Oldest Civil Airport West of the Mississippi in its Original Location
Posted by CC on October 4th, 2008 2:31 pm
2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the Iowa City Airport, an airfield like no other in the state. Starting as a grassy landing strip in the middle of farmland, the airfield developed into an important spot for refueling on US Air Mail flights west of Chicago. Because of this, the Iowa City Airport is considered the birthplace of commercial aviation in Iowa. In 1922, Iowa City’s mayor, Emma J. Harvat, signed a lease on the airfield, taking the airport under municipal responsibility — the first of its kind in Iowa. During World War II, the airport served as a training depot. Today, with 20 to 30 flights taking off or landing daily, the airport is looking toward the future by repaving and lengthening runways to accommodate modern air traffic, including charter aircraft, private planes, and medical flights.
To learn more about the Iowa City Airport, view the Iowa City Airport History online at the Alexis Park Inn and Suites website.
