What are KDEN’s runways, ILS, elevation and ATC frequencies?
Find KDEN’s six runways, all ILS frequencies, 5,434 ft elevation, and Denver ATIS, clearance, ground, tower and approach channels.
Denver International Airport (KDEN) is at 5,434 ft MSL and has six concrete runways; 16R/34L is the longest at 16,000 ft. Its six paired ILS channels span 108.90 to 111.95 MHz. KDEN uses 125.600 for arrival ATIS, 134.025 for departure ATIS, 118.750 for clearance, two ground frequencies and four tower frequencies.
For our Aviation & Real-World Flying readers, the values below cover normal pilot communications and published instrument approaches. Frequency assignments and procedures can change by chart cycle; for real-world use, the latest publication and ATC instructions always take precedence.
What are the KDEN runway and ILS frequencies?
KDEN has six runways and a published ILS channel for both directions of each runway.
| Runway pair | Dimensions | ILS frequency | Reciprocal ILS frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/25 | 12,000 × 150 ft | RWY 7: 111.55 MHz | RWY 25: 111.55 MHz |
| 8/26 | 12,000 × 150 ft | RWY 8: 111.90 MHz | RWY 26: 111.90 MHz |
| 16L/34R | 12,000 × 150 ft | RWY 16L: 111.30 MHz | RWY 34R: 111.30 MHz |
| 16R/34L | 16,000 × 200 ft | RWY 16R: 111.75 MHz | RWY 34L: 111.75 MHz |
| 17L/35R | 12,000 × 150 ft | RWY 17L: 108.90 MHz | RWY 35R: 108.90 MHz |
| 17R/35L | 12,000 × 150 ft | RWY 17R: 111.95 MHz | RWY 35L: 111.95 MHz |
The same channel is reused at reciprocal ends of each physical runway. Therefore, 111.55 alone does not distinguish runway 7 from runway 25: load the correct approach, confirm its inbound course and identify the localiser before using it. The published KDEN approach plates and airport diagram provide the identifier, course, minima and missed-approach instructions for each runway end.
ILS capability is not defined by frequency alone. Authorised category, decision altitude, lighting requirements and procedural notes belong to the individual approach plate, even when the reciprocal approach uses the same channel.
What is Denver International Airport’s elevation?
KDEN’s published airport elevation is 5,434 ft (1,656 m) above mean sea level.
Airport elevation represents the highest point on the usable runways, so individual thresholds are not necessarily at exactly 5,434 ft. Use the ATIS altimeter setting rather than setting the altimeter to field elevation before arrival.
Denver’s altitude also makes density altitude significant. High temperature or low pressure can increase take-off distance, raise true airspeed and groundspeed for a given indicated airspeed, and reduce climb performance. Flight simulators reproduce these effects only to the extent supported by their aircraft and weather models.
What are the KDEN ATC frequencies?
KDEN’s normal pilot channels are divided by service and, for tower and approach, by runway or control sector.
| ATC service | Frequency or frequencies | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival ATIS | 125.600 MHz | Arrival runway, weather, approaches and airport information |
| Departure ATIS | 134.025 MHz | Departure runway, weather and airport information |
| Clearance Delivery | 118.750 MHz | IFR and other departure clearances as directed |
| Ground | 121.850, 127.500 MHz | Taxi instructions and surface movement |
| Tower | 124.300, 132.350, 133.300, 135.300 MHz | Take-off, landing and runway crossings |
| Denver Approach/Departure | 119.300, 120.350, 120.800, 123.850, 124.950, 125.750, 126.100, 128.250, 132.750, 133.950, 134.850 MHz | Sector-dependent arrivals and departures |
Denver Approach or Departure assigns the appropriate sector frequency according to position, route, runway configuration and traffic. Do not select one merely because it appears first in the list. Tower channels also represent different control positions; ATC will specify which one to use. Ramp-control and airline channels are omitted because they are not universal ATC channels for every aircraft.
Which frequency should I tune at KDEN?
At KDEN, tune each service when ATC or the applicable procedure directs you rather than treating one tower or approach channel as universal.
- Get the ATIS: departing aircraft normally use 134.025; arriving aircraft use 125.600.
- Obtain the departure clearance: contact Clearance Delivery on 118.750 unless another authorised delivery method is in use.
- Taxi on the assigned ground channel: use 121.850 or 127.500 as instructed.
- Contact the assigned tower: the ground controller or clearance will specify the correct tower frequency.
- Use the hand-off frequency: after departure or during arrival, tune the exact Denver Departure or Approach sector given by ATC.
For the hand-off logic behind this sequence, see our explanation of what ground, tower and departure frequencies each do.
In a simulator, the scenery, navigation database and built-in ATC database can come from different dates. If a menu disagrees with the plate, decide which system controls the session; our simulator frequency-finding and tuning checklist explains how to resolve those mismatches.
Why will the KDEN ILS not capture in a simulator?
A KDEN ILS usually fails to capture because the wrong reciprocal approach is loaded, the navigation source or mode is incorrect, the intercept geometry is poor, or the aircraft’s navigation data does not match the chart.
- Wrong end of a shared channel: runway 16R and runway 34L both use 111.75. Confirm the assigned runway, localiser identifier and inbound course.
- Wrong receiver or guidance source: enter the frequency into the aircraft’s NAV or ILS system and follow that aircraft’s avionics logic. Manual tuning will not help if guidance remains on an incompatible GPS source.
- Approach mode not armed: tuning the frequency does not by itself command localiser or glideslope capture. Arm LOC or APP as required by the aircraft.
- Bad intercept geometry: intercept the localiser at a reasonable angle and meet the glideslope from below. Capturing from above is unreliable and often prohibited by the autopilot logic.
- Old navigation data: load the approach matching the data installed in the aircraft. Updated scenery changes the visible airport but does not necessarily update radio-navigation records.
If the localiser captures but the glideslope does not, verify that the selected procedure is the ILS rather than a localiser-only variant, that approach mode is armed, and that the aircraft is below the glideslope at interception.