Ocean City Airport
government · founded 1928
A landing field at Ocean City, Md., described in June 1930 as "an airport, established in 1928… one of the many boasts of Ocean City." In the same month the mayor and city council announced that scheduled passenger flying between Ocean City and Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Wilmington would begin on 1 July 1930, with two aeroplanes belonging to the licensed pilot John M. Bounds of Willow Grove, Pa., standing at the field. The town had seen aeroplanes since 1915, when fifteen paying flights were made off the beach at $15 a head, but a fixed field with an established year and a scheduled service is new.
Ocean City got an aerodrome before it got a lifeguard, an inlet or a paved road south of town.
In the record (2)
1934 · 1934-02-20
The town leased itself an airport for $150 a year, with an option to buy the whole field for $450
The airport runs through the first half of the 1934 minutes as an open question. On 6 February a 'Letter from Tipton about Air Port' was read and laid on the table. On 20 February the council settled it: 'Question of leasing Air Port of Foxes discussed and Mayor instructed to close the agreement on a lease for 5 years @ $150.00 with privilege of extension of 5 years with privilege to buy for $450.00.' It was not the end of the argument — on 18 June the airport 'was discussed and adjourned it to go over and look the site over,' the council proposing to walk the field itself before committing further.
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1962 · 1962-03-29
It took the worst storm in the town's history to fund Ocean City's airport: $80,000 toward construction, and $35,000 more promised on a hard-surface runway
In the same itemisation of the State's storm response: "Contributed towards the construction of new Ocean City Airport, the sum of $80,000.00. When the hard-surface runway is constructed (during 1962), additional State funds will be forthcoming in the amount of $35,000.00." This record has followed the airport since the town leased itself one in 1934 and since it was 'approved' in August 1947 — through $5,000 voted in 1949 to lease Robert Cropper's land, to 1957 when Cropper wanted $100,000 to sell and the alternative site needed $40,000 of fill. The money arrived as storm relief.
Source · checked 2026-09-02