View source for Transportation in Washington, D.C.

{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2018}}

[[File:North end of the 12th Street Tunnel (Washington, DC).jpg|thumb|Traffic congestion on the north end of the 12th street tunnel in [[Downtown (Washington, D.C.)|Downtown Washington, D.C.]]]]
'''[[Washington, D.C.]]''' has a number of different modes of '''transportation''' available for use. [[Commuting|Commuters]] have a major influence on travel patterns, with only 28% of people employed in Washington, D.C. commuting from within the city, whereas 33.5% commute from the nearby [[Maryland]] suburbs, 22.7% from [[Northern Virginia]], and the rest from Washington, D.C.'s outlying suburbs.<ref name="census-commuting">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/commuting.html#DC |title=County-To-County Worker Flow Files |work=Census 2000 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

== Commuting ==
[[Image:USCommutePatternsCarAlone.png|thumb|Commuting statistics for major U.S. cities in 2008]]
Washington, D.C., has the second-highest percentage of [[public transit]] commuters in the United States, behind only [[New York City]].<ref>U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2006, Table S0802</ref>

Commuters have a major influence on travel patterns in [[Washington, D.C.]] 671,678 people are [[employment|employed]] in Washington, D.C., with only 28% commuting from within the city. 18.7% of people working in Washington, D.C., commute from [[Prince George's County, Maryland]], and 14.8% from [[Montgomery County, Maryland]]. 13.2% come from [[Fairfax County, Virginia]], 6% from [[Arlington County, Virginia]], and 3.5% from [[Alexandria, Virginia]]. Smaller numbers of commuters come from the outer suburbs, including 2.4% from [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland]], and 2.3% from [[Prince William County, Virginia]], 1.6% from [[Charles County, Maryland]], 1.3% from [[Howard County, Maryland]], and 1% from [[Loudoun County, Virginia]].<ref name="census-commuting"/>  Of the 260,000 Washington, D.C. residents that were employed as of 2000, 24% commute to jobs in Montgomery, Prince George's, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties, as well as Alexandria.<ref name="census-commuting"/> Of those that work in Washington, D.C., 29% drive alone to work, 27% work from home, 14% take [[Washington Metro|Metro]], 11% walk to work, 8% take the [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|bus]], 4% [[carpool]]/[[slugging|slug]], 3% ride their [[bicycle]] to work, and 1% travel by rail.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2023.B08006?g=040XX00US11 |title=Table B08006. Sex of Workers by Means of Transportation to Work |work=2023 American Community Survey |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2025-05-06}}</ref>  Of the households in Washington, D.C., 36% do not own a car.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2023.B08201?g=040XX00US11 |title=Table B08201. Household Size by Vehicles Available |work=2023 American Community Survey |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2025-05-06 }}</ref>

===Public transportation statistics===
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Washington, for example, to and from work, on a weekday is 86 min. 31% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 19 min, while 34% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is {{convert|8.8|km|abbr=on}}, while 20% travel for over {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} in a single direction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_USA_Washington_DCBaltimore-142|title=Washington Public Transportation Statistics|publisher=Global Public Transit Index by Moovit|access-date=June 19, 2017}} [[File:CC-BY_icon.svg|50x50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [[creativecommons:by/4.0/|Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]].</ref>

== Streets and highways ==
{{main|Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.}}
{{see also|List of circles in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:2018-10-25 13 51 18 View west along Interstate 66 (Potomac River Freeway) from the overpass for Triangle Park-Virginia Avenue-New Hampshire Avenue-25th Street in Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|right|[[I-66]] in Washington, D.C.]]
City streets in the District of Columbia are organized primarily in a grid-like fashion with its origin at the [[United States Capitol]], with diagonal streets running across this grid, as well as circles—a plan laid out by [[Pierre L'Enfant]] and revised by [[Andrew Ellicott]] and [[Joseph Ellicott]]. The north-south roads are primarily named with numbers (i.e., 1st Street, 2nd Street, etc.), while the east-west roads are primarily named with letters (beginning with A Street) or, once letters are exhausted, are named alphabetically (Adams, Bryant, Channing, etc.) Intersecting this network of streets are diagonal avenues named after each of the fifty states. Within this grid, all streets are a part of one of the four [[Quadrants of Washington, D.C.|quadrants]] of the city — [[Northeast, Washington, D.C.|Northeast (NE)]], [[Northwest, Washington, D.C.|Northwest (NW)]], [[Southeast, Washington, D.C.|Southeast (SE)]], and [[Southwest, Washington, D.C.|Southwest (SW)]] — all centered on the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]]. All roads end with this suffix at the end of their title. For example, there is a 4th Street NE, 4th Street NW, 4th Street SE, and 4th Street SW.

