Castle Air Force Base

Castle Air Force Base
Merced Army Airfield
Part of Strategic Air Command
Merced County, near Atwater, California
2006 USGS Aerial Photo
Castle AFB is located in California
Castle AFB
Castle AFB
Coordinates37°22′50″N 120°34′05″W / 37.38056°N 120.56806°W / 37.38056; -120.56806
TypeAir Force Base
Site history
Built1941
In use1941–1995
Merced Army Airfield, November 1942

Castle Air Force Base (Castle AFB, 1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base in California, northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced, and about 115 miles (185 km) south of Sacramento.

The Central Valley base in unincorporated Merced County was closed in 1995, pursuant to a Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision after the end of the Cold War and the disestablishment of Strategic Air Command (SAC). It is now known as the Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center.