⚠️ DCA renamed its terminals — the old Terminal A is now Terminal 1, and Terminals B and C are now Terminal 2. Older guides and some booking confirmations still use the letters. The Metrorail station connects to Terminal 2; from Terminal 1 it's close to a quarter-mile walk.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Arlington / Washington DC, United States
Metrorail's Blue and Yellow lines stop at DCA, with the station connected to Terminal 2 by walkways on Level 2. For rideshare, Terminal 1 pickup is on the third (outer) curb; Terminal 2 pickup is on the Baggage Claim (Arrivals) Level, 1st floor outer curb, Zones 1 to 4 — look for the green flags. If arrivals-level traffic is heavy, both terminals allow you to select the upper ticketing level in the app instead.
Ride Options
Metrorail Blue / Yellow Line
transitThe fastest, most predictable route into central Washington
Uber
rideshareDoor-to-door with luggage, or destinations off the Metro map
Lyft
rideshareAlternative rideshare
Washington DC Licensed Taxi
taxiNo app needed; the rank moves quickly
SIXT Ride — Pre-booked Airport Transfer
Private TransferFixed-rate pre-booked door-to-door transfer
Pickup Guidance
Rideshare
Terminal 1 — the third (outer) curb. Terminal 2 — Baggage Claim (Arrivals) Level, 1st floor, outer curb, Zones 1–4; exit through doors 5 and 6 and cross to the passenger pickup median. Green flags on the outer curb mark the zones. If the arrivals level is congested, the app also allows selection of the ticketing (upper) level. Rideshare is not permitted inside the Rental Car Center — that pickup is across from the Rental Car Shuttle Bus shelter on National Avenue.
Taxi
Taxi stands at ground level outside baggage claim at each terminal, staffed by airport customer service representatives, available around the clock.
Shuttle
Hotel and off-airport shuttles stop at both terminals. Rental car customers take the shuttle bus from the terminal to the Rental Car Center. Charter buses operate only from outside the upper level.
Transit
Metrorail Blue and Yellow lines. The station is elevated and connected to Terminal 2 via walkways on Level 2 of the concourse. From Terminal 1 the walk is close to a quarter of a mile. Downtown Washington is roughly 15–20 minutes away; the Yellow Line runs direct to Union Station.
Private Transfer
Pre-booked cars and meet-and-greet drivers typically wait inside baggage claim with a name sign at either terminal. Given DCA's congestion, a fixed meeting point inside is often less stressful than a curb.
Travel Extras
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Local Tips
- If someone gives you a terminal letter, translate it: A is now Terminal 1, and B/C are now Terminal 2.
- The Metro station sits beside Terminal 2. If you land at Terminal 1 with heavy bags, the walk is long enough to be worth factoring in.
- DCA handles far more passengers than it was designed for, and the arrivals curb reflects that. Selecting the upper ticketing level for a rideshare pickup is a legitimate way around the congestion.
- Flights at DCA are mostly short-haul because of the perimeter rule, so most arrivals are domestic with no immigration process.
- For National Harbor, take the Yellow or Blue Line to King Street–Old Town and transfer to the NH2 Metrobus — there's no direct rail.
- Rideshare cannot collect inside the Rental Car Center; that pickup point is on National Avenue, across from the shuttle bus shelter.
Tarmyq local tip
Look for the green flags. DCA marks its rideshare zones with them on the outer curb, and they're a faster visual anchor than reading zone numbers while dodging traffic on one of the busiest arrival curbs in the country.