Airport Overview
Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH) is a publicly owned, non-towered general aviation reliever 3 miles north of downtown Hollister in San Benito County, owned and operated by the City of Hollister. It sits roughly 40 miles southeast of San Jose, positioning it as a quiet alternative to the congested Silicon Valley airports for travelers headed to the South Bay, San Juan Bautista, and the Salinas Valley. The field logs more than 40,000 annual operations, the vast majority general aviation.
Runway Capability
Primary runway 13/31 provides 6,350 feet of asphalt; crosswind runway 06/24 adds 3,150 feet. The longer runway supports light jets and many midsize jets at typical regional weights and field elevation of 230 feet MSL. It is, however, a true reliever runway: super-midsize, heavy, and ultra-long-range jets will frequently be runway-limited here, especially in warm temperatures or at high takeoff weights. Performance planning is essential for anything above the midsize class.
Charter Considerations
Hollister Jet Center is the single FBO on field and notably charges no ramp or landing fees, with self-serve Jet-A and 100LL available 24 hours. Most business-jet charter into the region positions from nearby fields rather than basing at KCVH, so expect repositioning legs from Salinas (SNS), San Jose (SJC), Monterey (MRY), or the Bay Area. The Jet Finder compares positioning fees, runway suitability, and drive times to determine whether KCVH or a neighboring airport is the better fit for your aircraft and itinerary.
Safety & Planning
KCVH is non-towered; all traffic self-announces on CTAF 123.0, and crews should be alert for mixed glider, training, and skydiving-area activity common to the area. Available approaches are RNAV (GPS) and visual. There is no on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection, so international arrivals must clear at a designated port of entry such as San Jose or Oakland before continuing to Hollister.
Seasonal & Operational Factors
The inland Hollister climate is generally favorable for flying, but marine-layer stratus pushing in from Monterey Bay can lower morning ceilings, and afternoon northwesterly winds favor runway 31. Summer afternoons are warm but the 230-foot elevation keeps density altitude manageable. Winter frontal passages occasionally drop conditions to IFR for a day or two; year-round instrument capability is recommended for schedule reliability.
Regional Context
KCVH serves the agricultural San Benito and southern Santa Clara valleys and acts as a reliever to the busier Bay Area system. Nearby alternatives include Salinas (SNS) at about 17 NM, Watsonville (WVI) at 18 NM, South County (E16) at 14 NM, and the commercial fields at San Jose (SJC) and Monterey (MRY). For larger aircraft that exceed Hollister's runway, SJC and MRY offer longer runways, on-field customs options, and full-service FBOs.