Wausau Downtown Airport (KAUW), Wisconsin
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Wausau Downtown Airport, identifier KAUW, is a public-use, non-towered field in Wausau, Wisconsin, sitting at 1,201 feet elevation. The airport handles a mix of general and business aviation traffic, with fuel available in 100LL, Jet A, A+, and MOGAS, and attendance scheduled daily from 0800 to 1700 local. Two paved runways serve most operations, complemented by a water runway designation, while the nearest customs facility lies at KATW, roughly 62 nautical miles away.
Runways
Wausau Downtown Airport has three runways. The longest, 12W/30W, is 8,000 ft long and 300 ft wide, with a water surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Wausau Downtown Airport has Jet A+, 100LL and MOGAS available on the field. Fueling is available from 8am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Wausau Downtown Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Appleton International (KATW), 62 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Wausau Downtown Airport recorded 1,399 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Business aviation traffic at KAUW concentrates in the spring through fall months, peaking in September, with noticeably lower volumes during the winter.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 161 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Wausau Downtown Airport averages 2.4 days above 90°F in July, 30.6 freeze days in January and 4.9 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80.3°F, and January the coldest, at 22.8°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Wausau Downtown Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
MIRL on Runway 13/31 is preset to low intensity; pilots can increase intensity and activate the REILs on Runway 13 and 31, as well as the PAPI on Runway 13 and 31. MIRL on Runway 05/23 is controlled via CTAF.
There are 40-foot trees located 0 to 200 feet from the threshold, 300 feet right and 450 feet left of centerline.
There are 30-foot trees located 150 feet from the threshold, 425 feet left of centerline.
For clearance delivery, if unable to contact on the FSS frequency, contact Minneapolis ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Wausau Downtown Airport has five airfields within 30 NM. The closest is Central Wisconsin (KCWA), 9.07 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KAUW
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 KAUW.
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 KAUW / Wausau Downtown Airport?
Wausau Downtown Airport, identifier KAUW, has two paved asphalt runways. Runway 13/31 is the primary strip at 5,200 feet long and 100 feet wide. Runway 05/23 measures 3,041 feet long and 100 feet wide, offering a shorter crosswind option. A third designation, 12W/30W, is listed as a water surface at 8,000 feet by 300 feet and is not a paved runway. Maximum paved runway length at the field is 5,200 feet.
Is KAUW a towered airport, and how does lighting work at night?
KAUW, Wausau Downtown Airport, is non-towered. Runway 13/31 has medium intensity runway lighting preset to low intensity, with pilot control available to increase intensity and to activate the REILs and PAPI on both Runway 13 and Runway 31. Runway 05/23 lighting is controlled via CTAF as well. Pilots should expect to self-announce and manage lighting activation themselves given the absence of a control tower.
Does Wausau Downtown Airport have customs clearance onsite?
Wausau Downtown Airport does not have customs service onsite. The nearest customs facility is KATW, located approximately 62 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs clearance should plan to route through that airport instead. No customs onsite designation is confirmed in the airport data for KAUW.
What obstacles should pilots be aware of near the runways at KAUW?
Wausau Downtown Airport has documented close-in obstructions near its runway thresholds. One area shows 40-foot trees located 0 to 200 feet from the threshold, positioned 300 feet right and 450 feet left of centerline. A second area shows 30-foot trees located 150 feet from the threshold, 425 feet to the left. These tree lines should factor into approach and departure planning, particularly for shorter runway operations.
When is business aviation traffic busiest at Wausau Downtown Airport?
Business aviation traffic at Wausau Downtown Airport, KAUW, concentrates in the warmer months. September sees the highest monthly count at 161 operations, followed by May and August each at 138. Traffic is lowest in the winter months, with March recording only 68 operations and January 77. This traffic reflects FAA TFMSC data covering business aviation operations at the field for 2025, with a total annual figure of 1,399 business aviation operations against 2,253 total operations.