Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) Information
(Washington, District of Columbia - DC, USA)
The US capital is served by three airports, the Baltimore-Washington International (BWI), the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which is the largest and most important facility in this area. The latter now boasts annual passenger figures in the region of 25 million, and growing, with some 24,000 parking spaces to choose between. These figures clearly give an idea of scale and the size of operations at Dulles.
Major airlines offer the greatest number of departures, whereas smaller airlines provide low-cost, no-frills tickets with a more limited number of flights arriving and departing each day. Particularly notable for their large number of destinations are Delta Connection, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and United Express.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Address: 1 Saarinen Circle, Dulles, Virginia VA, 20166, USA
Tel: +1 703 572 2700
Dulles International Airport is situated just 42 km / 26 miles west of the center of Washington, being located in the suburbs of Virginia, alongside Ashburn, Centreville, Chantilly, Herndon, Oak Grove and Sterling. Keen golfers will find a good selection of nearby courses, including the Brambleton Regional Park, Pleasant Valley, Reston, South Riding and Sterling golf courses, while both the Claude Moore Park and the Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park are also close by, providing further interest for those with time on their hands.
Washington IAD Airports Guide
Terminals
There is just one main terminal building, serving a large number of different airlines.
- Main Terminal - serves various domestic / American, Canadian and international airlines, departing from concourses A, B, C, D and Z
- The concourse areas have more than 120 gates
Facilities:
- Bureau de change with Travelex Worldwide Money
- 24-hour cash machines (ATMs) and postal facilities
- Restaurants, cafés, fast-food outlets and bars, such as Auntie Anne's, Capitol Grounds Coffee, Chipotle, Cinnabon, the Dulles Gourmet Market, Dunkin' Donuts, Famous Famiglia, Five Guys, the Great American Bagel Bakery, the Potbelly Sandwich Works, Starbucks, Subway, Villa Pizza and Wendy's
- Shopping center with many large stores, including Appalachian Spring, Brooks Brothers, Brookstone, CNBC News, DC Express News, Faber News, Fox News, Hudson Booksellers, InMotion Entertainment, Mindworks, News Exchange, Rosetta Stone, Smithsonian, Stellar Books and Techshowcase
- Car hire companies - including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National Car Rental and Thrifty
- Business facilities are available at the business center, including computers, Internet access, fax machines, photocopiers and work spaces
- Short-term parking is available in two parking garages close to the terminal building, linked by courtesy shuttle buses
- Long-term economy parking is located close by, connected to the terminal by courtesy shuttle buses
- Cell phone waiting areas
- Special facilities for disabled passengers
- Manicure and massage services
Cars
Downtown Washington is easy to reach by several major highways, including the main toll highway, Dulles Toll Road, and also the I-66 Interstate. The airport is well sign posted and the journey to the city can take as little as 30 minutes, but during the morning and evening rush hours the journey may take over 45 minutes.
Trains and Buses
The Metrorail system is the local rapid train transport system. The West Falls Church Metrorail Station is situated relatively close by and can be reached by a short coach journey, connecting Dulles International Airport to central Washington and other surrounding areas. Those headed to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum can use the buses laid on by the Virginia Regional Transportation Association (VRTA).
Hotel Shuttles
Many downtown Washington hotels also offer a door-to-door courtesy shuttle bus service for their guests, traveling from Dulles Airport directly to the hotel, from outside of the passenger buildings. Courtesy telephones are available at the baggage reclaim area and the shuttles simply collect guests from the curbside.
Shuttle Buses
Shuttle buses are also available, being operated by 'SuperShuttle'. Traveling from the Main Terminal to central Washington and making many stops on the way, the shared-shuttle buses also connect the airport with numerous downtown hotels. Vans with access for disabled passengers can be requested.
Taxis
Taxis are readily available at the Washington Dulles International Airport, outside of the Main Terminal building on the lower levels. Offering a journey time in the region of 30 to 45 minutes, all of the taxis are operated by Washington Flyer Taxicabs and run 24 hours a day. Credit cards are now accepted as an alternative to cash.