# Airports and buildings in Denver, etc. - also similar lack of oxygen due to high altitude, or is the internal air different?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-buildings-in-denver-etc-also-similar-lack-of-oxygen-due-to-high-altitude-or-is-the-internal-air-different/1017492>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 25, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-buildings-in-denver-etc-also-similar-lack-of-oxygen-due-to-high-altitude-or-is-the-internal-air-different/1017492 "2025-04-25T17:45:32Z")\
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**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-buildings-in-denver-etc-also-similar-lack-of-oxygen-due-to-high-altitude-or-is-the-internal-air-different/1017492/37 "2025-04-30T22:28:51Z")

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Part of a discussion of the altitude - octane argument from a prior thread of mine:

> [@Future EV/Hybrid Plans, AWD edition!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-ev-hybrid-plans-awd-edition/988126/94):
>
> Here is this, if you feel like a white board lecture about it. Old, like really old, cars needed about 2 less octane per 1000 feet of elevation, but for anything made in the last 40 years it is closer to a 0.2 octane less per 1000 feet. 85 probably won’t damage your car, but it is also not what the car was designed for. [[Never Use This Gas In Your Car!] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJyd6C99_3g)

So… IMHO, a holdover from 40-50 year old figures, though there is still some effect. For that matter, most modern computer controlled ignitions will compensate to a large degree. My calculation was using the math in the video presented, at Colorado Springs altitude (6k) there was still the argument for about 1 octane’s worth of difference, but… LOTS of different information online.

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