On February 20, 1941, the city council voted to lease more land in order to obtain $185,000 in improvements by the Federal New Deal agency the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Scheduled passenger flights started in 1946 when United Airlines opened its new terminal and began the Valley Queen service.

On October 12, 1991, the Modesto City Council and Stanislaus Board of Supervisors rededicated the remodeled passenger terminal that was enlarged to 8,900 square feet (830 m2).

In 2023, the Airport hosted the Commemorative Air Force Central California Valley Squadron which showcased planes from World War II.

[2][3] The airport has two runways: This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency