Jamaica - John F. Kennedy International Airport

Construction began in April 1942, when the City of New York contracted for the placing of hydraulic fill over the marshy tidelands on the site of Idlewild Golf Course. Planned at first for l,000 acres, the airport grew to five times that size. The first commercial flights began on July 1, 1948. The airport was formally dedicated as New York International Airport on July 31, 1948. It was rededicated on December 24, 1963, as John F. Kennedy International Airport, following action of the Mayor and Council of the City of New York and a resolution of the Commissioners of the Port Authority. JFK consists of 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the central terminal area. The airport has more than 30 miles of roadways and is 12.7 feet above sea level.