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Over the last 50 years the large-eddy simulation (LES) technique has developed into one of the most prominent numerical tools used to study transport processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). This review examines development of the technique as a tool for ABL research, integration with state-of-the-art scientific computing resources, and some key application areas. Analysis of the published literature indicates that LES research across a broad range of applications accelerated starting around 1990. From that point in time, robust research using LES developed in several different application areas and based on a review of the papers published in this journal, we identify seven major areas of intensive ABL–LES research: convective boundary layers, stable boundary layers, transitional boundary layers, plant canopy flows, urban meteorology and dispersion, surface heterogeneity, and the testing and …