Quillayute Airport receives $1.25 million in federal funding

Published 1:30 am Saturday, May 30, 2026

PORT ANGELES — The Quillayute Airport is one of seven airports statewide which will receive a total of $82.1 million for upgrades through the Airport Improvement and Airport Terminal programs, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said.

The programs, announced May 20, will be funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, said Cantwell, D-Edmonds.

Quillayute Airport will receive $1.250 million for resealing the runway and main apron pavement to extend their useful lives and improve the safety and efficiency of aircraft.

“Quillayute Airport is a critical piece of aviation infrastructure on Washington’s coast, supporting general aviation and emergency response on the Olympic Peninsula,” Cantwell stated in a news release.

“This funding will help reseal key parts of the tarmac, protecting prior federal investments, extending the useful life of the facility, and improving safety for the pilots who rely on it.”

The other six airports which will receive funding are the Bellingham International Airport ($10.26 million), Paine Field in Everett ($22.15 million), Pullman/Moscow Regional Airport ($350,000 ), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ($39.5 million), Spokane International Airport ($6 million);and Tri-Cities Airport ($2.7 million).

The grants are part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided $25 billion for airport improvements nationwide, including $5 billion for the Airport Terminal Program and $14.5 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grants.

According to the Quillayute Airport Master Plan approved by the city of Forks in 2024, the airport was commissioned as the Quillayute Naval Auxiliary Station in February 1944. In 1962, the federal government transferred the facility to the state, and it became Quillayute State Airport. Ownership passed to the city in 1999.

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Reporter Paula Hunt contributed to this report.