Naval Air Station North Island

About

Congratulations, you’ve landed orders to one of the most envied duty stations in the United States! Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI), commonly referred to as “North Island,” occupies the entire north end of the Coronado peninsula in the San Diego Bay. NAS North Island falls under the command of Naval Base Coronado, which is a consortium of eight naval bases including the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach (NOLF). The “Birthplace of Naval Aviation” is home to several Navy aircraft carriers, over 20 aviation squadrons, and 80 additional tenant commands and activities. The Navy Aviation Depot also falls under the NASNI command and is the largest aerospace employer in San Diego. NAS North Island also operates two other airfields, NOLF Imperial Beach and Naval Auxiliary Landing Facility San Clemente, California.  

North Island was originally an uninhabited sand flat that served as a playground for guests of a nearby resort hotel, the famous Hotel Del Coronado. Hunting and horseback riding were popular pastimes, and Glen Curtiss operated a flying school on North Island until the beginning of World War I. In 1917 Congress appropriated the land and commissioned two airfields. The Army Signal Corps operated Rockwell Field, and the Navy ran “Camp Trouble.” By 1937 the Army moved out, and the Navy took over the entire island.

In case you’re looking at a map and confused by the terminology—a body of water called the Spanish Bight once separated North Island from the city of Coronado. A bight is a naturally occurring curve or bend in the coastline, and the Spanish Bight was a shallow inlet between the two land masses. A causeway connected the true island to the city of Coronado, which was actually the northern end of an isthmus that continues down a stretch of land (Silver Strand), and terminates at Imperial Beach. Just before World War II, the Navy dredged the bay and filled in the Spanish Bight, thereby connecting North Island to Coronado. The land created by this provided more property for the Navy’s support facilities, as well as deep water for the homeporting of large ships and aircraft carriers.

NAS North Island is like a city in and of itself and offers all the amenities one can imagine right on base. Base housing is available with two- and three-bedroom homes, although usually there’s a pretty long wait list. Communities in Coronado are highly coveted, and homes often change hands via word-of-mouth. Highly-rated schools are also a perk to living on the “island,” but low inventory and high prices drive a lot of military families to look for housing options in nearby San Diego. The Coronado bridge is one route for commuting to and from NAS North Island, but going south through Imperial Beach is also an option.

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