The Waukegan Regional Airport is situated on 535 acres of land located approximately 3.5 miles north and slightly west of the heart of the City of Waukegan, about 35 miles north of Chicago. The airport consists of two (2) runways which are asphalt surfaces overlaying concrete pavements. The NE-SW runway is 6,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, while the NW-SE runway is 3,750 feet long and 75 feet wide.



The Waukegan Regional Airport is a general aviation facility categorized by the FAA as a "reliever airport" for Chicago's O'Hare International. In this role we aim to provide efficient handling of private, corporate, business, executive and governmental aircraft that choose to operate in Northeast Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin. With the 6,000 foot runway, Instrument Landing System, Manned Air Traffic Control Tower, and even a US Customs office which provides clearances for direct international arrivals, Waukegan Regional Airport has reached prominence as a base of operations for "Chicagoland's Fortune 500 Flyers."

Located in Lake County, Illinois, the Waukegan Regional Airport has 200 based aircraft, including over 50 corporate jets, and approximately 100,000 annual aircraft operations. The airport is a home away from home for approximately 260 based employees. And with almost 4 million gallons of aviation fuel dispensed annually, the airport is a significant economic generator for the area. It is the second busiest Illinois Airport for international arrivals - indicative of the global workplace of many of Illinois' major corporations based at Waukegan Regional. While it's centralized location between Chicago and Milwaukee lends expediency to the business traveler as the North Shore's Corporate Aviation Headquarters, the Airport is also in close proximity to large retailers such as Gurnee Mills and Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets, as well as family entertainment at Six Flags Great America.

Due to a well-trained maintenance staff and quality snow removal equipment, along with the Instrument Landing System, the main runway at the airport is seldom closed. The comment has often been made that if one can't get into Waukegan Regional Airport then you can't get in anywhere in the northeast Illinois.

Waukegan Regional Airport has infrastructure in place to accommodate large corporate jet hangar sites through land lease or second party build-to-suit arrangements. Additional mid-size hangar development is currently on the drawing board. Contact the Executive Director of the Waukegan Port District at 847.244.3133 for further information.

The airport has been operated by the Waukegan Port District, a government entity, since 1956.