Exceptions to this nomenclature include the names of the streets that line the [[National Mall]]. The north side of the mall is lined by [[Constitution Avenue]], whereas the south side of the mall is lined by [[Independence Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Independence Avenue]]. Both streets follow the NE, NW, SE, SW rule.

Major interstates running through the area include the [[Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)|Capital Beltway]] (I-495), [[I-66]], [[I-95]], [[Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)|I-395]] (also called the Southwest/Southeast Freeway in D.C. or [[Shirley Highway]] in Virginia), [[Interstate 295 (District of Columbia)|I-295]] (also called the Anacostia Freeway or Kenilworth Avenue), and [[Interstate 270 (Maryland)|I-270]] (which does not reach D.C., terminating at I-495). Other major highways include the [[Whitehurst Freeway]], in D.C., the [[George Washington Parkway]] in Virginia, the [[Rock Creek Parkway]] in D.C., the [[Suitland Parkway]] in D.C. and Maryland, [[U.S. Route 50 in Maryland|US Route 50]], the [[Clara Barton Parkway]] and the [[Baltimore-Washington Parkway]] in Maryland, and the [[Dulles Toll Road]] in Virginia. Portions of I-66 and I-95/I-395 in Virginia are [[HOV]] roads (only vehicles carrying multi-occupants or using hybrid energy are allowed during weekday rush hours).

== Cars ==
=== Taxi ===
[[File:Tuesday afternoon, 12 January 2021 Walk to US Capitol Police HQ - Washington DC 01.ColumbusCircle.WDC.12January2021 (50829480318).jpg|thumb|Taxis in front of [[Union Station (Washington, D.C.)|Union Station]].]]
As of 2015, Washington had over 6,200 registered taxis,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/wp/2015/01/12/how-many-taxicabs-should-d-c-have-6191-regulators-say/|title=How many taxicabs should D.C. have? 6,191, regulators say.|last=DeBonis|first=Mike|date=2015-01-12|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en-US|access-date=2018-06-15}}</ref> making it the third-largest concentration of [[Taxis of the United States|taxis in the United States]], after [[New York City]] and [[Chicago]]. Regardless of company operating the taxi service, all taxis operating in the city share a uniform design, as mandated by the DC Taxicab Commission. The vehicles are red with a gray stripe along the side doors.

=== Car sharing ===
[[File:Zipcar DC 4997 03 2009.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Zipcar]] on-street drop/pick up area at downtown [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
In December 2001, Metro initiated a relationship with [[Flexcar]], a private company which operates [[car sharing]] networks in several North American cities. A competitor, [[Zipcar]], began service in the region and later merged with Flexcar on October 31, 2007.<ref name="Zipcar 31OCT07 Press Release">{{cite press release |url=http://www.zipcar.com/press/press-one?item_id=66739896 |title=Zipcar and Flexcar Agree to Merge |access-date=October 31, 2007 |date=October 31, 2007 |publisher=Zipcar}}</ref><ref name="Flexcar 31OCT07 Press Release">{{cite press release |url=http://www.flexcar.com/Portals/0/10About/PressReleases/pr103107.html |title=Zipcar and Flexcar Agree to Merge |access-date=October 31, 2007 |date=October 31, 2007 |publisher=Flexcar}}</ref> With this service, cars are parked at major Metrorail stations and other convenient locations in the metropolitan area and made available for rental on an hourly basis, with the goal of reducing [[Automobile dependency|car dependency]] and congestion, improving the environment, and increasing transit ridership.<ref name="WMATA History">{{cite web |url=http://www.wmata.com/about/history.pdf |title=WMATA History |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627035506/http://www.wmata.com/about/history.pdf |archive-date=June 27, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}&nbsp;{{small|(65.4&nbsp;KB)}}</ref>

