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
Texas State Highway 51 Texas State Highway 51 Texas State Highway 51 (SH 51) is a short state highway located entirely in Hansford County, Texas, just south of Spearman. SH 51 begins at SH 207 southeast of Spearman and travels east through unincorporated Hansford County approximately . It is a two-lane route for its entire length, and has no intersections with other state-maintained routes until its terminus at FM 281, which continues to the east and south, and FM 760, which travels north to Spearman. The original SH 51 was designated on August 21, 1923 as a route from Sagerton to Crowell, replacing a