Jim Kelly Field Airport – Lexington, Nebraska Aviation
Jim Kelly Field serves the city of Lexington in Dawson County, Nebraska, named to honor a local aviation figure who contributed to the community's general aviation development. Lexington is one of the larger cities in western central Nebraska, known as a meatpacking and agricultural processing center and as the location of one of Nebraska's significant beef processing facilities. The airport supports the business aviation needs of this industrial community, including executive travel for the food processing industry and agricultural commodity operations that define Lexington's economic identity.
Located along the Platte River valley corridor, Jim Kelly Field operates in an environment of high agricultural aviation activity—aerial application is a major component of Dawson County aviation given the vast irrigated corn and soybean fields surrounding Lexington. The airport has a paved runway suitable for light twins and single-engine aircraft, and its proximity to the I-80 interchange makes ground access straightforward for arriving business passengers. Nebraska Department of Aeronautics programs have supported improvements at the airport in recognition of Lexington's economic significance within the central Nebraska region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jim Kelly Field located in Lexington?
Jim Kelly Field is located on the outskirts of Lexington, Nebraska, in Dawson County along the I-80 corridor approximately 20 miles west of Cozad and 40 miles east of North Platte.
Who was Jim Kelly?
Jim Kelly was a local aviation figure honored by Lexington for his contributions to general aviation in the Dawson County region. The airport naming reflects Nebraska's tradition of honoring community aviation pioneers.
What industries generate aviation traffic at Lexington?
Lexington's beef processing industry, agricultural commodity operations, and the broader Dawson County ranching and farming economy generate the business aviation traffic that Jim Kelly Field serves.
Is fuel available at Jim Kelly Field?
Avgas is typically available at the airport. Pilots planning to stop should verify current fuel status and hours of operation before departure to account for the limited service availability at smaller Nebraska municipal airports.
Jim Kelly Field Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Lexington, Nebraska.
Lexington's Aviation Heritage and Jim Kelly Field
Jim Kelly Field serves a Lexington community that represents the intersection of Nebraska's two dominant economic forces: irrigated agriculture and beef processing. The airport enables executives and buyers from the beef industry to access Lexington without the 3-hour drive from Omaha, compressing business travel time that has real economic value for an industry where livestock market timing is critical. Corn growers and cattle feeders throughout Dawson County use Lexington as their closest significant service center, and Jim Kelly Field provides them with air connectivity to larger markets.
The Platte River valley aviation environment around Lexington includes outstanding views of the spring sandhill crane migration—one of North America's greatest wildlife spectacles, with over half a million sandhill cranes staging on the Platte River between Kearney and North Platte each March. Pilots who time their Nebraska flights for the crane migration period should be aware of increased bird activity near the river corridor at low altitudes, particularly at dawn and dusk when the cranes make their daily movements between roost sites on the river sandbars and their feeding fields in the surrounding farmland.