Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Dubuque Regional Airport (KDBQ) sits some eight miles south of Dubuque, Iowa, and offers two hard-surfaced, lit runways served by an operating control tower and ILS approaches. It handles a mix of general aviation, flight training, occasional scheduled carriers and business jets, making it a useful and well-equipped stop for VFR and IFR pilots alike in eastern Iowa.
Dubuque Regional Airport is a city-owned regional airport serving Dubuque, Iowa, and the surrounding tri-state area. It is primarily a general aviation field, hosting flight training operations, a local flying club and an EAA chapter, though it has also seen periodic scheduled airline and charter service over the years. For a simulator pilot, its twin hard-surfaced runways, control tower and ILS approaches make it a realistic and well-instrumented Midwest destination.
The airport lies approximately five to eight miles south of the city of Dubuque, Iowa, just off U.S. Highway 61. It is associated with Class D airspace, which is in effect while the air traffic control tower is open; outside tower hours the airspace reverts to the appropriate uncontrolled classification. Chicago Center provides the surrounding en-route air traffic control.
Dubuque Regional has two paved runways. Runway 13/31 is 6,483 feet long with a hard surface and runway lighting, and Runway 31 is equipped with an ILS. Runway 18/36 is 6,284 feet long, also hard-surfaced and lit, with an ILS serving Runway 36. Field elevation is 1,060 feet.
The airport uses the callsign Dubuque Tower on 119.5 MHz, which also serves as the CTAF. Ground control operates on 121.8 MHz, and ATIS is broadcast on 127.25 MHz. UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz, and Fort Dodge Radio can be reached on 122.05 MHz. Chicago Center provides overlying en-route control on 127 MHz. Instrument approaches are available, with ILS service to both Runway 31 and Runway 36.
The airport is located 8.5 miles south of Dubuque off U.S. Highway 61, providing a clear reference for pilots approaching from the city. An EAA-supported observation area with signage and binoculars is located on Aviation Drive just before the terminal, offering a recognisable landmark near the approach to the airfield.
An earlier airport on Chaplain Schmitt Island was built in 1934 but was abandoned due to recurring flooding. Scheduled airline service began in 1950 with Mid-Continent DC-3s, followed by Braniff in 1955 and then Ozark Air Lines, which operated DC-9s and FH-227s until withdrawing in 1981. Northwest Airlines' regional partner Mesaba Airlines returned service to Dubuque in June 2008 with Saab 340s to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, though the merged Delta/Northwest ended this service in 2009. The airport's control tower was threatened with closure under the 2013 federal sequester but the FAA ultimately reversed the decision. American Eagle flew regional jets to Chicago O'Hare until ending service in September 2022. Avelo Airlines subsequently operated Boeing 737 service to Orlando and, briefly, Las Vegas between 2023 and 2024, before withdrawing from the market. Denver Air Connection began daily O'Hare service in November 2024, though the city council voted in December 2025 to end that arrangement effective January 2026.
Today the airport is used predominantly for general aviation, with 97 percent of operations falling into that category. The University of Dubuque operates a flight operations center at the field, running ground school and flight training for its aviation programs from several hangars. EAA Chapter 327 is based at the airport and maintains an observation area and hangar facility, while the Key City Fliers club offers local pilots access to a fleet of Piper aircraft for rental. The airport is certified under FAR Part 139 and offers maintenance and refuelling services, including support for jet aircraft.
