Groom Lake
Dry lakebed (playa) in Nevada, U.S.
| Groom Lake | |
|---|---|
| .mw-parser-output .locmap .od{position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .id{position:absolute;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .locmap .l0{font-size:0;position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv{line-height:110%;position:absolute;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv>div{display:inline;padding:1px}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:left}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:#fff!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .locmap img{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .locmap img{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:white!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}Groom LakeLocation in Nevada | |
| Location | Lincoln County, Nevada, U.S. |
| Coordinates | .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}37°14′06″N 115°48′40″W / 37.23500°N 115.81111°W / 37.23500; -115.81111 |
| Type | Dry lakebed (playa) |
Groom Lake is a dry lakebed in Lincoln County, Nevada, within the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 83 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The flat playa surface has served as a natural runway since 1955, when the CIA selected the site for flight testing of the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft; Kelly Johnson, Lockheed's chief engineer, chose it during an aerial survey because the lakebed provided a natural landing strip and the surrounding mountain ranges offered topographic concealment.
The classified military installation built around the lakebed — known as Area 51, Homey Airport, Paradise Ranch, or Watertown Strip — has operated continuously since the mid-1950s, hosting development of the A-12 OXCART, F-117 Nighthawk, and other black project aircraft. Approximately 12 miles to the south lies Papoose Lake, described as the site of a compartmented underground facility designated S-4, which reportedly operates under a separate clearance regime from the Groom Lake surface installation. Personnel traveling to S-4 were reportedly transported by bus from Groom Lake with blacked-out windows.