Lois Larson
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA, FAA LID: DCA) is a public airport in Arlington County, Virginia, United States. It is one of two airports that serve the Washington metropolitan area, the other being Dulles International Airport (IAD). The airport first opened in 1941 and was originally named Washington National Airport. In 1998, it was renamed in honour of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport |
| Abbreviation | DCA |
| Location | Arlington County, Virginia, United States |
| Distance from Washington, D.C. | 5 miles |
| Year opened | 1941 |
| Number of terminals | 2 |
| Number of gates | 58 (9 in Terminal 1, 49 in Terminal 2) |
| Number of passengers in 2024 | 18 million+ |
| Number of shops and restaurants | Nearly 100 |
| Perimeter rule | Nonstop service to destinations within 1,250 miles of Washington, D.C. |
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What You'll Learn
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport's IATA code is DCA
- The airport is located in Arlington County, Virginia
- It is one of two airports serving Washington that are operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
- The airport first opened in 1941 as Washington National Airport
- The airport was renamed in 1998 to honour the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport's IATA code is DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, located in Arlington County, Virginia, is assigned the IATA code DCA. The airport is situated just five miles from Washington, D.C., and is the closest airport to the nation's capital. It is one of only two airports serving the Washington metropolitan area that are owned by the federal government and operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The other airport is Dulles International Airport (IAD), located 25 miles away in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
The airport's IATA code is DCA, with an ICAO code of KDCA and an FAA LID code that is also DCA. These codes are used by pilots, air traffic controllers, and in aviation routing and scheduling. The IATA codes are used worldwide to refer to airports, and the DCA code is used to refer to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in flight schedules, timetables, and on passenger tickets.
The airport first opened in 1941 and was originally named Washington National Airport. It was renamed in 1998 to honour the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, who served from 1981 to 1989. The airport has two terminals, with Terminal 2 being the newer and larger of the two, opening in 1997. The airport has a total of 58 gates, with 9 in Terminal 1 and 49 in Terminal 2.
The airport is located on a total of 860 acres of land, with 733 acres above water and 127 acres underwater. The site was selected by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 and required more than 15 million cubic metres of sand and gravel to be moved to the site, as it was originally underwater. The airport has an average of more than 18 million passengers per year and primarily serves as a "short-haul" airport, offering nonstop service to destinations within a 1,250-mile perimeter of Washington, D.C.
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The airport is located in Arlington County, Virginia
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA, FAA LID: DCA) is located in Arlington County, Virginia, United States. The airport is situated five miles (eight kilometres or four nautical miles) from Washington, D.C., and is the closest airport to the nation's capital. It is one of two airports owned by the federal government and operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) serving the Washington metropolitan area. The other airport is Dulles International Airport (IAD), located about 25 miles (40 km or 22 nautical miles) west in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
The airport is situated in the Crystal City section of Arlington County, adjacent to National Landing. The site was selected by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 and opened in 1941 as Washington National Airport. Part of the original terminal, which opened in 1941, is still in use as Terminal 1. Terminal 2, which opened in 1997, is the newer and larger terminal.
The airport is located on the former site of the 18th and 19th-century Abingdon plantation, which was associated with prominent families such as the Alexanders, Custises, Stuarts, and Hunters. In 1998, the MWAA opened a historical display around the restored remnants of two Abingdon buildings and placed artefacts collected from the site in an exhibit hall in Terminal A.
The airport's name was changed from Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 1998 to honour the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, who served from 1981 to 1989. The legislation to change the name was drafted against the wishes of MWAA officials and political leaders in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. However, Congress passed the bill, and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
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It is one of two airports serving Washington that are operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA, FAA LID: DCA) is one of two airports serving Washington, along with Dulles International Airport (IAD), that are operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The MWAA is an independent airport authority established by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia, with the consent of the United States Congress. It oversees the management, operations, and capital development of the two major airports serving the US national capital. The authority leases the airports from the United States Department of Transportation, with the daily operations, central administration, police and fire departments, and payroll not funded by tax dollars.
The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is located in Arlington County, Virginia, just five miles from Washington, D.C., making it the closest airport to the nation's capital. It was originally named Washington National Airport when it opened in 1941 and was later renamed in honour of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. The airport has two terminals, with Terminal 2 being the newer and larger of the two. The airport has a variety of lounges and dining options, including Ben's Chili Bowl, a famous Washington D.C. landmark.
Dulles International Airport, the other airport operated by the MWAA, is located about 25 miles west of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. The MWAA's responsibilities include operating the Dulles Toll Road and managing the construction project to extend the metropolitan Washington region's Metrorail mass transit system. The authority has its own accredited police department that patrols the airport properties and grounds, and a full-service Fire and Rescue Department that operates at both Dulles and National Airports.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is led by a president and chief executive officer, with each airport under the direction of a vice president and airport manager. The MWAA's headquarters is located less than a mile from Reagan National Airport in the Crystal City neighbourhood of Arlington County, Virginia.
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The airport first opened in 1941 as Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport first opened in 1941 as Washington National Airport. The site was selected by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, and construction began in 1940. The airport was built on land that was underwater at the time, requiring more than 15 million cubic metres of sand and gravel to be moved to the site. It was constructed by a company led by John McShain.
The airport opened to the public on June 16, 1941, with President Roosevelt in attendance to observe the first official landing. The airlines drew straws and American Airlines won the honour of landing first. The plane was piloted by Bennett H. Griffin, who later became the manager of National Airport in 1947. The airport was considered the "last word" in airport design and technology at the time, with ultramodern developments in building design, plane handling, air and field traffic control, field lighting, and facilities for public comfort and convenience.
The original terminal is still in use today as Terminal 1, while the much larger Terminal 2 opened in 1997. The airport has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years, including the addition of the North Terminal in 1958 and the enclosure of the passageway between the Main and North Terminals in 1961. In 1998, a historical display was opened around the restored remnants of the 18th and 19th-century Abingdon plantation, located near the airport.
On February 6, 1998, President Bill Clinton signed a bill into law to change the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in honour of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
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The airport was renamed in 1998 to honour the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA, FAA LID: DCA) was renamed in 1998 to honour the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Reagan served as president from 1981 to 1989. The airport, located in Arlington County, Virginia, is just five miles from Washington, D.C., and is the closest airport to the nation's capital.
The airport was originally named Washington National Airport when it opened in 1941. It was built on land that was underwater at the time, requiring more than 15 million cubic metres of sand and gravel to be moved to the site. The site was selected by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938.
In 1997, the airport opened a new, larger Terminal 2, which replaced a collection of airline-specific terminals built during the 1960s. Part of the original terminal is still in use as Terminal 1. In 1998, Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed a bill to rename the airport after Ronald Reagan. A statue of Reagan was unveiled outside Terminal A in 2011.
The airport is one of two airports owned by the federal government and operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) that serve the Washington metropolitan area. The other is Dulles International Airport (IAD), located about 25 miles to the west in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Reagan National Airport primarily serves as a "'short-haul' airport", offering nonstop service to destinations within a 1,250-mile perimeter of Washington, D.C., with some exceptions granted by the federal government.
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Frequently asked questions
DCA (IATA), KDCA (ICAO), and DCA (FAA LID).
The airport is located in Arlington County, Virginia, United States, five miles from Washington, D.C.
The airport first opened in 1941 as Washington National Airport and was renamed in 1998 in honour of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
The airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 has 9 gates, and Terminal 2 has 49 gates.
The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station on the Washington Metro (Yellow and Blue lines) is located on an elevated platform next to Terminal 2.
