Estherville Municipal (KEST), Iowa
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Estherville Municipal (KEST) is a non-towered public airport in northwest Iowa, serving light business aviation traffic under FAA TFMSC tracking. The field offers a paved runway alongside a turf strip, with self-announce operations on CTAF and no on-airport customs service. Pilots crossing the border would clear through KFSD, roughly 88 nautical miles away, since no customs presence exists at KEST itself.
Runways
Estherville Municipal has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 16/34, is 4,797 ft long and 75 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Estherville Municipal has Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Estherville Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Joe Foss Field (KFSD), 88 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Estherville Municipal recorded 122 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at KEST peaks in June and July, with those two months together accounting for nearly a third of the year's operations.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 25 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Estherville Municipal averages 3.5 days above 90°F in July and 31.0 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81.1°F, and January the coldest, at 23.1°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Estherville Municipal has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
Runway 16/34 MIRL lighting is pilot-activated, along with REIL and PAPI on both runways 16 and 34, all controlled via CTAF.
Runway 06/24 is marked with yellow cones instead of standard painted runway markings.
Runway 34 is the designated calm wind runway.
For clearance delivery, contact Minneapolis ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Estherville Municipal has five airfields within 29 NM. The closest is Spirit Lake Municipal, 17.19 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KEST
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 KEST.
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 KEST?
Esterville Municipal (KEST) has two runways: 16/34, a paved concrete surface measuring 4,797 feet by 75 feet, and 06/24, a 2,989-foot turf strip 90 feet wide. Runway 16/34 carries lighting including MIRL, REIL, and PAPI on both ends, activated via CTAF. Runway 06/24 is marked with yellow cones rather than standard painted markings.
Is fuel available at KEST?
Esterville Municipal (KEST) stocks both 100LL and A+ fuel, and Jet A is also available on the field. The airport operates on a dawn-to-dusk schedule daily, with no towered air traffic control on site. Pilots should plan fuel stops around daylight hours given the attendance pattern.
How does KEST handle customs clearance for international arrivals?
KEST has no customs service on site, so arriving aircraft must clear at the nearest customs airport, KFSD, located approximately 87.5 nautical miles away. This distance should factor into routing and fuel planning for any flight requiring a customs stop before or after landing at Esterville Municipal. Pilots should coordinate clearance arrangements in advance since no onsite processing exists.
What is the calm wind runway at KEST?
Runway 34 is designated as the calm wind runway at Esterville Municipal (KEST). This designation guides pilots on which runway to favor when wind conditions do not clearly indicate a preferred direction. Clearance delivery for the field is handled through Minneapolis ARTCC rather than a local tower, consistent with the airport's non-towered status.