[1] The airport is located six nautical miles (7 mi, 11 km) west of the central business district of Alpena,[1] off of M-32 .

It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline, an affiliate of Delta Connection, with freight services provided by an affiliate of FedEx Feeder It is said to be the "Proud home of Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center," the host unit of the Michigan Air National Guard's Alpena Air National Guard Base.

[5] It is included in the FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.

It was formally dedicated in 1931, and the US Army Air Corps used the airport for training purposes until 1947, at which time it was handed over to Alpena County.

[8] In 2020, the airport received $17 million as part of the federal CARES act to upgrade facilities and maintain operational levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[13][14] Alpena County Regional Airport covers an area of 3,084 acres (1,248 ha) at an elevation of 690 feet (210 m) above mean sea level.

[1] For the 12-month period ending August 31, 2021, the airport had 5,252 aircraft operations (down from 9,790 in 2010), or roughly 14 per day: 44% military, 40% general aviation, and 20% air taxi.