McClellan-Palomar Airport
North County San Diego's coastal field, on the Carlsbad mesa.
McClellan-Palomar is on a mesa in Carlsbad, North County San Diego's airport for Carlsbad, Encinitas, and the coast north of the city. For that stretch of coast it is much closer than San Diego International, and it has the feel of a small field. From downtown San Diego the drive up the coast comes first.
On the field
Carlsbad is a general-aviation field with a business-aviation lean, county-owned, and most days the ramp is corporate jets and charters, not airlines. As of mid-2026 the FBOs at Palomar include Atlantic Aviation.
1959, on the mesa
The county opened the airport in March 1959 to replace the old Del Mar Municipal Airport, siting it on the Carlsbad mesa. It has since grown into one of the busiest single-runway general-aviation fields in the region and North County's default gateway for private flights.
FBO and history details were checked mid-2026 against the airport's and operators' own published information. Tenants change, so confirm the departure terminal with your operator.
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