hoover field, which opened in 1926, was the first major terminal in the washington area and was located on a piece of land close to where the pentagon stands today. the airport had one runway that crossed a local street, which meant that tarmac workers had to stop automobile traffic during take-offs and landings. the next year, washington airport, another privately operated field,was opened next to it. in 1930, the economic turmoil caused by the great depression caused the two terminals to join to form washington-hoover airport. washington-hoover airport's initial field was in a poor and undesirable location. on one side of the airport was u.s. route 1, an important highway in the d.c. area. the highway had electrical wires running alongside it, meaning that it posed as a threat to planes that landed and took off from the field. additionally, there was also a smokestack that was dangerously close and in the way of one of the runway. a dump was also very close to the airport.