Clow International Airport

Clow International Airport
Name	Clow International Airport
Faa	1C5
Type	Public
Owner	Village of Bolingbrook
City-served	Bolingbrook, Romeoville
Location	Will County, Illinois, United States
Elevation-ft	682
Elevation-m	208
R1-number	4/22
R1-length-ft	3,400
R1-surface	Asphalt

Clow International Airport Clow International Airport is a public-use general aviation airport located in Will County, Illinois, serving the suburban communities of Bolingbrook and Romeoville. The airport functions as a reliever field for larger Chicago-area airports and supports flight training, corporate aviation, and recreational flying. Clow plays a role in regional aviation networks and community events, hosting airshows and emergency services activities.

History

Clow opened in the mid-20th century amid post-World War II aviation expansion and local development trends that included suburbanization around Chicago. Early operators involved regional flight schools and fixed-base operators linked to DuPage County Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. During the 1960s and 1970s, municipal planning in Will County, Illinois and the Village of Bolingbrook, Illinois influenced infrastructure investments similar to projects at Dupage Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Clow has been associated with community programs tied to organizations such as the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Historical milestones include runway improvements paralleling upgrades at Meigs Field and collaborative emergency planning with Will County Emergency Management Agency and Illinois State Police aviation units. Over decades, the airport accommodated changing regulatory frameworks influenced by the Federal Aviation Administration and interacted with regional authorities like the Metra commuter rail planning bodies and the Illinois Department of Transportation aviation division.

Facilities and infrastructure

Clow features a single asphalt runway 4/22 with lighting and basic instrument markings, hangars, T-hangars, and apron space servicing piston and turboprop aircraft; facilities are comparable in function to those at Palwaukee Municipal Airport and Kankakee Airport. On-field operators have included flight schools modeled on programs at Parkland College and maintenance shops reflecting standards of the Aviation Technician Education Council. Fuel services, tiedown areas, and pilot lounges serve users from corporate operators based in Will County and nearby industrial parks such as those in Romeoville, Illinois and Bolingbrook, Illinois. Fixed-base operators at Clow have coordinated with suppliers used by Chicago Executive Airport and Midway International Airport for parts and logistics. Community aviation infrastructure efforts have paralleled initiatives at EAA Chapter 125 and aviation museums such as the Aviation Museum of Kentucky in scope for outreach, while safety upgrades reflect guidance from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Airlines and destinations

Clow International Airport does not host scheduled commercial airlines like United Airlines, American Airlines, or Delta Air Lines; instead, it supports general aviation operations, charter services, and air taxi flights similar to services offered at Chicago Rockford International Airport for on-demand carriers. Local charter operators coordinate flights to business hubs such as Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and executive destinations including Stapleton International Airport (historical) and regional fields. Flight-training operators provide cross-country routing to airports used in training syllabi like Purdue University Airport and Southern Illinois Airport.

Operations and statistics

Annual operations at Clow primarily comprise general aviation takeoffs and landings, flight training sorties, and air taxi movements, resembling activity patterns at Galt Field and Poplar Grove Airport. Traffic counts and based-aircraft inventories are reported to the Federal Aviation Administration and reflected in regional planning with Will County authorities and metropolitan aviation studies hosted by Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Based aircraft types include single-engine pistons, light twins, and occasional turboprops associated with corporate fleets from companies headquartered in Bolingbrook and neighboring suburbs such as Naperville, Illinois, Aurora, Illinois, and Joliet, Illinois. Seasonal fluctuations mirror those at Kenosha Regional Airport and Dupage Airport, with higher activity during fair-weather months and aviation events.

Accidents and incidents

Clow’s safety record includes a small number of general aviation accidents and incidents, investigations of which involve the National Transportation Safety Board and local Will County Sheriff's Office. Reports and safety advisories follow procedures similar to inquiries into incidents at Chicago Executive Airport and regional fields, with emphasis on pilot training, maintenance oversight involving Federal Aviation Administration-certified mechanics, and airport operational responses modeled after National Transportation Safety Board recommendations. Notable incidents have prompted infrastructure reviews and community safety meetings with stakeholders including the Village of Bolingbrook leadership and local emergency services.

Ground transportation and access

Access to Clow is by local roads connecting to regional arterials such as Illinois Route 53 and nearby interstates like Interstate 55 and Interstate 355, facilitating links to suburbs like Romeoville, Illinois, Bolingbrook, Illinois, Plainfield, Illinois, and Joliet, Illinois. Public transit options are limited; ground connectivity strategies mirror intermodal planning at Chicago Midway International Airport and involve coordination with Pace (transit) and regional ride services. Parking, rental car access, and shuttle arrangements support corporate users traveling between Clow and business centers in DuPage County, Cook County, and the Chicago Loop.

Category:Airports in Illinois Category:Transportation in Will County, Illinois