The original name of the airport now known as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was Candler Field. It was named after Coca-Cola magnate and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler, who owned the land—a former auto racetrack called the Atlanta Speedway—and leased it to the city rent-free for five years starting in 1925. In 1946, the airport was renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport, a name it held for several decades as it grew into a major hub. In 1971, it was renamed in honor of former mayor William B. Hartsfield, who had been a tireless advocate for the city's aviation industry. Later, in 2003, the name of Maynard Jackson, the city's first African-American mayor who spearheaded the construction of the modern terminal, was added to the title. Today, it stands as the busiest airport in the world, having evolved from a dusty 287-acre racetrack into a massive global gateway spanning nearly 5,000 acres and five runways.
The original name of the Atlanta airport was Candler Field. It was named after former Atlanta mayor Asa Griggs Candler, who donated the land for the airport. Candler Field opened in 1926 and served as Atlanta’s primary airport until the 1960s. In 1961, it was renamed William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport in honor of William B. Hartsfield, a former mayor who played a significant role in the airport’s development. Later, in 2003, the name was updated to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to also honor Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African American mayor.