Foothills Regional (KMRN), North Carolina
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Foothills Regional (KMRN) serves Morganton, North Carolina, with a single paved runway and a non-towered traffic pattern roughly 52 nautical miles from the nearest metro area. The field handles a modest but steady volume of business aviation traffic, most of it concentrated in the warmer months, and sits within reach of several regional alternates including Hickory Regional about 12 nautical miles to the southeast.
Runways
Foothills Regional has one paved runway, 03/21, 5,500 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Foothills Regional has Jet A1+ and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Foothills Regional does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Charlotte / Douglas International (KCLT), 49 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Foothills Regional recorded 1,170 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June and July. Business aviation traffic at KMRN concentrates in the summer, with June and July operations running well above the levels seen from November through February.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 190 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Foothills Regional averages 14.2 days above 90°F in July, 22.3 freeze days in January and 0.3 snow days in February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87.7°F, and January the coldest, at 49.4°F.
Weather station is 6.2 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Foothills Regional has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
Hang glider activity occurs during daylight hours on the east side of Runway 03/21, within the runway safety area.
REILs are activated for Runway 03 and Runway 21, along with PAPI for both ends and MIRL for Runway 03/21, via CTAF.
On Runway 03, there is a 100-foot dropoff located 330 feet from the threshold, extending 80 feet on both sides of centerline along the first 1,000 feet of runway.
On Runway 21, there is a 30-foot dropoff 400 feet from the threshold on both sides, and a 10-foot dropoff 50 feet from the threshold extending 150 feet right of centerline.
Deer and coyotes are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
After-hours fuel or service is available under separate arrangement.
For clearance delivery, contact Atlanta ARTCC.
Apron tie-down space is limited.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Foothills Regional has five airfields within 33 NM. The closest is Hickory Regional (KHKY), 11.80 NM southeast.
Part of the Charlotte area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KMRN
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 KMRN.
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 are the FBO attendance hours at KMRN?
Foothills Regional (KMRN) reports attendance Monday through Saturday from 0800 to 1700 local, and Sunday from 0900 to 1700 local. Outside those windows, the field is listed as after-hours fuel or service, meaning arrangements differ from standard daytime support. The airport is non-towered, so arrival and departure procedures rely on CTAF regardless of the hour. Dispatchers planning early or late operations should treat the posted schedule as the baseline for staffed services rather than for airfield access itself.
What fuel does Foothills Regional (KMRN) have available?
Foothills Regional (KMRN) stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A-plus (A1+). Fuel service follows the field's attendance schedule, with an after-hours provision noted separately in airport remarks for times outside standard hours. The airport sits at 1,270 feet elevation with a single paved runway, 03/21, at 5,500 feet by 75 feet. Crews should confirm after-hours fuel arrangements ahead of arrival since the remark flags this as a distinct condition from normal service.
Is there a customs option at KMRN?
Foothills Regional (KMRN) has no onsite customs processing. The nearest customs facility is KCLT, located about 48.67 nautical miles away. Crews requiring customs clearance on a flight terminating at KMRN need to route through KCLT or coordinate clearance there before or after their KMRN leg. This distance should factor into routing and timing decisions for any international arrival planned around Foothills Regional.
When is business aviation traffic busiest at KMRN?
Business aviation activity at Foothills Regional (KMRN) concentrates heavily in the summer months. June and July each recorded around 190 operations, roughly four times the volume seen in the winter months of January, February, or December, based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025. August and September also run well above the annual monthly average, while activity tapers sharply after October. Dispatchers scheduling flexible trips into KMRN may find better ramp and tie-down availability outside the June through September window.
What runway safety area hazards are noted for KMRN?
Foothills Regional (KMRN) publishes runway remarks describing terrain dropoffs near both runway ends of 03/21. On Runway 03, a 100-foot dropoff exists 330 feet from the threshold, extending 80 feet on both sides of centerline along the first 1,000 feet of runway. On Runway 21, dropoffs of 30 feet at 400 feet from the threshold and 10 feet at 50 feet from the threshold are noted, with the latter extending 150 feet right of centerline. Crews operating at KMRN should account for these terrain features during approach and landing planning, particularly in reduced visibility or at night.