Georgetown, US 🇺🇸 Closed Airport
US-11230
-
42 ft
US-DE
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 38.636956° N, -75.356374° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: DE49
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| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
15/33 |
4564 ft | 60 ft | ASPH | Active Lighted |
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| UNIC | UNICOM | 123.0 MHz |
The airport ceased being depicted on aeronautical charts after 1979 and was listed as 'closed to public' by 1982. It was officially listed by the FAA as 'closed indefinitely' by 1995. The definitive closure and reversion of the land to agriculture occurred between the early 1980s and mid-1990s.
As a small, privately-owned airfield, the exact reason for closure is not officially documented. However, the most probable cause was personal or economic reasons of the owner/operator, Joseph Josephs. This is a common fate for small private airfields when the owner retires, passes away, or finds the operation and maintenance no longer financially viable. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a specific accident, military conversion, or urban development.
The site of the former Josephs Airport has been completely reclaimed for agricultural use. All traces of the runway, taxiways, and any associated buildings like hangars have been removed. The land is now an active, cultivated farm field, indistinguishable from the surrounding farmland. Satellite imagery confirms there is no remnant of the former airfield, though a nearby road is named 'Josephs Road', likely after the family that owned the farm and airport.
Josephs Airport was a small, private general aviation airfield established in the late 1960s. Its significance was rooted in serving the local aviation and agricultural community of Georgetown, Delaware. Owned and operated by Joseph Josephs, it featured a single unpaved (turf/dirt) runway, which was extended from 2,100 feet to 2,500 feet during its operational life. The airport handled light, single-engine aircraft for personal, recreational, and likely agricultural purposes (such as crop dusting), which was vital in a rural area like Sussex County. It was a characteristic example of the numerous private farm strips that supported general aviation in the mid-20th century.
There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening Josephs Airport. The land has been fully integrated back into a private farm for several decades. Furthermore, the town of Georgetown is served by the much larger, public-use Sussex County Airport (ICAO: KGED), which has paved runways, instrument approaches, and extensive aviation services. The existence of this superior nearby facility makes the redevelopment of a small, private grass strip at the former Josephs Airport location both unnecessary and economically unfeasible.