Boeing - Renton Plant (Renton, Washington) | factory

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Boeing Commercial Airplanes' 737 Assembly Site

Throughout the years, the Airplane Programs' manufacturing site in Renton has been home to many of commercial aviation's most renowned airplanes, including the 707, 727, 737 and 757. Today, employees at the 278-acre site, which encompasses 4.1 million square feet (380,902 square meters) of building space, produce the Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplane models.

The Next-Generation 737 family -- the newest, most-advanced jetliner in its class -- entered service in 1998 and is offered in four sizes. The family includes the 737-600, -700, -800 and -900ER. Other models include the 737-700C convertible freighter and the Boeing Business Jet.

Located a few miles southeast of Seattle, the Renton manufacturing facility once was a marsh through which the Cedar River flowed. In 1941, the U.S. Government needed a location to build the XPPB-1 Sea Ranger, an experimental flying boat that would serve as a bomber and patrol airplane. Under Boeing supervision, the Cedar River was diverted and construction began on a 95-acre, 2.3 million square-foot (215,353 square meters) plant.

The final assembly building for the 737 originally was intended for 707 and 727 assembly and later for the Boeing Supersonic Transport, which never went into production. The building was also used to refurbish the first four production Boeing 747s, which were assembled in Everett Wash. When completed, the 737 final assembly building was the world's largest building by volume, a record later surpassed by the final assembly building for the Boeing 747, 767, and 777 in Everett.

The ground floor of the final assembly building for the Boeing 737 covers 760,000 square feet (70,600 square meters). Activities at other main buildings at the Renton site include wing production and a paint hangar.

In 2003 Boeing began to consolidate site operations into the final assembly building, bringing together under one roof most of the people who design, build and support the Boeing 737 airplane program. The renovated factory space created an environment that promotes greater efficiency, communication and collaboration. This consolidation also has resulted in a smaller footprint for the Renton site.

The Renton Airport, located west of the main site, is used by Boeing to perform pre-flight tests on all 737s before they make their initial test flight. After the flight, the 737s land at Boeing Field in Seattle where final preparations are made before they are delivered to customers.