The History of Los Angeles International Airport

Although Los Angeles International Airport was only officially opened as a commercial airline site in 1946, it was used as a general aviation field in 1928 and during World War II.

The land on which the airport was used in the late 1800s to grow lima beans, wheat and barley, and changed ownership numerous times. It was only in the 1920s, when pioneer aviators began to use the land as a makeshift airstrip, that the community saw the potential of the land and pushed to create a municipal airport.

LAX Today

Today Los Angeles International Airport sees over 50 million passengers pass through its terminals annually, and handles over 1.8 million tons of freight and mail a year. The airport also plays a major role in California’s economy, with one in every twenty jobs in Southern California being attributed to Los Angeles International Airport.

Interesting Facts

Global ranking: Fifth busiest airport in the world
Parking spaces: 25,000
Total area: 3,425 acres
2010 Passengers: 59,069,409

Los Angeles International Airport Images

Above: Los Angeles Airport in the 1980s.


Above: The original site of LAX, Mines Fields, taken in the 1930s.

Both images used with permission of the Los Angeles Public Library.