In March 2012, [[Car2Go]] began offering service in D.C., initially providing 200 [[Smart (marque)|Smart cars]] for use everywhere within the District's city limits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://green.autoblog.com/2012/03/04/daimlers-car2go-car-sharing-service-starts-in-d-c-portland-th/ |title=Daimler's car2go car-sharing service starts in D.C., Portland this month |website=Green.autoblog.com |date=March 4, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref> The international car sharing company, which offers one-way rentals charged by the minute, increased their vehicle fleet to 400 in 2013.<ref name="Urban Turf article">{{cite web |url=http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/car2go_reaches_25000_users_in_dc_adds_100_cars_to_fleet/7367 |title=Car2Go Reaches 26,000 Users in DC, Adds 100 Cars to Fleet |access-date=December 17, 2013 |date=July 25, 2013 |work=Urban Turf}}</ref> During its first year of operation, Car2Go paid the city more than $500,000 for rights to meter-free parking.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-on-foot/2012/05/car2go-paid-d-c-578-000-for-its-meter-proof-parking-agreement-15421.html |title=Car2Go paid D.C. $578,000 for its meter-proof parking agreement |access-date=December 17, 2013 |date=May 9, 2012 |work=TBD.com (WJLA ABC 7)}}</ref> The service has seen initial success; from September 2012 to July 2013, membership tripled to 26,000 users.<ref name="Urban Turf article" />

=== Parking ===
There is heavy vehicle congestion from the large percentage of the population who chooses to drive. This results in very limited parking, especially in the downtown areas of the city. Corporations have made various attempts to solve the city's parking problem as a [[Human subject research|guinea pig]] location, but there has been little success.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/ibm-let-us-solve-d.c.-parking-problems/article/465446|title=IBM: Let us solve D.C. parking problems|date=April 9, 2012}}</ref> Parking restrictions are strictly enforced, and the complicated parking hours posted on signs can be confusing. Environmentalists question the free parking spaces given to thousands of Congressional employees, discouraging them from using public transportation.

== Rail ==
{{See also|List of railroads in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Stack|}}

=== Washington Metro ===
[[File:WMATA 7000 series at L'Enfant Plaza 2022-06-16.jpg|thumb|[[L'Enfant Plaza]] of the [[Washington Metro]] in June 2022]]
The Washington area is served by the Washington Metro rapid transit system, operated by the [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]] (WMATA). The Metro opened in 1976 and currently has 98 stations across six lines covering 129 miles (208 km) of track. When measured by ridership, the Washington Metro is the [[List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership|second-largest]] rapid rail system in the United States and [[List of North American rapid transit systems by ridership|fifth-largest]] in [[North America]]. Riders pay using a [[SmarTrip|SmartTrip Card]], and the fare is determined by distance traveled on the system as well as the time of day. Fares are more expensive the farther one's trip is, and are also more expensive during peak hours of the weekday. Many suburban Metro stations have large parking garages for commuters to park in. These garages are free during the weekend but require payment during the weekdays.

WMATA also operates [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]], a regional bus system serving D.C. and the closest immediate counties (described in greater detail below). The Washington Metro connects with both [[Regional rail|commuter rail]] and intercity rail systems at [[Washington Union Station|Union Station]].

=== DC Streetcar ===
{{main|DC Streetcar}}
{{see also|Streetcars in Washington, D.C.}}
On February 27, 2016, the first line of the DC Streetcar was opened between Union Station and Oklahoma Ave/Benning Rd, running for most of its length along [[H Street (Washington, D.C.)|H Street]]. More lines are planned.

=== Commuter rail ===
[[File:MARC AEM7s at BWI.jpg|thumb|right|Two [[EMD AEM-7]]s lead a MARC Penn Line service into BWI in May 2012.]]
{{main|MARC train|Virginia Railway Express}}
[[MARC Train|MARC]] provides service from Union Station to [[Baltimore]] and [[Perryville, Maryland|Perryville]] with intermediate stops, on both the [[Camden Line|Camden]] and [[Penn Line|Penn]] Lines. MARC's [[Brunswick Line]] provides service between [[Martinsburg, West Virginia]], with intermediate stops, and Union Station. A new spur of the Brunswick line also goes to [[Frederick, Maryland]]. All three lines of Maryland's [[MARC Train|MARC]] train system begin at Union Station in Washington where passengers can transfer to the Washington Metro's [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red Line]]. Connections can also be made at {{wmata|New Carrollton}}, {{wmata|College Park}}, {{wmata|Greenbelt}}, {{wmata|Silver Spring}}, and {{wmata|Rockville}} stations.

[[Virginia Railway Express]] (VRE) commuter trains provide service from Union Station to [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]] and [[Manassas, Virginia]], on its [[Fredericksburg Line|Fredericksburg]] and [[Manassas Line|Manassas]] Lines, respectively. VRE trains also stop at several Metro stations, including {{wmata|L'Enfant Plaza}}, {{wmata|Crystal City}}, {{wmata|King Street–Old Town}}, and {{wmata|Franconia-Springfield}}.

