Rifle Garfield County Airport (KRIL), Colorado
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Rifle Garfield County Airport (KRIL) sits in western Colorado at 5,537 feet elevation, serving business aviation traffic through the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. The field is non-towered and operates a single paved runway long enough to handle a wide range of turbine equipment. Fuel is available on a full-time attendance schedule, with both 100LL and Jet A on the field.
Runways
Rifle Garfield County Airport has one paved runway, 08/26, 7,000 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Rifle Garfield County Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Rifle Garfield County Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Eagle County Regional (KEGE), 38 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Rifle Garfield County Airport recorded 11,755 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in February. Business aviation traffic at KRIL is concentrated in the winter months of December through February, with a secondary peak in July and August, according to FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month February, 1,442 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Rifle Garfield County Airport averages 22.5 days above 90°F in July and 30.7 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92.1°F, and January the coldest, at 36.8°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Rifle Garfield County Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
The ODALS approach lighting system is activated for runway 26, REIL for runway 08, and HIRL for runway 08/26, all controlled via CTAF. PAPI is installed on both runway 08 and runway 26 and operates continuously.
For clearance delivery, pilots should contact Denver ARTCC on the approach/departure control frequency.
Glider operations occur in the vicinity of the airport.
Use CTAF prior to entering the runway or traffic pattern.
An IFR ATC clearance received from Rifle does not authorize entering the runway or beginning takeoff and landing.
After winter snow storms, airport operations occur before all taxiways are cleared.
An overnight parking fee applies.
This is a cold temperature airport. Altitude correction is required at or below -13°C.
Proper dual radio use, coordinating between ATC and CTAF, is essential for safe and efficient traffic flow.
Saturated pattern policy: touch-and-go landings are prohibited when five or more aircraft are in the traffic pattern.
Follow FAA procedures for non-towered airports.
Caution: snow removal equipment operates from October 1 to May 15.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Rifle Garfield County Airport has five airfields within 45 NM. The closest is Meeker Coulter Field (KEEO), 32.19 NM north.
Part of the Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KRIL
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 KRIL.
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 KRIL offer for business jet operations?
Rifle Garfield County Airport has a single runway, 08/26, measuring 7,000 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length accommodates most business jet types operating into the Roaring Fork Valley region. The runway is served by high-intensity runway lighting on 08/26, REIL on runway 08, and an ODALS approach lighting system on runway 26. PAPI visual guidance is installed on both ends and runs continuously.
Is KRIL a towered airport, and how should pilots handle radio communications?
KRIL is a non-towered airport, so pilots follow FAA procedures for non-towered fields when operating in the traffic pattern. Proper dual radio use, coordinating between ATC and CTAF, is called out specifically as essential for safe and efficient traffic flow. Aircraft should use CTAF prior to entering the runway or pattern. Pilots holding an IFR clearance from Rifle are advised that clearance alone does not authorize entering the runway or beginning takeoff and landing.
Does Rifle Garfield County Airport have any cold-weather operating restrictions?
Yes, KRIL is designated a cold temperature airport, and altitude correction is required at or below -13°C. This designation reflects the field's elevation of 5,537 feet combined with its winter climate profile, where January and December see roughly 30 days per month with temperatures below freezing. Pilots should apply appropriate cold-temperature altimeter corrections when operating approaches during winter conditions. Snow removal equipment also operates on the field from October 1 through May 15.
What happens at KRIL after a winter snow storm?
After winter snow storms, airport operations at Rifle Garfield County Airport occur before all taxiways are fully cleared, so pilots should anticipate that not every taxiway will be available immediately following a storm. Snow removal equipment is active on the field from October 1 through May 15 each year. This period aligns with the airport's winter traffic pattern, which sees some of the highest monthly business aviation operations counts of the year. Coordination with field conditions is advisable during this window.
Is there a policy limiting touch-and-go operations at KRIL?
Yes, Rifle Garfield County Airport enforces a saturated pattern policy that prohibits touch-and-go landings whenever five or more aircraft are in the traffic pattern. This rule is intended to manage traffic flow safety at the non-towered field during busy periods. Pilots planning practice approaches or pattern work should monitor CTAF to assess pattern density before requesting a touch-and-go. General aviation activity in the vicinity of the airport should also be expected.