Willmar Municipal Airport John L Rice Field (1934)

The airport was closed because it was replaced by a new, larger, and more modern facility. The original airport's runways were too short and the site lacked room for expansion to accommodate the larger business and private aircraft of the era. The City of Willmar constructed a new airport about 2.5 miles to the southeast with a longer runway (5,500 ft) and modern instrument approach capabilities to better serve the region's aviation needs.

The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and is now the location of the Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds. The land is occupied by exhibition halls, a grandstand, a racetrack, and other fairground facilities. The layout of the former runways is no longer intact, although the faint alignment of the primary northwest/southeast runway can still be discerned in aerial and satellite views as a path and access road through the fairgrounds property.

Established in 1934, the original Willmar Municipal Airport served as the city's primary aviation gateway for over four decades. It was a vital center for general aviation, supporting private pilots, flight instruction, and local businesses. The airport was named in honor of John L. Rice, a prominent local aviator and World War II flight instructor who founded the Willmar Air Service in 1941, which operated from the field. By the late 1960s, the airport had two paved runways (Runway 12/30 at 3,400 ft and Runway 17/35 at 2,600 ft) and was a well-established general aviation facility before its operations were transferred to the new airport.

There are zero prospects for reopening this airport. The site has been permanently and extensively repurposed with the construction of the Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds. Furthermore, the city of Willmar is well-served by its current, modern airport (Willmar Municipal Airport - John L. Rice Field, ICAO: KBDH), making the original site redundant.