BARABOO, WIS. – All too often, local politicians do not support their local airport, claiming that airplanes based there are only toys for rich people. But not so in Baraboo, Wisconsin, where Mayor Patrick Liston says that the airport is a necessity in bringing people and business to the community.
In 2010, Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Municipal Airport (KDLL) got its main runway lengthened to 5,010 feet to support local businesses, and encourage new ones to locate there. Proponents hope to extend the runway to 6,000 feet to accommodate even more traffic. There is also a 2,708 x 100 ft. turf runway. Height limitations ordinances are in place near the airport to prevent future conflicts.
There is an average of 93 takeoffs and landings per day, which includes flights to support the construction of a $45 million mall, recently. Baraboo is also home to the Ringling Brothers Circus World Museum, and the Ho-Chunk Casino is located immediately adjacent to the airport in Wisconsin Dells. The airport was home for Cirrus Aircraft Corporation in the 1980s until the company moved to Duluth, Minnesota in the 1990s. The Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport has a total economic impact of $9.5 million per year.