El Jardin Ranch Airport (XA66), Texas
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
El Jardin Ranch, also identified by its local designator XA66, is a private-use airstrip near Encinal, Texas, roughly 45.66 nautical miles from the nearest metro area. The field sits at 485 feet elevation and remains unattended, with a single paved runway serving the modest business aviation traffic recorded there. Nearby ranch airstrips including Lewis Ranch, Los Cuernos Ranch, and La Esperanza Ranch dot the surrounding area within a 20-nautical-mile radius, characteristic of the private ranching airfields common to this part of South Texas.
Runways
El Jardin Ranch Airport has one paved runway, 12/30, 6,302 ft long and 80 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
El Jardin Ranch Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Laredo International (KLRD), 33 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
El Jardin Ranch Airport recorded 18 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in February. Business aviation traffic at El Jardin Ranch is concentrated mainly in February, with smaller activity in January and July and little to none recorded across the spring and fall months.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month February, 9 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
El Jardin Ranch Airport averages 30.1 days above 90°F in August, 4.4 freeze days in January and 0.1 snow days in December. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 99.7°F, and January the coldest, at 67.6°F.
Weather station is 7.8 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
El Jardin Ranch Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
Runway 12/30 is equipped with pilot-controlled medium intensity runway lighting (MIRL).
For clearance delivery, contact Houston ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
El Jardin Ranch Airport has five airfields within 19 NM. The closest is Lewis Ranch, 7.29 NM southwest.
Part of the Texas Border area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at XA66
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 XA66.
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 kind of traffic does XA66 see?
El Jardin Ranch, identified as XA66, is a private-use airport near Encinal, Texas, recording 31 total annual operations per FAA TFMSC data for 2025. Of those, 18 were business aviation operations. This places the field at ops tier 2, reflecting modest and irregular activity rather than a scheduled traffic pattern.
Is there customs processing available at XA66?
El Jardin Ranch does not have customs service onsite. The nearest customs facility is KLRD, located approximately 33.16 nautical miles away. Operators requiring customs clearance near this Texas ranch airstrip should plan to route through that facility rather than expecting any onsite processing at XA66.
What is the runway configuration at El Jardin Ranch?
El Jardin Ranch has a single paved runway, designated 12/30, measuring 6302 feet long and 80 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the only runway listed for the field. The airport sits at an elevation of 485 feet and is unattended, with no attendance schedule maintained on site.
Are the runway lights operational at XA66 at night?
Runway lighting at El Jardin Ranch is limited to pilot-controlled MIRL on runway 12/30, meaning pilots must activate the lights themselves rather than relying on continuous illumination. Since the field is unattended, there is no staff presence to manage lighting or other services after hours. Clearance delivery for the area is handled through Houston ARTCC rather than a local tower.