February, 2008:
Ronald Reagan National Airport in Crystal City / Arlington
Tower at Reagan National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, formerly Washington National Airport, is on the Potomac across the river from Washington DC. Along with Baltimore Washington International and Dulles International, Reagan National is one of three major airports serving the Washington Metro area. Reagan National is easily my favorite of the three airports for a number of reasons.
Dulles and BWI are massive sprawling airports with shuttle buses and mobile lounges. Reagan National barely has enough room for the runway. I always like smaller airports. They feel like they are scaled to human beings. There is plenty of security at National, but it seems to move along more smoothly than Dulles or BWI.
Dulles and BWI are outside the Beltway at the periphery of the Washington Capitol Area. Reagan National is at the heart of everything, wedged at the confluence of DC, Alexandria and Arlington. For me, it’s a long drive just to get to BWI or Dulles, but Reagan National is here, and it’s accessible by Metro. Reagan National is a
station on both the Yellow and Blue lines.
Main concourse of Reagan National Airport
Extended parking is available at Dulles or BWI, but on the shuttle bus, the ride from the parking lot to the terminal seems like a mile or more. At Reagan National, extended parking is at my house. Because instead of taking a shuttle, I can take the Metro to the airport.The runway is a short at Reagan National and it launches planes up over GW Parkway and at the Washington Monument, requiring a steep climb and a hard left on take off. Some folks find this terrifying, but I have to admit I love it. I know it’s a safe path, because planes take-off here day and night, so I sit back and enjoy the abrupt take-off and turn.
Reagan National is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, although many ticket counters and restaurants in the airport close during off-hours. Reagan National is located within the Commonwealth of Virginia, but it has a Washington DC address to identify the airport’s location more easily for travelers.
The Perimeter Rule and the High Density Rule affect flights at Reagan National. Under the Perimeter Rule, nonstop aircraft flights are limited to a range of 1,250 miles or less. In 2000, Congress permitted the FAA to allow six round-trip flights to points outside the perimeter. The High Density Rule (or “Slot” rule) limits the number of landings or takeoffs allowed in an hour. The rule affects Reagan National because of the Airport’s limited airfield capacity.
Reagan National is located in Arlington County near/in Crystal City. It is most easily accessed from the George Washington Parkway. There are a good many condos and homes in the Crystal City area and they’re all just a metro stop away from Reagan National. The take-off and approach to Reagan National is down the Potomac, so that area residents get very little noise or fly-over from the jets at Reagan National.
To search area real estate contact Will Nesbitt at 703 765 0300 or use one of the handy links below.
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Northern Virginia’s Road Network
Northern Virginia’s traffic is shaped by its proximity to Washington DC and proximity to several important job centers. The world famous Capitol Beltway (Interstate 495) circles DC like a wheel around a hub. The Beltway links Northern Virginia’s suburban communities such as Springfield, Kingstowne, Braddock Road and Vienna to the transportation network. The Beltway generally moves at or above the speed limit most times and most days.
In Virginia, the Beltway travels from the American Legion Bridge upriver to the newly-rebuilt Woodrow Wilson Bridge downriver. At each bridge the Beltway enters Maryland. In Maryland the Beltway loops around DC creating a complete route.
There are several important job centers along 495, such as Tysons Corner. Tysons Corner is poorly served by mass transit and there are regularly scheduled traffic jams at Tysons every rush hour. In addition, the bridges are choke-points for traffic entering and leaving Virginia at the American Legion Bridge and at the recently re-built Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
Traffic into Maryland at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge favors Virginia commuters heading into Maryland. Commuters from Virginia generally won’t have much trouble reaching Andrews AFB, the Census Bureau, etc. Conversely, the evening approach to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge backs up with Maryland residents heading home from jos in Virginia. This problem should soon be alleviated greatly as the new bridge comes completely online.
The American Legion Bridge serves many Virginia commuters headed for Rockville, Silver Spring, etc. This burden, coupled with its proximity to Tysons Corner causes the Beltway to slow during rush hour.
The Beltway loops around DC like a wheel around a hub. Many roads and rails in the area link to DC like spokes on that wheel. There are many of these spokes, but in Virginia there are three primary corridors from DC: I-66, I-395, and US 1 together with the GW Parkway.
