Elgin, Illinois: Airport Accessibility And Local Travel Options

Elgin, Illinois, has had several airports throughout its history. The first airport was laid out in 1926 on part of the Hoornbeek farm, with the North-South runway extending to what is now the Larkin High School campus. This airport was closed in 1933 after air mail postage rates increased, leading to a decline in the number of letters. Aviators then shifted to pastures, flying out of a small field east of Trout Park. Elgin's most recent airport was closed on November 1, 1983, due to the development of a shopping center and business park on the site. Today, the closest airport to Elgin is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), which is approximately 19-27 miles away. Other nearby airports include Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), and General Mitchell International Airport (MKE).

Elgin, Illinois, has three airports

The nearest airport to Elgin today is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD), which is 19-27 miles away. This airport offers international and domestic flights and is served by 68 airlines. Another major airport close to Elgin is Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW/KMDW), which offers international and domestic flights and is located 32-45 miles from Elgin.

There is also a smaller, local airport near Elgin, DuPage Airport (DPA/KDPA), which is 11 miles away in West Chicago, Illinois.

The nearest airport is Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Elgin, Illinois does not have its own airport, but there are several airports nearby. The nearest airport is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), which is approximately 19 to 27 miles from Elgin. Chicago O'Hare is a major international airport with a wide range of domestic and international flights. It is one of the busiest airports in the world, serving as a hub for several airlines and offering flights to numerous destinations.

From Elgin, it takes around 1 hour and 25 minutes to get to Chicago O'Hare by bus. This airport offers a convenient option for travellers flying into or out of the Elgin area.

Another nearby airport is Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), located about 32 to 45 miles from Elgin. Chicago Midway also offers domestic and international flights, providing additional travel options for those in the Elgin area.

There are also other regional airports within a reasonable distance from Elgin, including Chicago Rockford International Airport (54 miles away) and General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee (94 miles away). These airports may offer alternative travel choices, depending on your specific needs and destination.

Elgin's first airport opened in 1926

The first aircraft made in Elgin, a maroon and cream biplane, was given its maiden flight on November 28, 1928. It was assembled in the old Elgin Silver Plate factory at Melrose and Carr Streets. The plane had room for a pilot and two passengers.

In addition to Elgin Airways, a group of local enthusiasts called the Elgin Avigo Flying Club also used the airport. The airport was formally dedicated on June 10, 1930, with a big celebration that included aerial demonstrations and a parachute jump. The airport was also used for mail and passenger operations starting on March 8, 1930.

Unfortunately, the airport met an untimely end. After a tornado damaged the airport in July 1933, the Elgin Airport Company turned over its lease to the city of Elgin to seek federal aid. The application was not successful, and private funding efforts also failed. Eventually, the Kelley family closed the field, and the airport ceased operations.

The airport was used for mail and passenger operations

Elgin, Illinois, does not have its own airport, but there are several airports nearby. The closest is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), which is 19-27 miles away from Elgin. Other nearby airports include Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) (32-45 miles away), Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) (54 miles away), and General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) (66-94 miles away.

Elgin's first airport was laid out in 1926 on part of the Hoornbeek farm along the west side of McLean Boulevard. The airport had a single paved North-South runway, which extended to what is now the Larkin High School campus. There were also two unpaved runways: the East-West runway was about 1,700' long, and the 5/23 runway was about 2,150' long. In addition to the runways, there was a wooden hangar and a repair building, which unfortunately burned down in 1930, destroying two airplanes.

After the discontinuation of the Elgin route, the airport continued to be used by aviators, who shifted back to flying out of small fields near Trout Park and using part of the Burnidge farm west of the intersection of McLean Boulevard and the South Street Road. These fields were used by barnstormers who carried passengers on brief flights over the city. A large Curtiss Condor with a 90-foot wingspan even landed at Trout Park in 1935 and at the Burnidge Field in 1939. During World War II, the government leased the airport grounds as an auxiliary training field for fledgling pilots from the Navy's Glenview base.

The airport closed in 1983

The airport in Elgin, Illinois, closed on November 1, 1983, after it was decided that the land would be used to develop a shopping centre and business park. The airport, which was established in 1926, had a rich history that included several setbacks and a period of thriving activity.

The first airport in Elgin was laid out on the Hoornbeek farm, with a single paved runway and two unpaved runways. However, a fire in 1930 destroyed a hangar and two airplanes, shifting the focus to a new site. The new airport was established through the efforts of the Association of Commerce, who raised funds and installed necessary lighting for a proposed air mail service. The first airplane produced in Elgin, a maroon and cream biplane, took its maiden flight in 1928.

The airport faced challenges with declining mail volume during the Depression and a tornado in 1933, which caused significant damage. Despite these setbacks, the airport continued to operate, and during World War II, it served as an auxiliary training field for Navy pilots. After the war, the Elgin Airport Corporation sought permission to re-activate the field, which was granted despite objections from neighbouring property owners.

In 1949, a helicopter air mail shuttle service began operating between Elgin, Chicago, and nine other cities. The airport primarily served recreational flyers, and in a peak year, it handled over 80,000 operations. However, the airport faced the challenge of escalating land values when the tollway opened, ultimately leading to its closure in 1983.

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