Washington – Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) was originally built in 1941 as a military airfield and was known as Washington National Airport. It was the first airport built and operated by the federal government for the nation’s capital city. During World War II, it served as a base for Army Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter squadrons. The airport then underwent significant expansion from 1945-1948 to accommodate commercial airline operations. In 1948, American Airlines began the first scheduled commercial service out of DCA with flights to Chicago and New York City. The airport continued to expand over the next few decades with additional terminal space being added in 1964 and 1975. In 1976, President Gerald Ford renamed the facility Washington-Reagan National Airport in honor of former President Ronald Reagan who had recently been elected Governor of California. The name change was part of a larger effort to rebrand many of DC’s national monuments and landmarks with Reagan’s name or likeness in order to commemorate his legacy.
In 1981, construction began on a new Metro station just outside the terminal building that opened two years later for passengers arriving at and departing from DCA. This allowed passengers easier access to downtown Washington D.C., which had previously been difficult due to limited public transportation options around the airport. Throughout the 1980s, further improvements were made including adding new gates and jetways; expanding baggage claim areas; increasing parking capacity; adding additional retail shops; and upgrading security systems at all airports nationwide following 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Today, Washington – Ronald Reagan National Airport is one of three major airports serving metropolitan Washington D.C., offering both domestic flights within the US as well as international service to various destinations around the world including Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East/Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Mexico/Canada regions.
DCA is the abbreviation code for Washington – Ronald Reagan National Airport. According to Abbreviation Finder, DCA can also mean:
- Dachshund Club of America
- Dade County Approved
- Dalmatian Club of America
- Damage Control Assistant
- DanChurchAid
- Dartington College of Arts
- Data Capture Application
- Data Center Automation
- Data Collection Analysis
- Data Command Acquire
- Data Communication Analyzer
- Data Communications Associates
- Data Communications Associates Limited
- Data Compression with Antidictionaries
- Data Conversion Architect
- Debt Collection Agency
- Debt Counselors of America
- Decline Curve Analysis
- Defense Communications Agency
- Defense Contracting Agency
Washington, DC Airport – Ronald Reagan National Airport, VA (DCA)
The Washington – Ronald Reagan National Airport is the second most important commercial airport in the metropolitan area of Washington DC In addition to the Ronald Reagan Airport, the much larger and more important Washington-Dulles Airport and the Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland are located in the greater DC area.
- URL: Washington DC – Ronald Reagan National Airport, VA (DCA)
- Time zone: GMT -5
- Service phone: +1 703 417-3972 (Terminal A); +1 703 417-1806 (Terminal B&C)
- Address: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 1 Aviaton Circle, Washington, DC 20001, USA
- Operator: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)
- Parking spaces: yes, subject to a charge; Short-term and long-term parking spaces, parking garages
- Nearby cities: Alexandria (5 km), Washington (5 km), Arlington (6 km), Baltimore (61 km)
- Access: US Route 1, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Interstate 395
- Train connections: Metrorail system from the airport to Amtrak stations and Greyhound bus terminals; Airport Train Station: Yellow Line, Blue Line (Washington Metro)
- Flight distribution on the days of the week: Monday (14.97%), Tuesday (14.60%), Wednesday (14.82%), Thursday (15.17%), Friday (15.30%), Saturday (10.97%), Sunday (14.17%)
- other spellings: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Вашингтон-Рональд Рейган, Ουάσινγκτον – Ρόναλντ Ρήγκαν, فرودگاه ملی رونالد ریگان واشنگتن,ロナルド·レーガン·ワシントン·ナショナル空港,罗纳德·里根华盛顿国家机场
Most popular destinations from Washington DC – Ronald Reagan National Airport, VA (flights per week)
- Boston Logan International Airport, MA (212, 5.92%)
- Atlanta International Airport (170, 4.75%)
- New York – La Guardia Airport, NY (161, 4.50%)
- Orlando International Airport, FL (106, 2.96%)
- Nashville International Airport, TN (91, 2.54%)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport, NC (89, 2.49%)
- Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport, MN (89, 2.49%)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (80, 2.24%)
- Dallas – Fort Worth International Airport, TX (75, 2.10%)
- Louis – Lambert International Airport (74, 2.07%)
- Other (67.94%)
Top airlines (share of take-offs / landings)
- American Airlines (4184, 35.93%)
- Southwest Airlines (1584, 13.60%)
- Westjet (539, 4.63%)
- United Airlines (424, 3.64%)
- Delta Air Lines (366, 3.14%)
- JetBlue Airways (356, 3.06%)
- Virgin Atlantic Airways (278, 2.39%)
- Aeroméxico (245, 2.10%)
- KLM (232, 1.99%)
- Air New Zealand (199, 1.71%)
- Other (27.81%)
Location
The airport, which went into operation in 1941, is located approx. 5 kilometers south of downtown. It can be reached via Interstate I-395 at exits 8,9 and 10, via Virginia State Route 400 (George Washington Memorial Parkway) and via US Highway 1.
The metro lines run regularly between the airport and downtown ” Yellow “and” Blue “.
Passengers arriving by train or bus (Amtrak + Greyhound) travel from Union Station (Red Line) to Gallery PL / Chinatown Station and then change to the Yellow or Blue Line to Franconia-Springfield / Huntington.
Passengers who have to transfer between Reagan National and Washington-Dulles Airport first take the Blue Line to Rosslyn Station (Orange + Blue Line) and then change to bus route 5A.
Passengers who have to change between Reagan National and Baltimore Airport drive to Union Station and from there use either the Amtrak or the “Penn Line” of MARC to BWI Rail Station, from where there is a regular and free shuttle bus service to the airport. Alternatively, you can also take the green metro line (Green Line) from the L’Enfant Plaza station in downtown to the Greenbelt station and then change to the metro bus route B30, which also goes directly to Baltimore Airport.
Otherwise, travel to and from Dulles Airport is also possible by taxi, rental car, shuttle van or limousine.