Airports / Washington / CWS
Center Island Airport.
Center Island, Washington · 115 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
78WA
IATA CWS
0
Operators based
115
Elevation ft
Field elevation
Nearest alternate
Field standing
1 nm
To the nearest alternate
Decatur Shores Airport (DTR), 6 fields within 50 nm.
Overview
Center Island Airport (CWS) sits in Center Island, Washington, where it functions as a general aviation field. The airport sits 115 feet above sea level. Alongside scheduled airline service, the airport handles a steady flow of private and charter traffic.
No charter operator is headquartered on the field, but operators routinely position aircraft into CWS for departures. When weather or ramp space demands it, nearby options are Decatur Shores Airport (DTR, 1 nm), Lopez Island Airport (LPS, 4 nm), and Blakely Island Airport (BYW, 5 nm). At 1,600-foot, unpaved, the runway favors turboprops and light general aviation over jet operations.
Charter pricing from CWS depends on aircraft category, positioning distance, and trip timing. Compare rated operators or run a route through the cost estimator to gauge pricing from Center Island.
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Field capability
ICAO
78WA
IATA
CWS
FAA / Local
78WA
Elevation
115 ft
Coordinates
48.4900° N · 122.8316° W
Airspace
G · GolfClass G, GolfUncontrolled field, no tower. Pilots self-announce and sequence themselves on the common traffic advisory frequency.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Small
Scheduled svc
Yes
Elevation vs WA fields
state range 10–2,556 ft
At 115 ft, CWS sits lower than 69% of the 52 Washington fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
1 runway
longest 1,600 ft
- 17/351,600 ft × 100 ftGravelLighted
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest runway 1,600 ft
At 1,600 ft and unpaved, CWS is generally suited to piston and turboprop aircraft rather than jets.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation. Confirm performance with the operator.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 1nmDTRDecatur Shores AirportDecatur
- 4nmLPSLopez Island AirportLopez
- 5nmBYWBlakely Island AirportBlakely Island
- 7nmOTSAnacortes AirportAnacortes
- 8nmFBSFriday Harbor Seaplane BaseFriday Harbor
- 8nmFRDFriday Harbor AirportFriday Harbor
Location
Open the full map78WA · Center Island Airport · Center Island, WA
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from CWS on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | 582 nm | 1h 45m |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 653 nm | 1h 55m |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 654 nm | 1h 55m |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 818 nm | 2h 18m |
| Vail / Eagle (EGE) | 865 nm | 2h 25m |
| Los Angeles (VNY) | 879 nm | 2h 27m |
| Aspen (ASE) | 884 nm | 2h 27m |
| Denver (DEN) | 934 nm | 2h 34m |
Common questions
- Can private jets use CWS?
- At 1,600 ft and unpaved, Center Island Airport is generally suited to turboprop and piston aircraft rather than jets. Charter flyers usually depart from a nearby field with a longer runway.
- What is the longest runway at CWS?
- Center Island Airport has one runway; the longest measures 1,600 ft and is lit for night operations.
- What is the nearest major airport to CWS?
- The closest alternate is Decatur Shores Airport (DTR), about 1 nm away, followed by Lopez Island Airport (LPS) at 4 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from CWS to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Jackson Hole about 1h 45m (582 nm), San Francisco about 1h 55m (653 nm), Salt Lake City about 1h 55m (654 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.