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Washington Dulles International Airport, commonly referred to as Dulles Airport, is a major airport located 26 miles outside of Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. As one of the three major airports serving the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, Dulles is the busiest airport in the region, recording 27.3 million enplanements in 2024. The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent Cold War-era secretary of state, and is known for its iconic main terminal, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and several regional operators, offering a vast array of international flight options. With a complex layout, the airport features one main terminal for ticketing, baggage claim, and U.S. Customs, along with two midfield terminals housing concourses for various airlines.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia |
| Size | 13,000 acres (20.3 sq mi; 52.6 km2) |
| Number of Terminals | 1 main terminal and 2 midfield terminals |
| Airlines | United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Mesa, GoJet, CommuteAir, Air Canada Express, Frontier, American Airlines, and more |
| Annual Passengers | 27.25 million passengers in 2024 |
| Average Daily Passengers | 60,000 |
| Destinations | More than 139 destinations around the world |
| Transport Options | Private car service, taxi, Uber/Lyft, D.C. Metro Bus 5A, Silver Line Metro + Express Bus, driving yourself, Metrorail |
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What You'll Learn
- Washington Dulles International Airport is located 26 miles outside of Washington, D.C
- The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent Cold War-era secretary of state
- Dulles is one of the three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area
- The airport is known for its iconic main terminal, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen
- Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and several regional operators
Washington Dulles International Airport is located 26 miles outside of Washington, D.C
Washington Dulles International Airport, commonly known as Dulles Airport, 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 is the busiest airport in this metropolitan area and the 28th busiest airport in the United States.
The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent Cold War-era secretary of state who briefly served as a senator for New York. It opened in 1962 and was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy and former President Eisenhower, who selected the site in 1958. Dulles is known for its iconic main terminal, designed by renowned Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the TWA Flight Center at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The terminal features a graceful, vaulted ceiling and an all-glass facade.
Dulles International Airport is a hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, with whom United has codeshare agreements. It also serves as a hub for regional operators Mesa, GoJet, and CommuteAir, operating under the United Express brand. The airport accommodates an average of 60,000 passengers daily, travelling to and from over 139 destinations worldwide.
Dulles has a complex layout, with one main terminal and two midfield terminals. Ticketing, baggage claim, and U.S. Customs are located in the main terminal, which also houses the Z and H gates. The main concourses and the majority of the gates are found in the two midfield terminals. Concourses A and B cater to non-United Airlines flights, while Concourses C and D are exclusively for United Airlines.
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The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent Cold War-era secretary of state
John Foster Dulles was a prominent Cold War-era secretary of state. Dulles was appointed Secretary of State by President Eisenhower on 21 January 1953. He served in this role for much of the decade, leaving an indelible mark on US foreign policy. Dulles' tenure was marked by a consensus in US policy that peace could be maintained through the containment of communism. This allowed him and Eisenhower to secure international mutual security agreements, while also reducing the number of troops in the US military and the production of conventional weapons. Dulles also enjoyed close cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency, which was run by his brother, Allen Dulles.
Dulles was born in Washington, D.C., on 25 February 1888. He was the eldest of five children. Dulles attended Princeton University and graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1908. He then attended George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. Upon passing the bar examination, Dulles joined the New York City law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, where he specialised in international law. Dulles began his diplomatic career in 1907 when, aged 19, he accompanied his grandfather, John Foster, to the second international peace conference at The Hague. At 30 years of age, he was named by President Woodrow Wilson as legal counsel to the US delegation to the Versailles Peace Conference at the end of World War I.
During World War II, Dulles helped prepare the United Nations charter at Dumbarton Oaks, in Washington, D.C. In 1945, he served as a senior adviser at the San Francisco United Nations conference. In 1949, he was appointed to the Senate by New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, although he failed to win re-election. After his appointment as Secretary of State, Dulles enjoyed a strong friendship with Eisenhower, which granted him direct and unprecedented access to the President. Dulles was the first Secretary of State to be directly accessible to the media and to hold the first Department press conferences.
Dulles was a key architect of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, an anti-communist defensive alliance between the US and several nations in and near Southeast Asia. He also helped instigate the 1953 Iranian coup d'état and the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état. Dulles advocated support for the French in their war against the Viet Minh in Indochina and supported South Vietnam after the 1954 Geneva Conference. Dulles was viewed by some as harsh, inflexible, and a tactician, rather than an architect of international diplomacy. However, many leading statesmen of the non-Communist nations credited his firmness with having checkmated Communist Cold War strategy.
