Area 51 request filed in 2005, the CIA publicly acknowledged the existence of the base for the first time, declassifying documents detailing the history and purpose of Area 51. Area 51 is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, north-northwest of Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield. The site was acquired by the United States Air Force in 1955, primarily for the flight testing of the Lockheed U-2 aircraft. The area around Area 51, including the small town of Rachel on the "Extraterrestrial Highway", is
U.S. Route 51 in Louisiana intersects LA 38, the main east–west thoroughfare, at Avenue G. The highway curves to the northeast on the way out of town and continues for another to the state line. During this stretch is the final junction with a state route, LA 1054, in an area known as Greenlaw. Immediately across the state line, US 51 continues into the Pike County, Mississippi town of Osyka en route to McComb. The portions of US 51 not concurrent with I-55 are generally classified as an urban or rural major collector by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD). However, the