Buchanan Field Airport

Buchanan Field Airport (IATA: CCR, ICAO: KCCR, FAA LID: CCR) is a public airport in Contra Costa County, California, a mile west of the center of Concord and east of Pacheco. The airport’s street address is 550 Sally Ride Drive, Concord. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a reliever airport. It has a control tower.

History

In 1942 Contra Costa County, California, bought land for $88,000 for an airport in Central County. The County was constructing the airport until the land was expropriated by the United States Army Air Forces Fourth Air Force. The Army added land and constructed airport facilities, and the Concord Army Air Base, a training base for pilots.

The War Assets Administration (WAA) transferred the airport over to the county in 1946. The transfer was formalized in 1947, and the airport was named after County Supervisor William J. Buchanan, who served more than forty years on the County Board of Supervisors. The US managed to use the airport on occasion. Army to transport troops, particularly during the Korean War.

George Lucas used Buchanan Field Airport as one of the last exterior scenes in the American Graffiti movie in 1972. In the scene, before Curt leaves for college on the Douglas DC-7C in the background, Steven Bolander (Ron Howard) says good bye to friend Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss).

In 1977, with 357,000 daily flights, Buchanan Field reached its height of activity; by this measure, Buchanan Field became the nation’s 16th busiest airport, ahead of San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Noise became a problem during this period and in 1988 the county board of supervisors enacted a county noise control order banning all aircraft from operating at Buchanan Field.

The Board of Supervisors revised the Master Plan for Buchanan Field Airport starting in the 1990s. In 1992 commercial development was approved for adjacent property such as Sam’s Club, Taco Bell, Sports Authority, and Jiffy Lube. In the eastern part of the county the County created a new Byron airport.

On August 14, 2018, the Board of Supervisors (Board) of Contra Costa County passed a resolution recognizing the economic value of these airports by agreeing that they are important economic drivers that allow Contra Costa County to fulfill its current and future community transportation and economic needs. The Board further instructed staff to proactively explore creativity and competitive opportunities to improve the airports’ economic development potential, as they are the county’s capital assets and an integrated transport asset to the Bay Area.