Questions about Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA:DCA) serving Washington, DC, USA.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA), usually referred to as National or Reagan National for short, is the primary domestic airport serving washington-dc and the vicinity. The airport is located in south Arlington, Virginia approximately 3 miles (5km) south of downtown Washington.
DCA has two terminals. Terminal A is the historic terminal, built in 1941. Terminal B-C, opened in 1997, is divided into three piers. Only american-airlines operates a hub there, and its gates in the north and central piers are sometimes connecte dby an airside shuttle. American and delta-airlines operate regular air shuttles to New York-LaGuardia (lga) and Boston-Logan (bos).
DCA has a so-called perimeter rule which limits flights beyond a certain radius aside from a handful of specifically exempted flights. As a result, transcontinental flights and international flights (aside from a handful of pre-clearance flights) to the region mostly fly into Washington Dulles International Airport (iad), the city's main international gateway, or to Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport (bwi).
Despite these restrictions, DCA remains extremely popular. One reason is the view: the airport's proximity to the city and its approaches over the Potomac River offer dramatic views of the monuments and ceremonial core of Washington. More importantly, the airport is extremely convenient to the city. There is a dedicated stop on the Washington Metro's Blue and Yellow Lines, and it is a very short taxi ride on George Washington Memorial Parkway and Interstate 395 to downtown or Union Station. The airport is also accessible by bicycle or on foot from the Mount Vernon Trail, with a path leading to the neighboring Crystal City neighborhood.
