About
The Department of Public Works operates Marin County Airport, known as Gnoss Field, for residents, visitors, businesses and local government agencies needing personal air transportation. The airport occupies 120 acres just north of Novato and east of Highway 101, where you can see several light green and beige hangars. We are home to about 300 aircraft and businesses, and are open 24 hours a day to serve the community.
The Marin County Airport serves as a reliever airport to the greater San Francisco Bay Area, shifting air traffic congestion away from larger airports with commercial airline flights. Airport users vary from daily flights for business people or flight training, to occasional trips for personal travel or special services of a government agency.
The aviation users of the Marin County Airport support all of the airport expenses through their rents, transient fees, fuel fees, and concession fees on airport businesses. The annual budget exceeds $750,000. Capital projects and planning efforts receive federal and state grants, which are in turn funded by aviation fuel taxes from across the country or state. The airport does not receive any monies from the Marin County General Fund.
In addition, property taxes on aircraft and business assets return over $500,000 each year to Marin County, half of which goes to support the Novato Unified School District.