66 Corridor and Orange Line
I-66 is HOV only during rush hour, but other routes (such as 50, 29 & 28) parallel the interstate as it approaches DC. Taken as a whole this road system can carry a tremendous amount of traffic, but it slows considerably during rush hour.
The 66 corridor is also served by the Orange Line, with Metro stops in Arlington at Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston (and more). The Orange Line continues through West Falls Church and then into Fairfax County with a terminal station at Vienna. 66 is used by commuters in Fairfax, Centreville, Manassas and beyond to the hinterlands.
In addition to the routes mentioned above, outside the Beltway 66 is supported by the Dulles Tollroad, which links the area to Dulles Airport and outlying suburbs such as Herndon, Reston and beyond.
I-395
Interstate 395 doesn’t have a Metro train service but it carries a massive load of traffic none-the-less. In addition to its 8 to 10 lanes of traffic, 395 has an extra 3 lanes of HOV that switch direction depending on the hour of the day. 395 leaves DC between the Pentagon and Crystal City (both in Arlington) and on the way out to I-95 and the Beltway at Springfield, I 395 passes Shirlington, Landmark, East Falls Church and other neighborhoods.
Traffic on 395 is nearly always heavy but only slows during rush hour.
George Washington Parkway, Rt. 1 and the Yellow & Blue Lines
North of the Key Bridge, the 4 to 6 lanes of the George Washington Parkway ties into I-495 at the American Legion Bridge. This route serves Mclean and Northern Arlington County. South of Memorial Bridge, the George Washington Parkway and US Rt. 1 together only carry 8 to 10 lanes of traffic.
Traffic here is relatively light considering the proximity to the city, and the fact that US 1 has several traffic lights. This route follows the Potomac downriver toward the Beltway at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
This route is also supported by the Yellow and Blue Metro Lines. Taken as a whole, this route serves commuters at Crystal City, Pentagon City, Del Ray, Old Town, New Alexandria and Mt. Vernon to the city. At King St, the Yellow and Blue Lines fork with the Yellow Line continuing toward Mt. Vernon, but ending at Huntington. The Blue Line turns south toward Springfield with stops at Van Dorn and Springfield.
The Potomac River
Creative Commons License photo credit: CrimsonMage
The Potomac River is located on the east coast of the United States, and runs through Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. before it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. It is over 380 miles long and wider than 11 miles at its widest point.
As it passes through Washington DC, the nation’s capital, the Potomac passes the Washington Monument and the memorials of Jefferson, and Lincoln. Many consider the Potomac to be one of the most beautiful and bountiful rivers on the East Coast. The river is also widely regard its historic, scenic and recreational significance. Among the many who loved the Potomac was George Washington, who worked as a surveyor at many points along the banks of the river. George Washington’s mansion
at Mount Vernon is on the Potomac.
Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate on the Potomac
The Potomac’s source is a small spring at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia. From there, the river gathers many tributaries, winding through the mountains and valleys of Appalachia. One of its most
dramatic turns occurs at Harper’s Ferry where the Shenandoah meets the
Potomac.
At Great Falls, the Potomac tumbles down from the Appalachian Highlands to the sandy soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Visitors from the colonial era to the modern era relish the views here. Today visitors at Great Falls
will not only marvel at the cataracts, but also the engineering efforts of those who sought to fulfill George Washington’s dream of connecting the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. The C & O Canal was only operational for a few short years, but remnants of the system are still functional at Great Falls Park.
Finally, the river flows almost 400 miles widening to over 11 miles as it reaches the Chesapeake Bay on the long, low, and barren peninsula named Point Lookout, Maryland. Before the US Civil War, Point Lookout was home to a few hotels and boarding houses, but during the war it was converted into one of the largest and worst of the Union
prisoner-of-war camps.
Fishers, anglers, boaters, sailors and kayakers all enjoy the Potomac.
The Potomac River has a watershed of 14,670 square miles including tributaries in Maryland (the Monocacy, Savage, and St. Mary’s Rivers); in Virginia (the Shenandoah and Occoquan Rivers); in West Virginia (the South Branch and Cacapon Rivers); in Pennsylvania (Conococheague and Antietam Creeks); and in Washington DC (the Anacostia River). The Potomac cradles forests, battlefields, farmlands, mountains, parks, and cities. It is known to many as our Nation’s River.
If you’re searching for a home or condo in Northern Virginia with a view of the Potomac, contact Will Nesbitt with Condo Alexandria.
