The name "Jack Northrop Field" comes from the Northrop Aircraft Corporation, founded by Jack Northrop, which for years designed, built and flew many classic airplanes including YB-35 flying wing, the P-61 Black Widow and F-89 Scorpion night fighters, the F-5 Freedom Fighter, and the T-38 Talon jet trainer.

SpaceX and its spinoff The Boring Company are headquartered at the southeast end of the airport.

It is effectively crammed into a very small space and is surrounded by residential areas on all sides.

There is one fixed-base operator (FBO) at the airport, Jet Center Los Angeles, a subsidiary of Advanced Air.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency