Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport is one of two major airports serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, located in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, approximately 26 miles west of the nation's capital. The airport opened in 1962 and was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, whose sweeping main terminal building is considered a masterpiece of mid-century modern architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. IAD handles over 24 million passengers per year and features a main terminal with two midfield concourses connected by the AeroTrain automated people mover, which replaced the airport's original mobile lounges. The airport serves as a hub for United Airlines and hosts numerous international carriers, offering extensive transatlantic and Middle Eastern route networks. The Washington Metro Silver Line extension, completed in 2022, now provides direct rail service from Dulles to downtown Washington, D.C., significantly improving public transit access. IAD is named after John Foster Dulles, the 52nd Secretary of State. The airport is the preferred facility for international travelers in the Washington region and serves as the area's primary long-haul gateway, with nonstop flights to destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.