=== Amtrak ===
[[File:Acela Express Washington DC Union Station 2.jpg|thumb|right|An ''[[Acela Express]]'' just after arriving at [[Washington Union Station|Union Station]] in May 2011.]]
<!-- The following is part of a larger article on Amtrak. This should be limited to DC and nearby places, at most. Otherwise not [[WP:TOPIC]] -->
{{see also|Washington Union Station|Northeast Corridor}}
[[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Acela Express]]'' and ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' provide service on the high speed [[Northeast Corridor]] from Washington's [[Washington Union Station|Union Station]] to [[Baltimore]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[New York City]], and [[Boston]], as well as intermediate stops. In addition, the [[Vermonter (train)|''Vermonter'']] provides service to [[St. Albans (city), Vermont|St. Albans, Vermont]], via New York. The [[Palmetto (train)|''Palmetto'']] provides service to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], the [[Crescent (train)|''Crescent'']] provides service to [[New Orleans]], and Amtrak's ''[[Silver Service]]'' trains provide service to Florida, all en route from New York. The [[Capitol Limited (Amtrak train)|''Capitol Limited'']] and [[Cardinal (train)|''Cardinal'']], the latter using a much longer and more southerly route via West Virginia and Virginia, provide rail service between Washington, D.C., and [[Chicago]]. Amtrak's nonstop service ''[[Auto Train]]'' to [[Sanford, Florida]], originates 30 minutes south of the city in [[Lorton, Virginia]]. Connections to the Washington Metro are offered at {{wmata|Union Station}} in Washington, {{wmata|New Carrollton}} station in Prince George's County, {{wmata|Rockville}} in Montgomery County, and {{wmata|King Street–Old Town}}, adjacent to [[Alexandria Union Station]].

== Bus ==
=== Metrobus ===
[[File:Articulated Metrobus DC 2010 10 546.jpg|thumb|right|[[Articulated bus|Articulated]] [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]] in downtown DC in October 2010.]]
{{main|Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)}}
Metrobus is a bus service operated by Metro, consisting of 176 bus lines serving 12,301 stops, including 3,133 bus shelters and nearly every [[Washington Metro]] station. In fiscal year 2006, Metrobus provided 131 million trips, 39% of all Washington Metro trips.<ref name="WMATA Facts">{{cite web |url=http://www.wmata.com/about/metrofacts.pdf |title=WMATA Facts |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527213516/http://www.wmata.com/about/metrofacts.pdf |archive-date=May 27, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}&nbsp;{{small|(573&nbsp;KB)}}</ref> It serves D.C. and the inner ring of suburban counties. Like the Washington Metrorail, the Metrobus is operated by WMATA and riders can pay with a [[SmarTrip|SmarTrip Card]]. Overall, there are 269 bus routes serving 11,129 stops and 2,554 bus shelters across the city and inner suburbs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Metro Facts 2017 |url=https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/Metro-Facts-2017-FINAL.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702201723/https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/Metro-Facts-2017-FINAL.pdf |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |access-date=March 28, 2018 |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |page=5}}</ref>

The Metrobus runs the [[Richmond Highway Express]], a [[limited-stop]] bus route between the [[King Street–Old Town station]] of the [[Yellow Line (WMATA)|Yellow]] and [[Blue Line (WMATA)|Blue]] lines of the [[Washington Metro]] and [[Fort Belvoir]]. The route runs along [[U.S. Route 1]] in [[Fairfax County, Virginia]]. Additionally, Metrobus runs the [[Metroway]] [[bus rapid transit]] line in [[Arlington, Virginia]], and [[Alexandria, Virginia]].

=== DC Circulator ===
[[File:DC Circulator.jpg|right|thumb|[[DC Circulator]] bus in front of [[Washington Union Station|Union Station]] in August 2006.]]
{{main|DC Circulator}}
DC Circulator was a [[downtown circulator]] bus system owned by the [[District of Columbia Department of Transportation]], with routes connecting points of interest in the city center. The DC Circulator used to include 139 stops across 6 lines (with a 7th coming seasonally). The DC Circulator used to cost $1.00 to ride, and took passengers through central Washington, especially along the tourist-dense locations of the [[National Mall]] and surrounding area.

