Airway Heights, Washington — City Named for Getting Off the Ground

Airway Heights was named for aviation before it had much of a population.

The community developed west of Spokane beside the flat plateau used by major aviation facilities. Geiger Field became important during World War II, while nearby Fairchild Air Force Base grew into one of the region's largest employers.

When the town incorporated in 1955, the name advertised both elevation and proximity to the airways.

Aviation remained important, but highways, inexpensive land and Spokane's outward growth brought warehouses, retail, casinos and subdivisions.

Airway Heights became a substantial employment center rather than merely a roadside town beside an air base.

Its origin is still visible in the landscape. Flat ground that once mattered because airplanes needed room now supports a city that grew up around them.