pilot-controlled: the MIRL for runway 13/31 and the PAPI systems for both runways 13 and 31 are activated via CTAF. There is no tower at this field, so all runway and lighting coordination happens over the common frequency.
Is customs service available at 38S?
Deer Lodge City-County Airport (38S) does not have customs service onsite. The nearest customs facility is at KBTM, located approximately 28 nautical miles away. Flight crews requiring customs clearance near Deer Lodge should plan to route through KBTM rather than expecting service at this field. No onsite customs designation of any kind, including CANPASS or restricted access categories, applies here since the facility simply does not offer the service.
What fuel is available at Deer Lodge-City-County (38S)?
Deer Lodge-City-County Airport (38S) stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel. The field is unattended, per its UNATNDD attendance schedule, so fuel service does not rely on staffed hours. Dispatchers should plan fueling logistics around the unattended status rather than assuming personnel will be present to assist. No fuel-related weight or delivery restrictions are noted in the airport remarks beyond the standard apron weight limits.
What are the apron weight limits at 38S?
Deer Lodge City-County Airport (38S) has differentiated apron weight bearing capacities for single-wheel aircraft. The southwest apron is rated for 30,000 pounds, while the northeast apron is rated for 50,000 pounds. The taxiway leading to the northeast apron carries the same 50,000-pound rating as that apron. Operators of heavier single-wheel aircraft should plan to use the northeast apron and its connecting taxiway rather than the southwest side.
When does business aviation traffic peak at 38S?
Traffic at Deer Lodge City-County Airport (38S), as tracked by FAA TFMSC for 2025, peaks in July with 144 business aviation operations, followed closely by August at 129. Activity builds steadily from spring through midsummer, rising from just 16 operations in April to 40 in May and 89 in June. It then falls off through the fall, dropping to 34 in October and further to single digits by winter. This seasonal pattern points to a concentrated summer operating window at the field.