=== Charter and commuter buses ===
Washington, D.C., has many charter and commuter buses. [[Washington Union Station]] is a stop for many intercity and charter bus lines, including [[Megabus (North America)|Megabus]], [[Greyhound Lines]], [[OurBus]], and [[Peter Pan Bus Lines]]. A bus stop for [[FlixBus]] is near {{wmata|Gallery Place}} station and the [[Capital One Arena]]. [[MTA Maryland bus service]] also serves limited parts of Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. Local transit services such as [[Loudoun County Commuter Bus]] and private companies such as [[Martz Group]] provide commuter bus service to Virginia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://martzgroupva.com/commuter-fares/ |title=Ticket prices |website=martzgroupva.com}}</ref>

The [[Maryland Department of Transportation]] and several privately operated companies provide bus service during weekday rush hours between D.C. and more distant counties such as [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel]], [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert]], [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles]], [[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick]], [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard]], and [[St. Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's]] in Maryland; and [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]], [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun]], [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William]], and [[Stafford County, Virginia|Stafford]] in Virginia.

[[OurBus]] offers intercity bus service to New York City, Philadelphia, Allentown, Binghamton, and Ithaca from Union Station. The company also serves the DC suburbs including Tysons, Rockville, Bethesda, and Columbia with direct service to New York City.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourbus.com/|title=Affordable Bus Tickets Starting at $5.00 |website=OurBus|language=en|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref>

Tripper Bus is a private commuter bus offering service from the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Arlington, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland to and from New York City.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/travel/busreview/|title=Compare bus lines between DC and NYC |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tripperbus.com/travel-info/pickup/ |title=Bus Pick-Up Locations |publisher=Tripper Bus Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tripperbus.com/about/ |title=Buy or Book Your Bus Ticket Online NY MD DC VA |publisher=Tripper Bus Service}}</ref>

[[Vamoose Bus]] is a private bus line offering service from the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Lorton, Virginia, Arlington, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland to and from New York City.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/>

Washington Deluxe is an independent bus line offering express round trip service between New York and Washington, D.C. The Washington, D.C., bus stops include Dupont Circle and Columbus Circle. The New York City stops include Penn Station, Chinatown, and Brooklyn.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/travel/busreview|title=Compare bus lines between DC and NYC |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washny.com/bus-stops.php|title=Convenient Bus Stops - Bus to New York from DC - Washington Deluxe|website=washny.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washny.com/bus-stops2.php|title=NY to DC - DC to NY, One Way or Round Trip - Washington Deluxe Bus|website=ashny.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ourbus.com/routes/dc-to-nyc|title=Useful Bus from Union Station Bus Terminal Washington DC to NYC|website=ourbus.com}}</ref>

Higher education campuses in the area offer on-site and commuter transportation, such as the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]]'s [[Shuttle-UM]].

[https://www.allybus.com/charter-bus-rentals-in-washington-dc Ally Charter Bus] is a private group transportation service that offers charter bus and minibus rentals in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland and New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allybus.com/charter-bus-rentals-in-washington-dc|title=Bus Rentals in Washington D.C|website=allybus.com/charter-bus-rentals-in-washington-dc}}</ref>

== Air ==
{{main|Aviation in Washington, D.C.}}
{{see also|List of airports serving Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Special Flight Rules Area}}
[[File:Dulles International Airport 01 Nov 2024.jpg|thumb|[[Dulles International Airport]] in [[Loudoun County]] is the primary international airport for the Washington area.]]
[[File:Baltimore-Washington TAC 84.png|thumb|Aviation chart showing restricted airspace in the Washington DC area.]]
Washington, D.C., is served by three major [[international airport|airports]]: two are located in suburban [[Virginia]] and one in [[Maryland]].

[[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]] {{Airport codes|DCA|KDCA}} is the closest—located in [[Arlington County, Virginia]], just across the [[Potomac River]] from [[Hains Point]], and accessible via Washington Metro. The airport is a hub for [[American Airlines]] and is conveniently located near the downtown area; however, it has somewhat restricted flights to airports within the United States because of noise and security concerns.

Most major international flights arrive and depart from [[Washington Dulles International Airport]] {{Airport codes|IAD|KIAD}}, located {{convert|26.3|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} west of the city in [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax]] and [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun]] counties in Virginia. Dulles is the second busiest international gateway on the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]]. It is the Washington region's [[List of the busiest airports in the United States|second busiest airport in terms of passengers served]]. Dulles is a hub for [[United Airlines]] and offers service from several low-cost carriers, the low-cost selection decreased greatly when [[Independence Air]] (which was headquartered at Dulles) folded in January 2006.

