DC Washington DC Guide Where to stay, museums, monuments, and arrival
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Arrival

Getting to Washington DC

Washington DC has three airports at different distances, plus a downtown Amtrak hub at Union Station. Reagan National is closest and has Blue and Yellow Line service; Dulles has the Silver Line; BWI adds a terminal shuttle and a separate rail journey. Compare the whole transfer as well as the airfare.

Last checked September 12, 2026

Three airports, three distances

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to central DC, in Arlington, Virginia. Blue and Yellow Line trains serve the airport. Terminal 2 connects to the station by pedestrian bridges; allow extra time from Terminal 1 and for baggage, train waits, and the walk to your hotel.

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), west of DC in Virginia, has direct Silver Line service into the city. An indoor pedestrian tunnel with moving sidewalks connects its main terminal to the station. Compare the full Metro transfer with the current taxi or rideshare quote; traffic can change which is faster.

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), northeast of DC in Maryland, has a free shuttle between the terminal and the MARC/Amtrak station. Check the train to Washington Union Station for your arrival date and time. Add the shuttle, train fare, waiting time, and final hotel transfer before deciding that a lower airfare saves money.

Arriving by train

Union Station is the simplest arrival of all if you are coming from the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak links DC with Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, and the station sits on the Metro Red Line with taxis, rideshare, and buses outside the door.

From New York the train is frequently faster and calmer than flying once you count airport time on both ends, and it drops you in the heart of the city rather than out at an airport.

Arriving by car

Interstate 95 carries north–south traffic, Interstate 66 approaches from the west, and the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) circles the region. Allow for rush-hour congestion and check current directions and closures before approaching the hotel.

Downtown parking is expensive and many monuments and museums have no nearby parking, so most visitors who drive in leave the car at the hotel and switch to Metro and walking once they arrive.

Sources

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