Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field
MSN · KMSN · Madison, Wisconsin · Dane County · map
Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field is a public-use airport owned by Dane County, 5 miles northeast of Madison, Wisconsin, 887 feet above sea level. It has 3 runways; the longest, 18/36, is 9,006 feet of concrete. It has a control tower, fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A, Jet A with additives) and about 163 based aircraft. The FAA counts about 92,396 takeoffs and landings a year. About 1,118,322 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Weather and planning now, the forecast, warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions
Weather right now KMSN · observed 5:53 pm CDT (22:53 UTC), 58 minutes ago
VFR good flying weather
- Wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots
- Visibility 10 miles or more
- Sky: a broken layer at 15,000 feet
- Temperature 82°F (28°C), dew point 62°F (17°C)
- Altimeter 29.67 inHg
The forecast issued Mon 6:20 pm CDT (23:20 UTC), good until Tue 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC)
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
- From Tue 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
- From Tue 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The codes as issued, and in English (METAR and TAF)
METAR KMSN 122253Z 21007KT 10SM BKN150 28/17 A2967 RMK AO2 SLP041 T02780167 $
- METAR
- a routine hourly observation
- KMSN
- the station, KMSN
- 122253Z
- observed 5:53 pm CDT (22:53 UTC)
- 21007KT
- wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots
- 10SM
- visibility 10 miles
- BKN150
- a broken layer at 15,000 feet
- 28/17
- temperature 28 °C (82 °F), dew point 17 °C (63 °F)
- A2967
- altimeter setting 29.67 inches of mercury
- RMK
- remarks follow
- AO2
- automated station with a precipitation sensor
- SLP041
- sea-level pressure 1004.1 hPa
- T02780167
- temperature 27.8 °C (82 °F), dew point 16.7 °C (62 °F)
- $
- the station needs maintenance
TAF KMSN 122320Z 1300/1324 21009KT P6SM SCT250 WS020/23045KT FM130800 26010G19KT P6SM FEW250 FM131400 30010KT P6SM SKC
- TAF
- a terminal aerodrome forecast: the weather expected at the airport, usually for the next 24 or 30 hours
- KMSN
- the station, KMSN
- 122320Z
- issued 6:20 pm CDT (23:20 UTC)
- 1300/1324 21009KT P6SM SCT250 WS020/23045KT
- valid from Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC) to Tue 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, wind shear below 2,000 feet: wind from 230° at 45 knots above it
- FM130800 26010G19KT P6SM FEW250
- from Tue 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- FM131400 30010KT P6SM SKC
- from Tue 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From the National Weather Service's aviation weather service, refreshed every few minutes; times are local to the airport with UTC in brackets. For a flight, get your briefing from Flight Service or an approved provider.
Flight planning warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions · for planning, not a briefing
1 warning in force over this field:
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground).
Turbulence No turbulence warning in force over this field. AIRMET in force: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). 1 pilot report of turbulence within 100 nautical miles in the last three hours: light to moderate chop turbulence above 17,000 ft, 52 nm southwest, 6:32 pm CDT (23:32 UTC). The government's turbulence forecast map ↗
Icing No icing warning in force over this field. No pilot has reported icing within 100 nautical miles in the last three hours. The freezing level is about 14,500 ft (from the winds-aloft temperatures), so icing is possible in cloud above that. The government's icing forecast map ↗
4 pilot reports within 100 nautical miles in the last three hours, the nearest three:
- B737 at 36,000 ft, 31 nm northwest, 6:32 pm CDT (23:32 UTC): no turbulence.
as filed, and in English
DLL UA /OV DLL/TM 2332/FL360/TP B737/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through DLL
- Where
- over DLL
- Time
- 23:32 UTC
- Height
- at 36,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- none
- E170 at 17,000 ft, 52 nm southwest, 6:32 pm CDT (23:32 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence above 17,000 ft.
as filed, and in English
RFD UA /OV RFD290035/TM 2332/FL170/TP E170/TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOP 170
- Report
- a routine report filed through RFD
- Where
- 35 nm west (290°) of RFD
- Time
- 23:32 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light to moderate chop at 17,000 ft
- C210 at 900 ft, 86 nm southeast, 4:09 pm CDT (21:09 UTC): remarks: low-level wind shear a 10-knot loss of airspeed during the descent runway 16 pwk.
as filed, and in English
PWK UA /OV OBK161004/TM 2109/FL009/TP C210/RM LLWS -10KTS DURD RY 16 PWK
- Report
- a routine report filed through PWK
- Where
- 4 nm south (161°) of OBK
- Time
- 21:09 UTC
- Height
- at 900 ft
- Aircraft
- C210
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear a 10-knot loss of airspeed during the descent runway 16 pwk
Winds aloft at the nearest forecast point (DBQ, 75 nm southwest), for use 20:00–03:00 UTC: 3,000 ft: 210° at 41 kt; 6,000 ft: 230° at 36 kt, 20 °C; 9,000 ft: 250° at 33 kt, 13 °C; 12,000 ft: 270° at 34 kt, 6 °C; 18,000 ft: 260° at 29 kt, -9 °C.
