Sturgis Municipal (49B), South Dakota
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Sturgis Municipal (49B) is a public-use, non-towered airport in Sturgis, South Dakota, sitting at 3,255 feet elevation in the America / Denver time zone. The field offers a paved concrete runway alongside a turf strip, and pilots operating in the area should note the proximity of Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument, where dense low-altitude traffic is common. No customs facility is located onsite; the nearest is Casper-Natrona County International Airport (KCPR), roughly 162 nautical miles away.
Runways
Sturgis Municipal has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 11/29, is 5,100 ft long and 75 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Sturgis Municipal has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Sturgis Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Casper / Natrona County International (KCPR), 162 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Sturgis Municipal recorded 155 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at Sturgis Muni is heavily concentrated in August, when operations spike well above the levels seen in every other month of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 44 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Sturgis Municipal averages 11.1 days above 90°F in July, 28.9 freeze days in December and 2.7 snow days in February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.4°F, and January the coldest, at 37.7°F.
Weather station is 4.3 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Sturgis Municipal has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
A ground communications outlet is available on frequency 121.725, reached with four clicks for Ellsworth Approach and six clicks for Denver Center.
MIRL lighting for runway 11/29 and the PAPI for runway 11 and runway 29 are pilot-controlled via CTAF.
Wildlife is present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Fuel is available 24 hours a day using a credit card.
For clearance delivery, if unable via the ground communications outlet, contact Denver ARTCC.
A high volume of aircraft operate in the vicinity of Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments at or below 7,500 feet; pilots are advised to monitor 122.85 for traffic advisories.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Sturgis Municipal has five airfields within 29 NM. The closest is Infinity Landing, 13.17 NM southeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at 49B
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 49B.
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
Does Sturgis Municipal (49B) have a control tower?
Sturgis Municipal (49B) is a non-towered public airport in South Dakota. Pilots coordinate via CTAF, and lighting for runway 11/29 and the PAPI on both ends are pilot-controlled through that same frequency. A ground communications outlet is also available on 121.725 to reach Ellsworth Approach or Denver Center when clearance delivery is needed.
What runways are available at Sturgis Municipal?
Sturgis Municipal (49B) offers two runways: a paved 5,100-foot by 75-foot concrete runway designated 11/29, and a 3,580-foot by 120-foot turf strip designated 05/23. The concrete runway is the airport's longest paved surface and matches the field's published max paved length. Both runways support the airport's general aviation and business traffic.
Is fuel available at Sturgis Municipal around the clock?
Sturgis Municipal (49B) offers 100LL and Jet A fuel available 24 hours a day using a credit card. This self-service arrangement means pilots are not dependent on staffed hours to refuel. Attendance at the field otherwise follows a daylight schedule year-round.
When is business aviation traffic highest at KSturgis... 49B?
Business aviation traffic at Sturgis Municipal (49B) peaks sharply in August, with 44 operations recorded that month against a monthly average closer to 10 to 15 for the rest of the year, according to FAA TFMSC data. The remaining months show comparatively steady, lower volumes. Total annual operations for the airport reached 373 in 2025, with 155 attributed to business aviation.