The airfield was seized for military use during World War II and became known as the County-City Airport, with transfer of ownership and management between Centralia, Chehalis, and Lewis County in the early 1960s.

Surrounded by a large levee first constructed during the second world war, various upgrades and expansions of flood control measures have been implemented in the 21st century.

The parcel, known as Paul Donahoe Field, was dedicated as an airstrip on May 21, 1927 during a ceremony attended by an estimated crowd of 4,000 people, with flying performances by a dozen aircraft, including military airships.

[7] The city of Chehalis was one of 11 locations, which included Portland and Seattle, to receive a 7,500,000 candlepower beacon during a 1926 initiative to improve night flying for air mail on the Pacific Coast.

[5][10] During the war, the federal government seized the airport, using it as a training facility for new pilots and a practice strip for Boeing bombers,[10] and also developed two 5,000 feet (1,500 m) runways.

In 1959, Chehalis annexed the airport land and the following year, ownership of the airfield was officially transferred to the city and the site run cooperatively with the county.

[6][5] After several local government delays, by September 1961 an official airport partnership between Centralia, Chehalis, and Lewis County was formed.

[14][15] In 2020, the airport was granted a loan through the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), with an estimated completion cost of $1.48 million, to construct two, 12,000 US gallons (45,000 L; 10,000 imp gal) above-ground fuel storage tanks, with additional requirements towards environmental hazard mitigation, emergency preparedness, contamination control, and "cultural resource monitoring".

Known as the Barnes property, it is located directly south of Airport Lake and though the land is within the levee, the area is prone to minor flooding due to a small creek on the grounds.

The plane, which was found later to have an "improperly seated crankshaft gear" that led to other failures of the craft, was diverting to the Chehalis-Centralia Airport for an emergency landing.

Both passengers, a father and son, survived, but the older man suffered brain injuries stemming from being underwater for an extended time.

[11] During severe flooding due to the Great Coastal Gale of 2007, the airfield was underwater by as much 8 feet (2.4 m) and 2 inches (5.1 cm) of silt and mud covered the runway.

[35] A modern, electric two-pump station was completed in 2018[10] with funding provided by the Chehalis River Basin Authority at a cost of $1.14 million.

[10] The earliest recorded aviator in the area was John Brown, who attempted to construct an airplane at the Tynan Opera House in Chehalis.

The first aviator to achieve flight in Lewis County was Claude Berlin, a local grocer who undertook flying lessons to become a licensed pilot.

In 1914, Gustav (George) Stromer took flight during Chehalis' Fourth of July celebrations, and after several issues of mechanics and strong winds, managed to land on the fields at the Green Hill School.

[11] For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2011, the airport had 47,710 total operations, an average of 131 per day: 90% general aviation, 9% air taxi, and <1% military.

The Liberty V-12 engine-powered craft was flown over Boeing Field for the company's 100th anniversary and is being decommissioned, with plans to be installed at the Museum of Flight in Tukwila, Washington.

[49] Evening flights were temporarily suspended in summer 1953 by request of the WCA after an unlighted TV tower antenna was constructed 1,500 feet (457.2 m) from the end of the runway.

Providing limited free instruction to people as young as 12 years old, the program offers a flight academy with the possibility to earn a pilot's license.

[53] The airport also hosts a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Flying Start Program, a guidance course meant for adults over the age of 18.

[56] Several businesses of various size and notability operate on airport land which is part of Chehalis' Twin City Town Center district.

The CLS began its commercial and retail business expansion in 1993 by leasing over 15 acres (6.1 ha) to Wal-Mart for a lump sum payment of $1.8 million.

[11] Economic reports from 2021[36] and 2022[37] specify that over 1100 jobs are supported by the airport and the shopping district, with over 500 additional positions of employment that are connected due to the existence of the airfield.

[10] As of 2023[update], the 2018 levee pump build was estimated to have a return on investment of $39 for every $1 in construction cost, protecting approximately $45 million in property.