How do you calculate pressure altitude at KDEN?

At Denver International Airport (KDEN), use the published airport elevation of 5,434 ft and the current altimeter setting: pressure altitude = 5,434 + (29.92 − altimeter setting in inHg) × 1,000. With 30.12 inHg, KDEN’s pressure altitude is approximately 5,234 ft.

For Aviation & Real-World Flying calculations, this is the standard quick method. It is sufficiently accurate for routine planning, although an aircraft’s approved performance procedure takes precedence when it specifies another method.

How do I calculate KDEN pressure altitude from a METAR?

1. Find KDEN’s altimeter setting. In a US METAR, it appears as an A-group: A3012 means 30.12 inHg. Our guide to decoding METAR pressure and weather groups explains where to find it.
2. Use KDEN’s airport elevation. Enter 5,434 ft, not Denver’s familiar “mile-high” figure of 5,280 ft.
3. Subtract the setting from standard pressure. For A3012, calculate 29.92 − 30.12 = −0.20.
4. Convert the difference to feet. Multiply by 1,000, giving −200 ft.
5. Add the adjustment to the airport elevation. 5,434 − 200 = 5,234 ft pressure altitude.

If the pressure is shown in hectopascals, use the approximate equivalent 5,434 + (1013.25 − QNH) × 30. Keep all units consistent; do not enter an hPa value into the inHg formula.

Can I read pressure altitude directly from the altimeter?

Yes. While stationary at KDEN, set the altimeter to 29.92 inHg, or 1013 hPa, and read the indicated altitude; that indication is pressure altitude. This also avoids mental-arithmetic errors, provided the instrument and simulated weather are behaving correctly.

Reset the altimeter to the current local setting before departure. Our explanation of why 29.92 is used as standard pressure covers when that setting should remain selected in flight.

What mistakes cause the wrong KDEN pressure altitude?

The errors that matter most at Denver are using the wrong elevation, pressure value or sign.

• Using 5,280 ft: that describes Denver’s mile-high identity, not KDEN’s published airport elevation of 5,434 ft.
• Using station pressure: KDEN’s raw station pressure is much lower because the airport is already at high elevation. Use the METAR altimeter setting or QNH, not station pressure or an SLP remark.
• Reversing the subtraction: pressure below 29.92 produces pressure altitude above field elevation; pressure above 29.92 produces pressure altitude below it.
• Adding temperature: temperature is not part of pressure altitude. It is used later when calculating density altitude.
• Mixing real and simulated weather: if a simulator’s atmosphere differs from the real-world report, use the simulator’s ATIS, weather display or cockpit altimeter setting for simulated performance calculations.

Which KDEN elevation should I use for take-off performance?

Use 5,434 ft for an airport-level estimate, but follow the aircraft flight manual or performance tool if it requests the elevation or pressure altitude at the actual departure point. KDEN’s large airfield is not perfectly level, so runway-specific data can refine the result.

Some procedures tell you to set 29.92 and read the altimeter rather than calculate from field elevation. Follow the chart’s stated method and then interpolate between pressure-altitude bands as required; our aircraft performance-chart planning guidance explains that process.

Is pressure altitude the same as density altitude at KDEN?

No. Pressure altitude accounts for atmospheric pressure, while density altitude adjusts pressure altitude for non-standard temperature and, in some methods, humidity. On a hot Denver day, density altitude can be substantially higher than the calculated pressure altitude, with direct consequences for take-off roll and climb performance.

Once pressure altitude is known, use it with outside-air temperature to assess KDEN’s high-density-altitude take-off effects.