Dulles resigned from his position as Secretary of State in April 1959 due to poor health. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death on 24 May 1959. Dulles has since been commemorated in several ways, including the naming of the Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, in his honour.
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Dulles is one of the three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area
Washington Dulles International Airport, commonly known as Dulles Airport, is one of three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. It is situated about 26 miles outside of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. Dulles is the busiest airport in the Washington–Baltimore region, and the 28th busiest airport in the United States, with an average of 60,000 passengers passing through the airport daily to and from over 139 destinations worldwide.
Dulles Airport is named after John Foster Dulles, a prominent Cold War-era secretary of state who briefly served as a senator for New York. The airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy and former President Eisenhower in 1962. Dulles is known for its iconic main terminal, designed by renowned Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport. The terminal is highly regarded for its graceful beauty and suggestive of flight.
The airport occupies 13,000 acres, making it one of the largest airports in the world and the biggest in the U.S. by land area. Dulles has a complex layout, with one main terminal and two midfield terminals. The main terminal houses ticketing, baggage claim, U.S. Customs, and the Z and H gates. The two midfield terminals contain the main concourses and most of the gates, with Concourses A and B in the first terminal and Concourses C and D in the second.
Dulles is a major hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. It also serves as a hub for regional operators Mesa, GoJet, and CommuteAir, operating under the United Express brand. The airport offers a wide range of international flight options, accounting for approximately 90% of international passenger traffic in the Baltimore–Washington region.
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The airport is known for its iconic main terminal, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen
Washington Dulles International Airport, commonly known as Dulles 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 serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. An average of 60,000 passengers pass through Dulles daily to and from more than 139 destinations worldwide. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.
The airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy and President Eisenhower on November 17, 1962. The site was selected by President Eisenhower in 1958, and the airport was named after John Foster Dulles, who served as Secretary of State under President Eisenhower. The original name, Dulles International Airport, was changed in 1984 to Washington Dulles International Airport.
The Dulles Access Highway provides a direct route to the airport, restricted to airport traffic only. The airport is also served by Metrorail, taxi, and ridesharing services.
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Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and several regional operators
Dulles International Airport, commonly known as Dulles 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 airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area and is the busiest airport in this region. Dulles is also the busiest airport in the Mid-Atlantic outside the New York metropolitan area in terms of international passenger traffic, accounting for approximately 90% of international passengers in the Baltimore–Washington region.
Dulles is a major hub for United Airlines, with Concourses C and D in the second terminal dedicated solely to United Airlines flights. The airline also operates codeshare agreements with Star Alliance members like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, which frequently use Dulles. Additionally, several regional operators, including Mesa, GoJet, and CommuteAir, use the airport as a hub, operating under the United Express brand.
The airport consists of one main terminal and two midfield terminals, contributing to a somewhat complicated layout. The main terminal, recognised for its graceful beauty and designed by the renowned architect Eero Saarinen, houses ticketing, baggage claim, U.S. Customs, and the Z and H gates. The two midfield terminals contain the main concourses and most of the gates, with Concourses A and B accommodating non-United Airlines flights and Concourses C and D serving United Airlines exclusively.
Dulles offers a vast array of international flight options, with an average of 60,000 passengers travelling to and from more than 139 destinations worldwide each day. The airport provides various parking options, including onsite and offsite lots, with prices varying according to proximity to the terminal.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport is located 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia.
There are five options for getting to the airport from Washington, D.C.: private car service, taxi/Uber/Lyft, driving yourself, taking the D.C. Metro Bus 5A, or taking the Silver Line Metro + Express Bus.
The airport features numerous retail and dining options, including Dulles Gourmet Market, Washingtonian Newsstand, Dunkin' Donuts, Subway, The Firkin' & Fox, Wendy's, L'Occitane, Au Bon Pain, and Hudson Newsstand. There is also a United Club near gate D8 that is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Dulles International Airport is a hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members such as Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. It is also a hub for regional operators Mesa, GoJet, and CommuteAir, which operate under the United Express brand.
![Historic Framed Print, [Dulles Airport, Chantilly, Virginia. Bird's-eye view (cutaway)], 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41jk0dVYeZL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
![Historic Framed Print, [Eero Saarinen standing inside model of the Dulles Airport terminal].photo by Bernice Clark., 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ckqRiWVWL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
