Lois Larson
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 three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, alongside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). Dulles Airport is a hub for United Airlines and several regional operators, offering nearly 157 nonstop domestic and international destinations on approximately 40 airlines. The airport features a range of amenities, including restaurants, retail stores, and translation assistance, and is accessible via the Metro's Silver Line, taxi, and rideshare services.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Washington Dulles International Airport |
| Former Name | Dulles International Airport |
| Airport Code | IAD |
| Location | 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia |
| Year Opened | 1962 |
| Named After | John Foster Dulles |
| Architect | Eero Saarinen |
| Area | 13,000 acres (20.3 sq mi; 52.6 km2) |
| Number of Runways | 4 |
| Number of Terminals | 1 main terminal and 2 midfield terminals |
| Number of Gates | 139 (123 with jetways and 16 hardstand locations) |
| Dining Options | Contemporary American cuisine, sports lounges, chef-driven menus, etc. |
| Transportation | Metro's Silver Line, Washington Flyer taxi cabs, ridesharing |
| Nearby Attractions | Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, hotels, rental cars |
| Ranking | 4th in the US in terms of land area, 28th busiest airport in the US, busiest airport in the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area |
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What You'll Learn
- Washington Dulles International Airport is 26 miles west of Washington, D.C
- The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a former secretary of state
- It is one of three major airports in the Washington, D.C., region
- The airport is a hub for United Airlines and has 123 gates
- It is connected to the station via a pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways
Washington Dulles International Airport is 26 miles west of Washington, D.C
Washington Dulles International Airport 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, DC region, serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. 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 airport is situated on 13,000 acres of land, ranking fourth in the US in terms of land area. Most of the airport is in the unincorporated community of Dulles in Loudoun County, with a portion in Chantilly in Fairfax County. The Town of Herndon is the closest municipality to the airport. It is connected to the Washington, D.C., area through Metro's Silver Line, with rides taking about an hour and costing $6.75.
Washington Dulles International Airport is a hub for several airlines, including United Airlines, Silver Airways, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Mesa, GoJet, and CommuteAir. It offers flights to nearly 157 domestic and international destinations, serving North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The airport features four runways and one main terminal, along with two midfield terminals, Concourses A/B and C/D, for a total of 123 gates.
The airport provides a range of amenities and services for travellers, including restaurants, retail stores, electronics charging stations, ATMs, free WiFi, a massage bar, shoeshine stands, an interfaith chapel, translation assistance, and currency exchange. It also has a climate-controlled pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways connecting to the nearby Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center.
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The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a former secretary of state
Washington Dulles International Airport is located 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, who served as Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. Dulles was an influential figure in US foreign policy during the Cold War, advocating for the containment of communism and international mutual security agreements. He played a key role in the establishment of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) and the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), which aimed to unite nations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East in neutral defence pacts.
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 previously served as Secretary of State. Dulles attended Princeton University, where he was a member of the debate team and graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1908. He began his diplomatic career at the age of 19 when he accompanied his grandfather, then a private citizen representing China, to the second international peace conference at The Hague.
Throughout his career, Dulles held various positions in the realm of foreign affairs and international relations. Before becoming Secretary of State, he served as legal counsel to the US delegation at the Versailles Peace Conference after World War I and was a senior adviser at the United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1945. He also played a role in the creation of the United Nations charter at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. Dulles was known for his strong opposition to the Anglo-French invasion of the Suez Canal zone in response to Egypt's nationalisation of the canal. His policies towards Egypt, however, allowed the Soviet Union to gain influence in the region.
John Foster Dulles' impact on US foreign policy was significant, and he left an indelible mark on the nation's approach to international relations during the Cold War. His name is honoured not only by Washington Dulles International Airport but also by Princeton University, where a section of the Firestone Library is dedicated to him and houses his personal documents.
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It is one of three major airports in the Washington, D.C., region
Washington Dulles International Airport is one of the three major airports in the Washington, D.C., region. 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 named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War and former senator from New York. The airport occupies 13,000 acres (20.3 sq mi or 52.6 sq km) and is the fourth-largest airport in the US in terms of land area.
Dulles International Airport, with the airport code IAD, is a significant hub for United Airlines and several other carriers. It offers nearly 157 non-stop domestic and international flights to approximately 40 airlines. The airport features a main terminal, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, and two parallel midfield terminal buildings: Concourses A/B and Concourses C/D. The terminal complex boasts a total of 139 gates, the majority of which are equipped with jetways, and it is one of the few airports still utilising mobile lounges for transport to the International Arrivals Building and Concourse D.
As one of the three major airports in the region, Dulles plays a crucial role in serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, alongside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). Dulles is the busiest airport in this metropolitan area and ranks 28th in the United States. It handles the most international passenger traffic in the Mid-Atlantic outside the New York metro area, accounting for around 90% of international passenger traffic in the Baltimore–Washington region.
The other two major airports in the Washington, D.C., region are also significant. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, located just across the Potomac River in Virginia, is the closest airport to Washington, D.C., itself. It offers nonstop flights to over 100 destinations through eight airlines. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), situated near Baltimore, Maryland, is a bit farther from Washington, D.C., but this distance can often result in better flight deals for travellers.
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The airport is a hub for United Airlines and has 123 gates
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 is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent secretary of state during the Cold War who briefly served as a senator for New York.
Dulles International Airport is a significant aviation hub, serving as the busiest airport in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area and ranking as the 28th busiest airport in the United States as of 2024. It handles the most international passenger traffic in the Mid-Atlantic region outside the New York metropolitan area, accounting for approximately 90% of international passenger traffic in the Baltimore-Washington region.
The airport is a hub for United Airlines and several regional operators, including Mesa, GoJet, and CommuteAir, operating under the United Express brand. Additionally, it is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, with which United has codeshare agreements.
The airport's terminal complex consists of the Main Terminal and two parallel midfield terminal buildings: Concourses A/B and Concourses C/D. Together, they offer a total of 139 gates, 123 of which are equipped with jetways, providing convenient access to aircraft. Concourse C, with its dedicated train to the main terminal, exclusively serves United flights, while Concourse D is also home to United at Dulles.
Passengers at Dulles International Airport benefit from a range of amenities, including lounges, dining options, and shopping opportunities. The airport's design, by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, is celebrated for its graceful beauty, evoking a sense of flight.
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It is connected to the station via a pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways
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, which opened in 1962, 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 one of three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, alongside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). As of 2024, Washington Dulles International is the busiest airport in this metropolitan area and the 28th busiest airport in the entire US.
Washington Dulles International Airport is connected to the nearby station via a climate-controlled pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways. This tunnel is part of a 10-mile, multitunnel project that also accommodates a baggage handling system, underground tugs, utilities, and maintenance. The tunnel system was built using three different tunnel mining techniques, depending on the location of the tunnel segments.
The pedestrian tunnel connects travellers to the station, as well as nearby attractions such as the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, rental car services, and hotels. This tunnel system is part of the Washington Dulles improvement program, which aims to accommodate the region's growing air travel needs.
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Frequently asked questions
Washington Dulles International Airport is located 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia.
The 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, which will cost about $60-$70.
The airport is connected to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center via a climate-controlled pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways. There are also rental cars and hotels nearby.
