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
Virginia State Route 51 as a four-lane undivided highway that passes through the city's residential Westover Hills area. SR 51 parallels the north side of US 58 Business as the former highway follows the height of land between the Dan River to the south and the Sandy River to the north. East of Piedmont Drive, the state highway enters a commercial area where the highway reaches its eastern terminus at US 58 Business (Riverside Drive) a short distance west of the confluence of the two rivers. Virginia State Route 51 State Route 51 (SR 51) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state