No temporary flight restriction within 50 nautical miles.
18 notices to air missions in force at this field.
From the government's aviation weather service and the FAA's restriction list, refreshed every few minutes. This is for planning; the legal briefing comes from Flight Service or the FAA's own tools. The notices come from the FAA's notice service, the site's copy refreshed every few minutes (last checked 1 minutes ago). The FAA has so far issued eFlight its test feed, which misses some notices; the request for the full feed is with the FAA.
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
The airport facts, runways, radio, fuel and services, the FAA's remarks
The airport
- Codes
- FAA MSN · ICAO KMSN
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- Dane County
- Elevation
- 887 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- A control tower with a TRACON · 6:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Attended
- around the clock
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel and services
- 100LL avgas, Jet A, Jet A with additives; the services card below
- Notes
- certified for airline service (Part 139)
- On the chart
- Chicago sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 3W
- In the FAA's files since
- September 1937
Runways 3
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/36 | 9,006 × 150 ft | Concrete, fair | High-intensity lights |
| 03/21 | 7,200 × 150 ft | Concrete, good | High-intensity lights |
| 14/32 | 5,846 × 150 ft | Concrete, good | High-intensity lights |
- Runway 18: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), threshold displaced 400 ft, 8,606 ft available for landing, hill 50 ft high 1,634 ft from the end
- Runway 36: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, approach lights with sequenced flashers (ALSF-2), threshold displaced 1,001 ft, 8,006 ft available for landing
- Runway 03: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 431 ft, 6,770 ft available for landing, trees 72 ft high 2,760 ft from the end
- Runway 21: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), 7,015 ft available for landing, road 19 ft high 2,050 ft from the end
- Runway 14: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 477 ft, 5,369 ft available for landing
- Runway 32: PAPI, four lights on the left, tree 112 ft high 4,047 ft from the end
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · Tower | 119.3 | Madison |
| UNICOM | 122.95 | |
| ATIS (recorded airport information) | 124.65 | Madison |
| Clearance delivery | 121.625 | Madison |
| Ground | 121.9 | Madison |
| Approach and departure | 119.15 | |
| Approach and departure · Class C airspace · Approach (secondary) Departure (secondary) East | 120.1 | Madison |
| Approach and departure · Class C airspace West | 135.45 | Madison |
| Emergency | 121.5 | Madison |
| Ang and operations | 123.4 | Madison |
| Lone Rock Center (remote transmitter) Low | 133.3 | Madison |
| Ang and operations | 138.175 | Madison |
Automated weather (ASOS), by phone 608-410-1285.
Fuel and services as reported to the FAA
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A, Jet A with additives
- Repairs
- airframe and engine: major repairs
- Parking
- hangars
- Oxygen
- bottled oxygen (high- and low-pressure)
- Also here
- air freight, air ambulance, avionics, cargo handling, charter flights, flight instruction, aircraft rental, aircraft sales
Other fields with jet fuel nearby: Middleton Muni/Morey Field (9 nm west), Fort Atkinson Municipal (25 nm southeast), Watertown Municipal (27 nm east).
The FAA's file records what is sold and done at the field, as the airport manager reports it, not who sells it or the price; fuel sellers (FBOs) are not named in any public file. Airports selling jet fuel in Wisconsin · avgas.
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file, spelled out
- Activate approach lights (MALSR) runway 18 and 21; runway end identifier lights runway 03, 14 and 32; high-intensity runway lights runway 03/21, 14/32 and 18/36 - the common traffic frequency. When the control tower closed high-intensity runway lights runway 18/36 preset low intst; incr intst - the common traffic frequency.
- Military: ovhd traffic pattern altitude rstrd to 3500 feet above sea level; runway 18/36 L turn.
- BAK-14 BAK-12(B) (1900').
- BAK-14 BAK-12(B) (1620').
- BAK-14 BAK-12(B) (1750').
- ALSF2 operators as ssalr when tower closed.
- Runway CC not reported.
- Runway CC not reported.
- Unusable beyond 9 degreess right of centerline.
- Tap
- Approach ratio 40:1 from dthr.
- West ramp rstrd to air carrier.
Flights and activity in the air now, the airlines, based aircraft, takeoffs and landings
Activity now checking the volunteer receiver network…
Within ten miles
- Looking…
Arrivals and departures, last hour
- Looking…
From the volunteer receiver network, a few minutes behind at most; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out; no person is named. Open the live map here.
Scheduled and charter flights from here the DOT's airline reports · August 2025 to July 2026
Airlines reported 17,501 departures from MSN in those twelve months, carrying 1,298,139 passengers in 1,615,456 seats (80% filled), to 107 destinations on 26 airlines.
All 107 destinations, the airlines and the aircraft, month by month
From the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' T-100 table: every segment an airline reported flying, three months in arrears. Private, business and training flights are not in it; the live picture is in the activity card.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Based aircraft, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| single-engine | 92 |
| multi-engine | 7 |
| jets | 28 |
| helicopters | 1 |
| other | 35 |
Takeoffs and landings a year about 92,396, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Takeoffs and landings, as a table
| a year | |
|---|---|
| airline | 23,170 |
| air taxi and commuter | 9,109 |
| general aviation, travelling | 34,444 |
| general aviation, local | 21,208 |
| military | 4,465 |
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates. How this compares nationally: Airports by the numbers.
