Washington Reagan National parking
The close-in DC airport. On-airport parking is premium-priced, so off-airport lots near Crystal City win on value.
About Washington Reagan National
The closest airport to the US capital, with a federal cap on how far its flights can go.
Ronald Reagan Washington National handled 24.89 million passengers in 2025, down 5.3 percent on the year before. It is five miles from the District, the closest airport to the capital, and the convenience is the entire point of it.
It is also the most regulated major airport in the country. A federal perimeter rule limits nonstop flights to 1,250 statute miles, with a set of specific exemptions letting a handful of carriers fly beyond it to places like Phoenix, Los Angeles and Seattle. If your route feels oddly short-haul for a capital city airport, that is why.
There are two terminals. Terminal 1 has 9 gates. Terminal 2 has four concourses, B, C, D and E, and 50 gates, for 59 jetway gates in total. The Metro station sits on an elevated platform right next to Terminal 2.
Getting to DCA
All the practical access info, by car, train, coach and otherwise.
The airport is reached from the George Washington Memorial Parkway, US Route 1 and I-395, with the Airport Viaduct, State Route 233, carrying traffic in.
The Washington Metro Yellow and Blue lines serve the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station, on an elevated outdoor platform adjacent to Terminal 2. It is one of the genuinely good airport rail connections in the country.
Metrobus routes serve the terminals.
Because the Metro is right there and the airport is five miles out, DCA's parking demand comes disproportionately from people coming in from further out in Virginia and Maryland.
How parking works at Washington Reagan National
The garages are numbered by airline rather than in the way you might guess. Parking 1 serves Air Canada, Frontier and Southwest. Parking 2 serves American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue and United. Both have indoor connections to the terminals.
The Economy Lot serves all airlines and is the airport's value tier, with a free 24-hour shuttle running between the terminals and every on-airport parking facility. The airport also runs a PassPark Premium program.
Check the airline mapping before you drive in. Parking 1 and Parking 2 do not correspond to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 in the way the names imply, and the difference is a walk you did not plan for.
Tips travelers wish they'd known
- Park by airline, not by terminal number. Parking 1 is Air Canada, Frontier and Southwest. Parking 2 is American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue and United.
- The Cell Phone Lot has been listed as closed, so do not plan your arrivals pickup around it without checking first.
- The Metro station is right at Terminal 2 on the Yellow and Blue lines. If you are coming from the District, that is genuinely the faster option and you should take it.
- Perimeter rule aside, DCA is a business airport, so early weekday mornings are the crush and the close-in garages go first.
DCA questions, answered
The questions our 24/7 team gets asked most about flying from Washington Reagan National.
How early should I arrive at Reagan National?+
Two hours for domestic flights. DCA is compact and the Metro drops you at Terminal 2, but weekday business peaks are dense and the security lines build fast.
Which parking garage do I need at DCA?+
It depends on your airline, not your terminal number. Parking 1 serves Air Canada, Frontier and Southwest. Parking 2 serves American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue and United. The Economy Lot serves all airlines.
What is the perimeter rule at DCA?+
A federal restriction limiting nonstop flights from Reagan National to 1,250 statute miles, with a limited set of exemptions allowing certain carriers to fly beyond it to destinations such as Phoenix, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Should I take the Metro to DCA instead of driving?+
From the District, usually yes. The Yellow and Blue lines stop on an elevated platform right beside Terminal 2. From further out in Virginia or Maryland, driving and parking is often the more practical choice.