About Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is a city in Virginia, located just outside of Washington, D.C., in the United States of America. Originally surveyed in 1749, Alexandria claims some of the richest history in the D.C. metropolitan area. At various points in her past, Alexandria has been part of the District of Colombia, a regional slave trading market, an occupied city, a washed-up post-industrial hamlet, and a hometown to famous American heroes and rebels. Today, the town serves as an interesting day-trip alternative for weary tourist looking to escape the capital, a romantic getaway for metro-area residents, and a bedroom community for the white-collar workers that fuel the Federal labor mills to the north.
Arriving in Alexandria
By Plane
Alexandria is accessible from the three Washington D.C. area airports.
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), is located right on the edge of Alexandria in Arlington. From Reagan National, take the Yellow metro line in the direction of Huntington or the Blue line towards Franconia/Springfield south two stations to King Street.
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), is located at Dulles (pronounced Dull-ess), Virginia, 33 miles northwest of Alexandria. To get to Alexandria, the most convenient option may be the Washington Flyer coach, which operates every half hour to and from the West Falls Church Metro (Orange Line). It takes 20-25 minutes and costs $8 one way or $14 round trip. At West Falls Church take the metro line in the direction of New Carrollton to Rosslyn. At Rossyln, transfer to the blue line in the direction of Franconia-Springfield and exit at King Street.
- Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), is in Maryland and is 40 miles northeast of Alexandria. From BWI take the MARC train (morning and evening only) to Union Station (Red Line). Take the Red Line towards Shady Grove, transfer at Gallery Place/China Town onto the Yellow Line towards Huntington and exit at King Street. If you arrive at Union Station on a weekday during the daytime you can take the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) directly to Alexandria station. Alternately, the B30 Metrobus route runs from BWI to the Greenbelt Metro station. From there, take the green line until a transfer point on the yellow line, and then on south to Alexandria.
By Train
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) provides weekday, daytime rail service to Alexandria station from Washington D.C. Amtrak offers frequent service from Boston and NYC. The train station is adjacent to King Street Station, served by the yellow and blue metro lines.
By Metro
From downtown Washington D.C., the most direct route to Alexandria is via the Yellow line in the direction of Huntington and exiting at King Street, although the Blue line in the direction of Franconia-Springfield is also available.
Metrorail's Hours of Operation are as follows:
Monday-Thursday: 5AM to Midnight
Friday: 5AM to 3AM
Saturday: 7AM to 3AM
Sunday: 7AM to Midnight
Metrorail fares are based on distance and the time of day and range from $1.35 to $3.90.
By Car
Major roads of note:
Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (the "Capital Beltway"), a major freeway that serves the southern part of Alexandria and circles the Greater Washington D.C. area. The Capital Beltway section just east of Alexandria, known as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, is the last major crossing point of the Potomac River in the southern part of the metro area. Currently, the Wilson Bridge and surrounding area are undergoing a ten year construction project scheduled to end in 2012. The combination of a significant construction project and limited route alternatives means that traffic jams and detours are common, particularly on weekends, in and around the bridge area. Heading east, U.S. Highway 1 is the last exit in Virginia. For those going to Old Town Alexandria, failure to make this exit, will result in a long, difficult journey across the bridge and appropriate turn-abouts are spread thin on the Maryland side. If traffic is backed up at the Wilson Bridge or the Beltway/Hwy 1 interchange and you still want to get to Old Town, simply exit north at Telegraph Road and proceed up to the Duke Street exit going east. Take Duke Street a mile or so until you get to around Patrick/Henry and then meander your way north a couple of blocks to King Street. No reasonable alternatives exist for those traveling west out of Maryland.
Interstate 395 runs north-south along the western section of Alexandria
U.S. Highway 1 depending on where you are, this is the Jefferson Davis Freeway or Patrick/Henry - a major north-south artery into Washington D.C.
George Washington Memorial Parkway, known as Washington Street in Alexandria, it runs north-south along the Virginia side of the Potomac River and is an easy and pleasant drive to Mount Vernon.
King Street (State Route 7) - runs east-west from Old Town Alexandria out towards Fall's Church, Virginia.
Duke Street (State Route 236) - runs east-west into Old Town Alexandria.
Get around
The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town. This is where you find the most notable restaurants, shopping, and tourist destinations.
A good plan of action (if you are not staying in Old Town) would be to take the Metro to King Street, catch the DASH to the waterfront then walk from there. On Friday evenings and weekends, there is a free "Dash" shuttle that runs between the King Street metro station and the the historic town square on King Street. The local "DASH" system also operates many buses that will take you from the King Street Metro station to the historic center. Also available are the trolley (buses) that run the length of King Street from the metro down to the waterfront. These bright red trolleys are free and will stop at any one of the signs for the trolley stops seen along King street.
Two hour parking is often available a few blocks away from King Street (though it can be harder to find on weekend evenings), but read the parking signs carefully. Some parking is free, some is metered, and some is for locals only. Tires are frequently marked and if you exceed 2 hours you WILL get a ticket. If you plan on leaving your car for more than a couple hours it would be wise to use one of the many parking garages.
A water taxi runs from the waterfront at the end of King Street to Georgetown in Washington D.C.
You can also rent bikes in Old Town at Big Wheel Bikes located near the waterfront just south of King Street. The Mount Vernon Trail runs through Alexandria (although the Old Town section is streets) and goes all of the way to Mount Vernon, as well as connecting with the greater D.C. area.
Getting around Alexandria beyond Old Town and the Duke Street business district is a little more difficult, and will require bus transit or a car. Taxis are available anywhere for door to door service, just call to be picked up and you can expect one within 15 minutes anywhere. Expect to pay on average about a dollar a minute for travel by taxi.
More Info on Alexandria
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