Roberta Aguirre
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is located 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War who briefly served as a senator for New York. The airport is ranked fourth in the US in terms of land area, occupying 13,000 acres. It is a major hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Name | Washington Dulles International Airport |
| Airport Code | IAD |
| Location | The airport is located in Chantilly, Virginia, which is about 26 miles (42 km) west of Washington, DC. |
| Address | 1 Saarinen Circle, Dulles, VA 20166, USA |
| Owner | Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority |
| Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time (EST) |
| Elevation | 314 feet (96 m) above sea level |
| Number of Runways | 4 |
| Nearest Cities | Herndon, Chantilly, Sterling, Ashburn |
| Transportation | Metrobus, Washington Flyer Taxi, Ride Apps (Lyft, Uber), Rental Cars |
| Nearest Airports | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Baltimore–Washington International Airport (BWI) |
| Interesting Fact | The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, who was the 52nd US Secretary of State. |
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What You'll Learn
Washington Dulles International Airport is 26 miles from DC
Washington Dulles International Airport, commonly referred to as Dulles Airport or by its airport code IAD, is located 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. It is one of the three major airports in the Washington, D.C. region, alongside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Dulles Airport is the primary international airport for the D.C. region, offering nearly 157 nonstop domestic and international destinations on about 40 airlines.
Dulles Airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War who briefly served as a senator for New York. The airport was opened in 1962 and its main terminal was designed by renowned Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The terminal is highly regarded for its graceful and flight-inspired beauty.
Dulles Airport is a major hub for United Airlines and frequently serves other airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. It is the 28th busiest airport in the United States and holds the most international passenger traffic in the Mid-Atlantic region outside the New York metropolitan area. Dulles Airport is also notable for being one of the few airports that utilise mobile lounges or "people movers", which are now primarily used for transport to the International Arrivals Building and Concourse D.
The airport offers various dining options, including contemporary American cuisine at Bracket Room and Commanders Burgundy and Gold Club. For those seeking a quick bite, &pizza offers creative pies and craft beverages, while Capitol Grounds Coffee provides a family-owned café experience. Dulles Airport is committed to providing universal access and a range of amenities for all its patrons, ensuring a convenient and enjoyable experience for travellers.
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The airport is named after John Foster Dulles
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is one of three major airports in the Washington, DC region, located 26 miles from DC in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, an influential US secretary of state during the Cold War. Dulles was appointed secretary of state by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 21, 1953, and served until 1959. Dulles was an architect of many major elements of US foreign policy in the Cold War with the Soviet Union after World War II. He was a strong advocate for the containment of communism and played a role in the Suez Canal crisis and the response to the Hungarian Revolution.
John Foster Dulles was born in Washington, D.C., on February 25, 1888, and grew up in Watertown, New York. He was the eldest of five children born to Allen Macy Dulles and his wife, Edith (née Foster). Dulles' grandfather, John Watson Foster, and uncle, Robert Lansing, had both served as secretaries of state. Dulles attended Princeton University, where he graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1908. He competed on the American Whig-Cliosophic Society debate team and was a member of the University Cottage Club.
Dulles started his diplomatic career in 1907 at the age of 19 when he accompanied his grandfather, John Foster, to the second international peace conference at The Hague. In 1919, Dulles returned to Paris to attend the Paris Peace Conference as part of Bernard Baruch's Reparations Commission and Economic Council. During World War II, Dulles helped prepare the United Nations charter at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. He also served as a senior adviser at the 1945 United Nations conference in San Francisco.
In addition to his diplomatic career, Dulles held positions in various organizations. He served as the chairman and co-founder of the Commission on a Just and Durable Peace of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, the chairman of the board for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation from 1935 to 1952. Dulles received several honours during his lifetime, including being named Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1954. The airport code for Washington Dulles International Airport, IAD, was chosen to avoid confusion with Washington National Airport (DCA).
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It is the busiest airport in the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is located 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. It is one of three major airports in the Washington, DC region, the others being Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Dulles Airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War and briefly a senator for New York.
Dulles International Airport is the busiest airport in the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. It is also the primary international airport for the DC region, with almost 157 nonstop domestic and international destinations on nearly 40 airlines. It is a major hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, with which United has codeshare agreements.
In 2024, Dulles set an all-time passenger record, with 27.25 million passengers, breaking the previous record set in 2005. It is ranked 28th busiest in the United States and has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the Mid-Atlantic outside the New York metropolitan area. It also handles approximately 90% of international passenger traffic in the Baltimore–Washington region.
Dulles Airport is accessible via the Metro Silver line from downtown DC, with each ride taking about an hour and costing $6.75. Washington Flyer taxi cabs exclusively service the airport, and taxi stands are located outside the main terminal.
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The airport code IAD stands for International Airport Dulles
Washington Dulles International Airport, commonly referred to as Dulles Airport, has the airport code IAD. The airport is located 26 miles (about 42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. It is one of the three major airports in the Washington, D.C., region, along with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Dulles Airport is a significant hub for United Airlines and several other carriers, offering nearly 157 nonstop domestic and international routes.
The airport code IAD stands for "International Airport Dulles." The code was changed from DIA to IAD to avoid confusion with the code for Washington National Airport, DCA, as the two codes looked very similar when handwritten. This change was made to prevent instances where passengers might mistake Dulles for Dallas or Washington National Airport.
Dulles Airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War who briefly served as a senator for New York. The airport opened in 1962 and its main terminal was designed by Eero Saarinen, the same architect behind the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Dulles Airport is vast, covering 13,000 acres (20.3 square miles or 52.6 square kilometres). It is ranked fourth in the US in terms of land area.
The airport features a unique terminal complex that includes the Main Terminal with four original gates known as the "Z" Gates and two parallel midfield terminal buildings: Concourses A/B and Concourses C/D. The complex has a total of 139 gates, with 123 jetways and 16 hardstand locations where passengers use plane mate vehicles. Dulles is one of the few remaining airports that utilise mobile lounges or "people movers," mainly for transport to the International Arrivals Building and Concourse D.
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It is connected to DC on Metro's Silver line
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is connected to DC on Metros Silver Line. The airport is located 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. It is one of three major airports in the Washington, DC region, alongside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
IAD is a major hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War who briefly served as a senator for New York.
The Silver Line provides a direct connection between IAD and DC. The underground walkway, which includes moving sidewalks and escalators, takes approximately five minutes to get from the terminal to the Washington Dulles International Airport Metrorail Station. The ride from the airport to downtown DC takes about an hour and costs $6.75.
In addition to the Silver Line, there are other transportation options available to and from IAD. The airport is serviced exclusively by Washington Flyer taxi cabs, and rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft are also available. For those looking to drive, there are short-term and long-term parking options available at the airport.
The airport is also connected to the MARC rail station, which provides access to Union Station in DC. From there, passengers can transfer to Metro's Red Line or take advantage of other transportation options like taxis or rideshare services.
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Frequently asked questions
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is located 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia.
The airport code for Washington Dulles International Airport is IAD, standing for "International Airport Dulles".
Washington Dulles International Airport is connected to DC on Metro's Silver line. Each ride takes about an hour from downtown DC and costs $6.75. You can also take a taxi or rideshare into DC.
Washington Dulles International Airport offers a variety of dining options, including &pizza, Capitol Grounds Coffee, Bracket Room, and Commanders Burgundy and Gold Club.
