Paul Ridder Ranch Airport

The airport was a private-use facility. The closure was likely due to the owner's discretion. Reasons for closing private airstrips typically include the owner ceasing aviation activities, the sale of the property, or the desire to eliminate the costs and liability associated with maintaining an active runway. There is no public record of a specific incident, accident, or economic event that forced the closure; it was a private decision.

The site of the former airport has fully reverted to its agricultural purpose as part of the surrounding ranch. Analysis of current satellite imagery shows that the former turf runway is no longer maintained or distinguishable from the adjacent pasture land. The area is used for grazing or hay production, consistent with the operations of a cattle ranch.

Paul Ridder Ranch Airport had no major national or regional historical significance. It was a classic example of a private ranch airstrip, common in rural and agricultural areas of the United States. Its purpose was purely functional, serving the personal and business needs of the ranch owner. Operations would have consisted of light, single-engine aircraft, likely used for personal transportation, recreational flying, and potentially for ranch management tasks such as checking on livestock, fences, or remote parts of the property. The airport featured a single north-south turf runway (17/35) approximately 2,600 feet long.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. As a private airstrip on private land, any decision to reopen would be solely at the discretion and expense of the current landowner. Given that the facility has been officially closed for many years and the runway area has been reclaimed for agriculture, a reopening is considered extremely unlikely.