Palo Alto Airport is opening its gates to the public on Sunday, September 20, for a free, family-friendly open house that lets visitors climb into real aircraft cockpits and watch formation flight demonstrations overhead. The event, known as Palo Alto Airport Day, gives residents a rare close-up look at the compact airfield tucked against the Baylands Nature Preserve.
According to a post from the City of Palo Alto
, the September 20 event invites the public to explore the airport, visit real aircraft cockpits, and witness formation flight demonstrations at no cost. The open house involves the
Palo Alto Airport Association and the city's Public Works Department
, and admission remains free.
A Record Crowd Set the Bar High
A Record Crowd Set the Bar High
The 2024 Airport Day, held September 29, drew more than 5,000 visitors, according to the Palo Alto Airport Association's own event history. That event included air traffic control tower tours, access to a Stanford Life Flight helicopter, and formation flyovers. Palo Alto Airport itself is a small operation by design. Per the City of Palo Alto, the facility covers just 102 acres bounded by San Francisco Bay and the Baylands Nature Preserve, with a single asphalt runway measuring 2,443 feet by 70 feet — a short strip serving general aviation aircraft. The city took over operation of the airport from Santa Clara County in 2014.
Busy Skies Over a Short Runway
Despite its modest footprint, the airfield stays busy. Palo Alto Airport handles an average of roughly 155,000 flight operations annually, ranking among the busiest general aviation airports in the Bay Area, according to FSElite. That volume includes flight-school activity.
The airport also plays a quieter public-health role.
Training Grounds for Bay Area Pilots
Palo Alto Airport is used for pilot education. Flight schools operate at the site.
Noise, Fuel and a Paused Sustainability Plan
Airport Day arrives amid ongoing civic debate over the airfield's future. Federal Aviation Administration grant assurances prevent Palo Alto from unilaterally banning leaded aviation gas or restricting flight hours without federal authorization, a constraint that came into sharper focus after Santa Clara County banned leaded fuel at Reid-Hillview Airport, as reported by the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Palo Alto began a Long Range Facilities & Sustainability Plan, according to the city.
A Recent Reminder of the Risks
The airfield's tight quarters next to sensitive wetlands have also drawn attention after a February 2025 incident involving a small plane, as Hoodline reported at the time.
For now, the focus is on welcoming the public back for a look inside the operation. Palo Alto Airport Day remains free and open to families, with the City of Palo Alto encouraging residents to save the date for the September 20 gathering.
