[2] The towered airport near the east shore of San Francisco Bay was formerly the Hayward Air Terminal.

In April 1947 the War Assets Administration quitclaimed the airfield, comprising some 690 acres (279 ha) and related buildings and equipment, to the City of Hayward.

During its early years with the P-51D/H, the unit earned prominence as one of the Air Force's most respected aerial gunnery competitors.

On April 3, 1955, the 129th Air Resupply Squadron was established at Hayward and equipped with Curtiss C-46D Commandos in the Summer 1955 supplemented by Grumman SA-16A Albatrosses in 1958.

[1] In the year ending December 4, 2019, the airport had 116,753 aircraft operations, average 320 per day: 98% general aviation, 1% air taxi, <1% military, and <1% commercial.

[1] Hayward Executive Airport is home to the Northern California division of Ameriflight as of September 15, 2012.