Airport Frequently Asked Questions

The Boulder Municipal Airport is located along the 3300 block of Airport Road. It is open to flights 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Aviation fuel is self-service and available 24/7.

• For general questions not answered in the Airport FAQs, contact Airport Management through the Ask the Airport form, calling 303-441-3108, or emailing bma@bouldercolorado.gov. The Airport Manager is available by appointment during business hours.
• To contact City Council, use the Contact City Council form.
• To submit an aircraft noise complaint, call the report hotline at 303-441-4000 or submit a noise complaint form.
• While the City of Boulder owns the airport, the airport is a public use airport that is held to federal standards, guidelines and practices. To contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), visit the FAA Contact Us webpage.

Yes. The public can watch planes from the Heather McRoberts Memorial Micropark. Do not enter the aircraft parking ramp or approach the runway. For your safety, please stay away from aircraft. Visitors may park short-term at the airport without cost.

Boulder Municipal Airport is not served by commercial airlines. Visitors to the area can fly in via Denver International Airport or Rocky Mountain Metro Airport. Several ground shuttle services and a public bus service, RTD SkyRide, provide ground transportation between Denver International Airport and the Boulder area.

Visit the Leasing Information webpage for more information.

Local airports like the Boulder Municipal Airport are part of a nationwide aviation system governed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). For consistency across states and cities, federal law requires that noise policies for aircraft in flight are strictly under the jurisdiction of the FAA.

While the City of Boulder does not have the authority to create or enforce rules around noise, we aim to help reduce the impacts of aircraft noise by:

• Operating a Voluntary Noise Abatement Program to educate and encourage pilots to fly friendly and minimize noise.
• Operating an online reporting system and phone hotline for community members to report non-compliant flights and view flights on a map in near real-time.
• Collecting and reporting data on noise-compliant and non-compliant flights. Data is shared with airport tenants to encourage minimizing flight activities near surrounding communities, especially during noise-sensitive hours between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Related links

Quick Links

• Learn more or submit a report on the city's Airport Noise webpage.
• Learn more about federal rules on the FAA noise webpage or the 1990 Aircraft Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) webpage. If you need further assistance with other aviation noise-related questions and concerns not answered by the airport, submit a complaint or inquiry through the FAA Noise Portal or contact your regional FAA representative.

The city is responsible for the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the airport. The city works to balance the impacts of airport operations and the needs of airport users with the needs of the community.

To do this, the city controls land use around the Boulder Municipal Airport and dictates procedures for aircraft operations on the ground (aircraft in the air are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration). The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan outlines the policy for land use around the airport, and the Airport Master Plan outlines the operations of the airport.

View the Traffic Pattern for Boulder Municipal Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has exclusive control of all airspace over the United States. All airspace users are subject to the FAA's Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). These regulations cover aircraft and pilot registrations, operational control of all aircraft while in the air, traffic patterns, altitude, noise, safety issues and a myriad of other aviation-related matters.

The aircraft at Boulder Municipal Airport primarily use 100 low-lead aviation fuel. We anticipate unleaded aviation fuel to begin arriving at the airport within five years.

Learn more about lead in aviation gas through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Lead in Aviation Gas webpage.

Local airports like the Boulder Municipal Airport are part of a nationwide aviation system governed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). For consistency across states and cities, federal law requires that noise policies for aircraft in flight are strictly under the jurisdiction of the FAA.

While the City of Boulder does not have the authority to create or enforce rules around noise, we aim to help reduce the impacts of aircraft noise by:

• Operating a Voluntary Noise Abatement Program to educate and encourage pilots to fly friendly and minimize noise.
• Operating an online reporting system and phone hotline for community members to report non-compliant flights and view flights on a map in near real-time.
• Collecting and reporting data on noise-compliant and non-compliant flights. Data is shared with airport tenants to encourage minimizing flight activities near surrounding communities, especially during noise-sensitive hours between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Quick Links

• Learn more or submit a report on the city's Airport Noise webpage.
• Learn more about federal rules on the FAA noise webpage or the 1990 Aircraft Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) webpage. If you need further assistance with other aviation noise-related questions and concerns not answered by the airport, submit a complaint or inquiry through the FAA Noise Portal or contact your regional FAA representative.

Cranes aren't subject to city permitting, but they may be subject to federal permitting.

For federal permitting, you may need to file a permit at least 45 days before construction. For more information about federal crane permitting, contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA also offers a web-based tool to assist contractors in determining if a hazard exists and if an FAA Permit is required.

• FAA Evaluation Tool

Both the city and the Federal Aviation Administration regulate the use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) and how they can be used in Boulder. Learn more on the Drone Use webpage.

• Drone Use