A Quick Guide To Reagan National Airport Layovers

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is a busy airport with some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country. The airport has two terminals and five concourses, with gates A1 to A9 at the bottom curve of the J-shaped layout. The airport has a 5,000-foot-long runway that is too short for commercial aircraft arrivals, and it is recommended that passengers check in online to save time during peak travel periods. The Washington, DC Metro Rail system has a station connected to the concourse level of Terminals 2.

The airport has a 5,000-foot-long runway that is too short for commercial aircraft arrivals

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has three intersecting runways: 01/19, 15/33, and 04/22. The 5,000-foot-long (1,500 m) runways 04/22 are too short for commercial aircraft arrivals, but Runway 04 is occasionally used for commercial aircraft departures. Reagan National Airport has some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country.

Runway 01 handles approximately 57% of arrivals and is primarily used during "north operations", when planes arrive from the south and depart to the north. Runway 19 accounts for about 38% of arrivals and is used during "south operations", when planes arrive from the north and depart to the south. During north operations, intermittent arrivals—around 4%—occur on Runway 33, depending on traffic demands and separation requirements. Runway 33 is typically limited to smaller aircraft due to its relatively short 5,204-foot-long (1,586 m) surface.

The airport was originally designed with four runways: the main north-south runway at 6,855 feet, a northwest-southeast runway at 5,210 feet, a northeast-southwest runway at 4,892 feet, and an east-west runway at 4,100 feet. Over the years, the runways have changed only slightly in length with one exception: the east-west runway was closed in 1956 to be used as a taxiway and for aircraft parking.

The airport has some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country. The airport's 5,000-foot-long runways are too short for commercial aircraft arrivals, but Runway 04 is sometimes used for commercial aircraft departures. Due to security concerns, the areas surrounding the National Mall and U.S. Naval Observatory in central Washington are prohibited airspace up to 18,000 feet. Pilots approaching from the north are required to follow the path of the Potomac River and turn just before landing, in an approach known as the River Visual. Flights taking off to the north must climb quickly and turn left.

The airport is laid out in the shape of a J, with two terminals and five concourses. The smaller of the two terminals has gates A1 to A9, with a semi-circle-shaped terminal building and one concourse. The other terminal has gates B10 to E59, with four concourses distributed along its length. Both terminals are served by public access roads for curbside pick-up and drop-off and have parking garages.

The Washington, DC Metro Rail system has an elevated station connected to the concourse level of Terminals 2 at Reagan National Airport. Most airlines recommend checking in online for your flight at Reagan National Airport whenever possible, as it saves time during peak travel periods. The online check-in window typically opens 24 hours before your scheduled departure and closes around 45 minutes before domestic flights.

It is recommended to check in online for your flight to save time

Reagan National Airport has some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country. Due to security concerns, the areas surrounding the National Mall and U.S. Naval Observatory in central Washington are prohibited airspace up to 18,000 feet (5,500 m). This means that pilots approaching from the north are generally required to follow the path of the Potomac River and turn just before landing. This approach is known as the River Visual.

The airport has two terminals and five concourses. The window to check in online typically opens 24 hours before your scheduled departure and closes around 45 minutes before domestic flights (usually 90 minutes for international). Nearly all major airlines allow online check-in for domestic flights departing from DCA. It is a convenient way to save time at the airport, especially during peak travel periods.

The Washington, DC Metro Rail system has an elevated station connected to the concourse level of Terminals 2 at Reagan National Airport. If you choose to walk, follow signs towards Terminal Parking Garage 1, approximately 10 minutes from Terminals 1 and 15 minutes from Terminal 2.

The airport has a Washington, DC Metro Rail station connected to the concourse level of Terminals 2

The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has a Washington, DC Metro Rail station connected to the concourse level of Terminals 2. The airport is laid out in the shape of a J, with two terminals and five concourses. The smaller of the two terminals has gates A1 to A9, with a semi-circle-shaped terminal building and one concourse. The larger terminal has gates B10 to E59, with four concourses distributed along its full length. The airport has some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country, and due to security concerns, the areas surrounding the National Mall and U.S. Naval Observatory in central Washington are prohibited airspace up to 18,000 feet. The 5,000-foot-long runways 04/22 are too short for commercial aircraft arrivals, but Runway 04 is sometimes used for commercial aircraft departures.

Most airlines recommend checking in online for your flight at Reagan National Airport whenever possible. The window to check in online typically opens 24 hours before your scheduled departure and closes around 45 minutes before domestic flights.

The airport is laid out in the shape of a J, with two terminals and five concourses

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is laid out in the shape of a J, with two terminals and five concourses. The airport has some of the strictest noise restrictions in the country, and due to security concerns, the areas surrounding the National Mall and U.S. Naval Observatory in central Washington are prohibited airspace up to 18,000 feet (5,500 m).

The bottom curve of the J features gates A1 to A9, with a semi-circle-shaped terminal building and one concourse. Gates B10 to E59 are located up the long side of the J, with the four remaining concourses evenly distributed along the full length (inside the secure area). Both terminals are served by public access roads for curbside pick-up and drop-off and have parking garages situated outside. Gates A1 to A9 are in the smaller of the two concourse sections, with flights operated by Air Canada, Frontier, and Southwest Airlines.

The airport is accessible by the Washington, DC Metro Rail system, which has an elevated station connected to the concourse level of Terminals 2.

Frequently asked questions