[[Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport]] {{Airport codes|BWI|KBWI}}, is located {{convert|31.7|mi|abbr=on}} northeast of the city in [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County]], Maryland, south of Baltimore and is the [[List of the busiest airports in the United States|busiest airport]] in the [[Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area]]. BWI is notable for its variety of [[low-cost carrier]]s, such as [[Southwest Airlines]], and its few international flights, on carriers such as [[Air Canada]] and [[British Airways]].

Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport are operated by the [[Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metwashairports.com/about_the_authority/faqs |title=Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority FAQ}}</ref>

General aviation is additionally available at several smaller airfields, including [[Montgomery County Airpark]] ([[Gaithersburg, Maryland]]), [[College Park Airport]] ([[College Park, Maryland]]), [[Potomac Airfield]] ([[Friendly, Maryland|Friendly]] CDP of [[Prince George's County, Maryland]]), and [[Manassas Regional Airport]] ([[Manassas, Virginia]]). 

Since 2003, the general aviation airports closest to Washington, D.C., have had their access strictly limited by the implementation of the [[Air Defense Identification Zone (Washington DC)|Air Defense Identification Zone]] (ADIZ). The city itself has very severe flight restrictions, and all flights entering the air space around the city must receive special air traffic approval before doing so.

=== Airport transportation ===
Metro's [[Blue Line (Washington Metro)|Blue]] and [[Yellow Line (Washington Metro)|Yellow]] lines serve [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]]. [[Baltimore-Washington International Airport]] is served by rail from [[Washington Union Station|Union Station]] by MARC and Amtrak. The [[Silver Line (Washington Metro)|Silver Line]] station at [[Dulles International Airport station|Dulles International Airport]] opened in November 2022, connecting the Washington Metro system to the city's major international airport for the first time.

Dulles Airport uses an underground rail system, called [[AeroTrain (Washington Dulles International Airport)|AeroTrain]], to connect concourses B and C with the main terminal. There are plans to expand this service to other concourses in the future.

== Bicycle and scooter==
[[File:Capital Bikeshare DC 2010 10 532.JPG|thumb|[[Capital Bikeshare]] rental site near [[McPherson Square station|McPherson Square Metro station]], downtown.]]
There is a network of {{convert|45|mi}} [[segregated cycle facilities|dedicated bicycle lanes]] around Washington, D.C., and there are 1,300 bicycle racks installed on sidewalks all over the city. An estimated 3.3% of the District's residents biked to work at least one day during 2010, and by 2008 the city had the sixth-highest percentage of bike commuters in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/01/AR2010100100239.html?sid=ST2010100102358|title=As two-wheeled commutes grow in popularity, buyers look for bike-accessible homes|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|author=Deborah K. Dietsch|date=October 2, 2010|access-date=October 3, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/10/AR2010031002663.html|title=Pennsylvania Ave. to have dedicated bike lanes|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|author=Ashley Halsey III|date=March 11, 2010|access-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref>

The city's primary [[bicycle sharing system]] is [[Capital Bikeshare]], which began services in September 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-20-washington-d.c.-launches-the-nations-largest-bike-share-program/|title=Washington, D.C., launches the nation's largest bike share program|author=Matt Martinez|date=September 20, 2010|work=[[Grist (magazine)|Grist]]|access-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref> Washington, D.C., formerly had the largest bike sharing service in the U.S. with 1,100 bicycles and 110 rental locations (New York City's [[Citibike|CitiBike]] program is now larger).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/20/AR2010092003815.html|title=New Bikeshare program provides wheels to casual cyclists in D.C., Arlington|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|author=Ashley Halsey III|date=September 21, 2010|access-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref> The city began a dockless bikeshare pilot program in fall 2017, and more recently introduced dockless electric scooters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazo |first1=Luz |title=D.C. allows dockless bikes and scooters to stay, but you'll have to start locking them up. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2018/08/30/dc-extend-scooter-bike-program-will-require-locks-bikes-starting-saturday/ |access-date=8 September 2018 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 31, 2018}}</ref> The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) provides advice and information to bicycle commuters, as well as lobbying for better cycling conditions.

== See also ==
* [[List of heliports in Washington, D.C.]]
* [[Plug-in electric vehicles in Washington, D.C.]]
* [[Transportation in Northern Virginia]]
* [[Transportation in Maryland]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{District of Columbia}}
{{Transit In DC}}
{{Airports in the Baltimore-Washington area}}
{{U.S. political divisions transportation}}

[[Category:Transportation in Washington, D.C.| ]]
[[Category:Transportation in the United States by city|Washington, D.C.]]