Ruston Airport | Federal Heights, Colorado
Ruston Airport—also known as Ruston Field or Federal Heights Airport—was established in 1944 by Harry H. Ruston. Located near 100th Avenue and Federal Boulevard in what is now Federal Heights, Colorado, it was the first private airport in the state, occupying about 320 acres and featuring four grass runways, hangars, classrooms, and a café. It served as a flight training center for institutions like Regis College and the University of Denver.
The airport closed in 1961, primarily due to rising competition from the newly opened Jefferson County Airport (in nearby Broomfield) and increasing surrounding residential development pressure as the Denver suburbs expanded. Growth of suburbs—especially in Thornton and Broomfield—and competition from the nearby Jefferson County Airport siphoned off business. Between 1957–1960, business declined sharply, and Harry Ruston reportedly took three years to work out of debt before finally shutting it down.
After closure, much of the airfield land was gradually redeveloped. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the former runways and open spaces were gradually developed into single‑family homes and neighborhoods—areas now known as Northborough, Legacy Heights, and Federal Plaza. By the 1970s and '80s, houses and neighborhoods had replaced nearly all runways and open areas, leaving just the original hangar and terminal structures. By the early 1990s, aerial photos showed nearly the entire 320-acre field covered by housing; no trace of runways remained. Over time, those remaining structures were repurposed into commercial uses—a carpet store occupied the hangar and the terminal became the “Flight Deck” restaurant/bar. The Flight Deck building was demolished in 2005, followed shortly after by the hangar. As of mid‑2025, the remaining ~34‑acre commercial parcel along Federal Boulevard remains undeveloped or in transition, listed for infill commercial development with frontage on US‑287 in Federal Heights/Westminster.
The airport closed in 1961, primarily due to rising competition from the newly opened Jefferson County Airport (in nearby Broomfield) and increasing surrounding residential development pressure as the Denver suburbs expanded. Growth of suburbs—especially in Thornton and Broomfield—and competition from the nearby Jefferson County Airport siphoned off business. Between 1957–1960, business declined sharply, and Harry Ruston reportedly took three years to work out of debt before finally shutting it down.
After closure, much of the airfield land was gradually redeveloped. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the former runways and open spaces were gradually developed into single‑family homes and neighborhoods—areas now known as Northborough, Legacy Heights, and Federal Plaza. By the 1970s and '80s, houses and neighborhoods had replaced nearly all runways and open areas, leaving just the original hangar and terminal structures. By the early 1990s, aerial photos showed nearly the entire 320-acre field covered by housing; no trace of runways remained. Over time, those remaining structures were repurposed into commercial uses—a carpet store occupied the hangar and the terminal became the “Flight Deck” restaurant/bar. The Flight Deck building was demolished in 2005, followed shortly after by the hangar. As of mid‑2025, the remaining ~34‑acre commercial parcel along Federal Boulevard remains undeveloped or in transition, listed for infill commercial development with frontage on US‑287 in Federal Heights/Westminster.