DCA Control Tower

A view of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, including control tower, main building, and Terminal C. (Photo by tedeytan (CC BY-SA 2.0))

Plane Landing at DCA with the Capital Nearby

Airplane landing at DCA, within sight of the US Capitol Building

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As the nation’s capital, Washington DC can a busy place, with people constantly coming and going. As the commercial airport closest to DC, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), is an extremely convenient way to travel to or from DC by air. Located just across the Potomac River in Arlington, VA, the airport is just minutes from Washington DC, and accessible by the Metro rail system

Flights traveling to or from DCA are typically restricted to short distance flights, within 1250 miles (with exemptions for a few flights daily to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles, Denver, and Salt Lake City), which means that direct flights from the airport are limited. DC’s other area airports (Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport) offer long distance and international service to the city.

Getting to DCA

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is easy to get to from Washington DC. Public transportation provides easy access to Washongton DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland, and close proximity to downtown DC makes taxi and shuttle service inexpensive and convenient.

Metro

DCA is serviced by Metro's Blue Line and Yellow Line. Taking the blue line in the direction of Largo Town Center will take you through several downtown DC locations. Similarly, the yellow line toward Fort Totten or Greenbelt travels through the district. Both lines offer stops on and near the National Mall. The airport's metro station, Reagan Station, is located across from the second level of terminals B and C. Use our live train locator to plan your metrorail trip.

Metrobus

Two MetroBus routes stop at DCA: 13F and 13G. These routes provide transportation to locations in Arlington and Wasington DC, including the Pentagon, Federal Triangle, and the Smithsonian metro stations. Buses stop near terminal B.

Taxi and Shuttle

Taxi stands are located outside of all airport terminals, and can be a convenient way to get to your final destination. With only a 5 mile trip to downtown DC, trips are not likely to exceed the $20 range. Additionally, many area hotels will offer shuttle service (contact your hotel for specifics about their amenities). The SuperShuttle is an alternate option which provides shared airport pickup and drop-off (typically cheaper but less flexible than a taxi).

Inside the Airport

DCA has three terminals. Terminals B and C are located in the main portion of the airport with three floors. Passenger drop-off, ticketing and check-in are on the third floor, the main concourse, gate access, and metrorail access are on the second floor, and baggage claim and ground transportation are on the first floor. Terminals B and C house gates 10-45, which are located beyond three checkpoints. Gates 10-22 are accessed through the southmost checkpoint (located in of Terminal B). Gates 23-34 can be found beyond a checkpoint between the two terminals. The security checkpoint for gates 35-45 are located to the far north of the airport in Terminal C.

Terminal A is found at the far south of the airport, with its own passenger drop off, ground transportation, ticketing, check-in, and baggage claim services. The walk between the Metrorail Station (near Terminals B and C) and Terminal A is nearly a quarter mile. Terminal A houses gates 1-9.

Each terminal has nearby hourly (for stays less than 2 hours), and daily parking lots, each with shuttle transportation to the airport terminals. The airport also has economy parking located nearby, and a cellphone lot for those waiting to pick up arriving passengers.