Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
POE to MER: distance & flight time
Fort Polk (Polk Army Air Field) → Merced (Castle Airport)
1,618 mi
2,604 km · 1,406 nm
3h 38m
estimated nonstop flight time
-2h
time difference · heading northwest
See live POE→MER fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
1,618 miles nonstop takes roughly 3h 38m gate to gate, flying northwest. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 2-hour time set-back when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- POE — Polk Army Air Field · Fort Polk, United States
- MER — Castle Airport · Merced, United States
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near POE
- DRI · Beauregard Regional Airport17 mi away
- AEX · Alexandria International Airport43 mi away
- JAS · Jasper County Airport-Bell Field51 mi away
- ESF · Esler Regional Airport58 mi away
Near MER
- MCE · Merced Regional Macready Field7 mi away
- MOD · Modesto City Co-Harry Sham Field27 mi away
- RMY · Mariposa Yosemite Airport30 mi away
- MAE · Madera Municipal Airport37 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is POE from MER?
The flight distance from Fort Polk (POE) to Merced (MER) is 1,618 miles (2,604 km, 1,406 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from POE to MER?
A nonstop flight takes about 3h 38m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
Are there nonstop flights from POE to MER?
Nonstop service on POE–MER depends on the season and the day of week. Run the fare search on this page with the nonstop filter applied to see current direct options; when there is no nonstop, a single connection through a carrier hub adds roughly 2–4 hours to the 3h 38m nonstop estimate.
What is the time difference between Fort Polk and Merced?
Merced is 2 hours behind Fort Polk.
What is the cheapest way to fly from POE to MER?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on POE–MER that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.
Why are some POE to MER fares phone-only?
Consolidator contracts let us sell certain POE–MER tickets below the price airlines permit us to publish online, so those fares can only be quoted over the phone. Call the travel desk and an agent will check phone-only inventory for your dates.