2/ 5 reviews
FBO & ground handling
“Nice airport, nice FBO and nice flight instructors there.”
Jerry Cao5★ on Google
Airports / Iowa / AMW
Small airport · AMW
Ames Municipal Airport.
Ames, Iowa · 956 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.6/5
Google rating
20 ratings
0
Operators based
956
Elevation ft
Ames, IowaELEV 956 FTSmall airport
4.6
Google rating
20
Google reviews
ratings on Google
1
FBOs on field
ramp, fuel and handling
956
Field elevation
feet above sea level
28
Nearest alternate
nm to DSM
Field standing
28 nm
To the nearest alternate
Des Moines International Airport (DSM), 2 fields within 50 nm.
Overview
Located in Ames, Iowa, Ames Municipal Airport (KAMW / AMW) operates as a general aviation field. The field lies at an elevation of 956 feet. The field has no airline schedules, which keeps it focused on private and general aviation flying.
AMW has no resident charter fleet; trips here are typically flown by operators repositioning from surrounding airports. Useful alternates include Des Moines International Airport (DSM, 28 nm), Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD, 42 nm), and Waterloo Regional Airport (ALO, 64 nm). AMW offers 2 runways, the longest 5,701-foot paved runway, which supports charter types through the heavy jet class.
Quotes for flights out of AMW vary with aircraft type, repositioning, and schedule flexibility. Use the cost estimator to model a trip from AMW, or browse verified operators serving the area.
1 FBO serves KAMW. Run one? Become the preferred FBO
Ramp services
FBOs on the field
Central Iowa Air Service FBO
Your FBO? Claim it, free- Fuel
- Hangar
- Mon-Fri 06:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 07:00-19:00
- Unicom 122.7
- Wi-Fi
- Courtesy car
- Taxi
- Restrooms
- Hangar
- Maintenance
- Parking
- Fuel
- +9 more
- Phone
- Website
- Address
Directory data, unpaid. FBOs can take the Preferred slot above.
What fliers highlight.
From the stored review texts
2/ 5 reviews
Staff & service
“He enjoyed everything we did, asked if we could go again and our pilot, Dexter, was fun, funny, and very professional.”
Brian Zimmerman5★ on Google
Themes counted by keyword across Google review texts for Ames Municipal Airport, every quote is verbatim from a real review.
Field capability
ICAO
KAMW
IATA
AMW
FAA / Local
AMW
Elevation
956 ft
Coordinates
41.9920° N · 93.6218° W
Airspace
E · EchoClass E, EchoControlled airspace reaches the surface for instrument approaches, but there is no control tower on the field.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Small
Scheduled svc
No
Elevation vs IA fields
state range 547–1,488 ft
At 956 ft, AMW sits lower than 68% of the 60 Iowa fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
2 runways
longest 5,701 ft
- 01/195,701 ft × 100 ftAsphaltLighted
- 13/313,491 ft × 75 ftAsphaltLighted
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 5,701 ft
AMW's 5,701 ft paved runway typically supports charter aircraft up to heavy 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.
- 28nmDSMDes Moines International AirportDes Moines
- 42nmFODFort Dodge Regional AirportFort Dodge
- 64nmALOWaterloo Regional AirportWaterloo
- 71nmMCWMason City Municipal AirportMason City
- 75nmOTMOttumwa Regional AirportOttumwa
- 79nmCCYNortheast Iowa Regional AirportCharles City
Location
Open the full mapKAMW · Ames Municipal Airport · Ames, IA
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from AMW on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 255 nm | 1h 0m |
| Nashville (BNA) | 478 nm | 1h 31m |
| Denver (DEN) | 517 nm | 1h 36m |
| Dallas (DAL) | 570 nm | 1h 44m |
| Vail / Eagle (EGE) | 620 nm | 1h 51m |
| Aspen (ASE) | 626 nm | 1h 51m |
| Austin (AUS) | 735 nm | 2h 7m |
| Houston (HOU) | 746 nm | 2h 8m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use AMW?
- Ames Municipal Airport's longest paved runway is 5,701 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to heavy jets. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at AMW?
- Ames Municipal Airport has 2 runways; the longest measures 5,701 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- Which FBOs are at Ames Municipal Airport?
- One FBO serves AMW: Central Iowa Air Service FBO. Phone, website, hours, unicom and services for each are listed on this page. Call ahead for fuel, ramp space, and ground handling.
- What is the nearest major airport to AMW?
- The closest alternate is Des Moines International Airport (DSM), about 28 nm away, followed by Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD) at 42 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from AMW to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Chicago about 1h 0m (255 nm), Nashville about 1h 31m (478 nm), Denver about 1h 36m (517 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.