Who flies and works here aircraft registered in town, the companies, the examiners nearby
Aircraft registered in Madison from the FAA register
178 aircraft are registered to owners in Madison, Wisconsin: 136 piston singles, 13 business jets, 8 turboprops, 6 drones, 5 piston twins. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Companies and organisations in town with two or more aircraft:
Individuals are counted, not named (the site's policy at this time). All aircraft registered in Wisconsin.
Who works here from the FAA's certificate lists and the register
Flight schools, flying clubs and college flight programmes in Madison, by their names on the register:
- Capitol City Flyers INC 3 aircraft Capitol City Flyers is an equity flying club based in Madison, Wisconsin, operating out of KMSN.
Repair stations in Madison:
- Wisconsin Aviation - Four Lakes INC Wisconsin Aviation - Four Lakes Inc operates a full-service general aviation business based in Watertown, Wisconsin, with additional locations in Madison and Juneau.
Companies in the same town as this airport; not every one of them works from this field. All operators · all repair stations · all flight schools · all FBOs.
Examiners and inspectors nearby designated by the FAA · within 50 nautical miles
3 pilot examiners (the FAA's designated pilot examiners, who give the practical tests for pilot certificates) are based within 50 nautical miles: 3 for private pilot, 3 for commercial and instrument, 2 for airline transport pilot, 3 for flight instructor, 2 for sport pilot; 3 for airplanes, 3 for multi-engine airplanes, 1 for seaplanes, 1 for helicopters. Also nearby: 1 sport aviation examiner, 9 aviation medical examiners, 4 engineering representatives, 2 training center examiners.
- James Notstad private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, sport pilot, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes · Madison, WI (0 nm) · (608) 221-8116 · flywis@hotmail.com
- Christopher Timothy Anderson private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, sport pilot, commercial pilot, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes, helicopters · Janesville, WI (34 nm) · (608) 290-4700 · chris@progressiveair.org
- Michael Ford private pilot, commercial and instrument, flight instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Waukesha County Airport · Waukesha, WI (49 nm) · (262) 607-2744 · midwestdpe@gmail.com
All 19 nearby, by kind, with contact details
What each kind does
- DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner: gives the practical tests (checkrides) for pilot certificates and ratings.
- SAE: Sport Aviation Examiner: gives the tests for sport pilot certificates and light-sport aircraft.
- AME: Aviation Medical Examiner: a doctor who issues the medical certificates pilots must hold.
- DER-T: Designated Engineering Representative: approves engineering data for repairs and alterations on the FAA's behalf.
- DCTO-E: Designee at a certificated training organisation.
Designees are listed with the name and contact details the FAA publishes for them on its designee locator (read October 10, 2026): the FAA lists them so that pilots, mechanics and companies can find them. Private individuals are not named, the site's policy at this time. A designee who would rather not appear here can ask us through the contact address on the About page. Each designee is placed at the main public airport of the town the FAA lists (or the nearest one to its zip code), so "nearby" means the town, not an exact address. All examiners by state.
Safety record the NTSB's cases at or near this airport
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 22 since 1982, 1 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English. The country as a whole: Where accidents happen.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
Connections how this airport links to the rest of the register
- Aircraft registered in Madison 178 aircraft · 136 piston singles, 13 business jets, 8 turboprops
- State of Wisconsin 17 aircraft in town
- Wisconsin Aviation-Four Lakes INC 8 aircraft in town
- Wisconsin Aviation Four Lakes INC 3 aircraft in town
- Wisconsin Aviation - Four Lakes INC 3 aircraft in town
- Capitol City Flyers INC 3 aircraft · flight school
- Wisconsin Aviation - Four Lakes INC · repair station
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) 4,688 flights in twelve months · SkyWest Airlines Inc., Envoy Air
- Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain (MSP) 1,573 flights in twelve months · SkyWest Airlines Inc., Endeavor Air Inc.
- Detroit Metro Wayne County (DTW) 1,333 flights in twelve months · SkyWest Airlines Inc., Endeavor Air Inc.
- Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl (DCA) 1,154 flights in twelve months · PSA Airlines Inc., Republic Airline
- Denver International (DEN) 1,088 flights in twelve months · United Air Lines Inc., SkyWest Airlines Inc.
- Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) 1,064 flights in twelve months · American Airlines Inc., Envoy Air
- Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) 1,019 flights in twelve months · Delta Air Lines Inc., Endeavor Air Inc.
- Charlotte/Douglas International (CLT) 992 flights in twelve months · American Airlines Inc., PSA Airlines Inc.
- NTSB accidents and incidents at or near this airport 22 since 1982 · 1 fatal
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,619 since 1982 · 225 in the last ten years
- Nearby landing places within 30 nautical miles 8 airports, heliports and seaplane bases
- Public-use airports in Wisconsin 123 landing places
- Wisconsin 6,160 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/airport/MSN.json.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 9, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.