When was Hartsfield-Jackson Airport built?
ATL's history dates to 1925 when it was Candler Field. Hartsfield-Jackson got its current name in 2003.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's history begins in 1925 when the Atlanta City Council leased a 287-acre former auto race track in suburban Hapeville to use as the city's first municipal airport. It was originally named Candler Field after Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler, who owned the land.
The airport was renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport in 1929 and Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport in 1971 (after former Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield, who championed the airport's growth). The current name, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, was adopted in 2003 to also honor former mayor Maynard H. Jackson.
Major construction phases include: the original 1925 dirt runways, the 1961 jet-age terminal expansion, the 1980 'midfield' terminal opening (the current Domestic Terminal and Concourse layout), the 2006 fifth runway opening, and the 2012 Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal opening.
The airport's current footprint covers nearly 4,700 acres, making it one of the largest airport sites in the U.S. by land area. Continuous construction and renovation projects maintain the facility's industry-leading capacity.