You will find Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia, just four to five miles from Washington, D.C. As the nation's capital's closest airport, it is owned by the federal government and operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. It serves as the busiest airport in the Washington metropolitan area, hosting millions of passengers annually.
The airport operates with two primary passenger facilities, Terminal 1 and the much larger Terminal 2. It serves as a major hub for American Airlines and offers nonstop access to 108 destinations. Because there are no customs or immigration facilities on site, international arrivals are restricted strictly to flights originating from locations with CBP preclearance.
01 Terminals & concourses
Part of the airport's original structure remains in active service as Terminal 1. It incorporates the Terminal A concourse facility.
Opened in 1997, Terminal 2 serves as the airport's significantly larger primary terminal facility.
Airport map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the whole airport — terminals, concourses, access roads and the parking garages. Zoom in for gate-level detail.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official gate/terminal maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage at DCA
If your checked bag doesn't turn up on the belt, act before you leave the baggage-claim area — that's where every airline keeps its Baggage Service Office.
- Go to your airline's Baggage Service Office in the baggage-claim hall of your arrival terminal.
- File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and get your file reference (WorldTracer) number. Keep your bag-tag receipt and boarding pass.
- Track it online using that reference on your airline's baggage-tracking page — most bags are located within 24–48 hours.
- Claim your essentials. On delayed bags airlines reimburse reasonable interim purchases (toiletries, clothing) — keep receipts. International trips are covered by the Montreal Convention.
- If it's truly lost (generally after 21 days) or damaged, file the claim at the same office — damage must be reported before you leave the airport.
Left something in the terminal (not a checked bag)? That's handled by the airport Lost & Found. Items left at a TSA security checkpoint are held by the TSA, not the airline.
02 Getting to & from DCA
These are the ground-transport options connecting the airport with the city. Fares and schedules change — check the operator before you travel.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Rail | Metrorail service operates directly from the airport station. |
| Road | Accessible via local road networks in Arlington County near U.S. Route 1. |
