“C” is for Columbia Metropolitan Airport

“C” is for Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The airport, which serves Midlands South Carolina, is located in Lexington County. The Lexington County Airport, a landing area was established at the site about 1940. Prior to World War II passenger flights in Columbia used Owens Field. During World War II, the U. S. War Department acquired the Lexington County field and expanded runways, hangers, roads, and buildings. After the war the field reverted to peacetime use and airline operations were moved there from Owens Field. A new terminal was opened in 1965 and underwent multimillion dollar renovations in 1997 and 2025. The airport has a 108-acre foreign-trade (duty-free) zone. For much of the twenty-first century the airport has served approximately 1.3 million passengers annually. Since1962 the Richland-Lexington Airport District—a twelve-member governing board--has operated the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.