# Watertown International Airport

Watertown International Airport (IATA: ART, ICAO: KART, FAA LID: ART) is in the Town of Hounsfield in Jefferson County, New York, United States, 6 mi (5.2 nmi; 9.7 km) west of Watertown. The airport is used for general aviation, but has scheduled passenger service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. The airport has no scheduled international passenger flights, but is available as an international port of entry for private aircraft on two hours' advance notice from pilots.
The Federal Aviation Administration says this airport had 2,203 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2010, 4,449 in 2011, and 16,988 in 2012. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2023–2027, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.
On July 12, 2024, a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from the 732nd Airlift Squadron landed at Watertown International Airport and stayed for two days before leaving.

## History

The city of Watertown bought the land in 1927 and the Airport was opened in 1929.

## Facilities

The airport covers 1,100 acres (450 ha) at an elevation of 331 feet (101 m).
It has two asphalt runways:
* Runway 10/28 is 7,001 ft × 150 ft (2,134 m × 46 m)
* Runway 7/25 is 4,999 ft × 150 ft (1,524 m × 46 m)
Runway 10/28 was extended from 5,000 ft (1,500 m) length to 5,999 ft (1,828 m) as an interim extension and was lengthened again to 7,001 ft (2.134 km) opening to that length in July 2016. The airport has an instrument landing system and a medium-intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights on the shorter runway 7.
In the 12-month period ending June 30, 2022, the airport had 49,786 aircraft operations, average 136 per day: 66% general aviation, 29% military, 3% airline, and 2% air taxi. In December 2022, 35 aircraft were based at this airport: 24 single-engine, 8 multi-engine, 1 jet, and 2 helicopter.

## Airport development

Watertown International Airport's first scheduled jet service is operated by American Eagle Airlines, which flies 44 passenger Embraer ERJ 145 regional jets. Service was initially planned to begin in June 2011, however an environmental impact assessment had to first be completed to ensure that neither residents of nearby Dexter nor others has the new service. Additionally, renovation work of baggage systems and passenger waiting areas was necessary to accommodate the new service, which cost nearly one million dollars. Service began November 17, 2011.
Climate data for Watertown International Airport, New York (96.9 m (318 ft) AMSL), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) | 66 (19) | 84 (29) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 95 (35) | 97 (36) | 96 (36) | 96 (36) | 84 (29) | 77 (25) | 69 (21) | 97 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.8 (−1.2) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 40.0 (4.4) | 53.7 (12.1) | 66.2 (19.0) | 74.5 (23.6) | 79.2 (26.2) | 78.2 (25.7) | 71.2 (21.8) | 58.4 (14.7) | 46.6 (8.1) | 35.5 (1.9) | 55.4 (13.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.9 (−6.7) | 21.1 (−6.1) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 43.1 (6.2) | 55.0 (12.8) | 63.8 (17.7) | 69.0 (20.6) | 67.5 (19.7) | 60.0 (15.6) | 48.8 (9.3) | 38.0 (3.3) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 45.3 (7.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10.0 (−12.2) | 10.7 (−11.8) | 20.7 (−6.3) | 32.5 (0.3) | 43.7 (6.5) | 53.1 (11.7) | 58.8 (14.9) | 56.7 (13.7) | 48.8 (9.3) | 39.2 (4.0) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 35.2 (1.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) | −37 (−38) | −24 (−31) | 6 (−14) | 18 (−8) | 29 (−2) | 33 (1) | 30 (−1) | 22 (−6) | 12 (−11) | −7 (−22) | −37 (−38) | −43 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.86 (73) | 2.18 (55) | 2.37 (60) | 3.07 (78) | 2.97 (75) | 3.09 (78) | 3.01 (76) | 3.20 (81) | 3.56 (90) | 4.22 (107) | 3.40 (86) | 3.14 (80) | 37.07 (942) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 31.6 (80) | 20.7 (53) | 12.0 (30) | 2.8 (7.1) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 7.0 (18) | 25.8 (66) | 100.2 (255) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 16.4 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 12.3 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 10.8 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 16.3 | 157.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 13.7 | 10.4 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 4.5 | 12.0 | 50.6 |
| Source: NOAA (snow 1981–2010) ||||||||||||||

## Airline and destination

The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
| American Eagle | Philadelphia | |

### Statistics

Busiest domestic routes from ART (November 2023 - October 2024) :
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
| 1 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 22,100 | American |
Passenger boardings (enplanements) by year, as per the FAA :
| Year | Enplanements | Change |
| 2005 | 4,612 | 024%0 |
| 2006 | 3,672 | 020%0 |
| 2007 | 7,471 | 0103%0 |
| 2008 | 524 | 093%0 |
| 2009 | 2,145 | 0309%0 |
| 2010 | 2,203 | 03%0 |
| 2011 | 4,449 | 0102%0 |
| 2012 | 16,988 | 0282%0 |
| 2013 | 18,818 | 011%0 |
| 2014 | 19,307 | 03%0 |
| 2015 | 18,650 | 03%0 |
| 2016 | 17,302 | 07%0 |
| 2017 | 22,785 | 032%0 |