Clara Barton Parkway
Encyclopedia
The Clara Barton Parkway is a highway in Washington, D.C.
and neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland
. It is administratively part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
. It was signed as the George Washington Memorial Parkway until 1989, when it was renamed to avoid motorist confusion. It is named in honor of Clara Barton
, founder of the American Red Cross
.
The parkway's eastern terminus (38°55′49.45"N 77°6′42.92"W) is in the District of Columbia, where the parkway connects with Canal Road and Chain Bridge. Its western terminus (38°58′42.7"N 77°12′24.04"W) is at MacArthur Boulevard in the Potomac
area of Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside the Capital Beltway. The parkway provides access to Glen Echo Park and the Clara Barton National Historic Site
in Glen Echo, Maryland
. The parkway connects to the Capital Beltway via a partial interchange and also via the Cabin John Parkway
(administered by the Maryland State Highway Administration
). The parkway includes an overhanging bridge near Glen Echo.
One section of the parkway serves one-way traffic during weekday rush hours, permitting only southbound traffic to Washington in the morning and northbound traffic to Maryland in the afternoon.
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The parkways on each side of the Potomac River
were originally supposed to be joined by a bridge at the Great Falls. However, opposition from preservationists led to the cancellation of that bridge. Instead, traffic between the two parkways uses the American Legion Bridge
of the Capital Beltway. The Virginia side of the river at Great Falls is managed by the superintendent of the parkway as a national park, known as Great Falls Park. Some elements of the proposed final parkway configuration were built but have never been used, such as the concrete bridge that would have carried northbound traffic at the Glen Echo turnaround. It remains in place over the roadway, but its surface is covered by grass and it connects only to a wooded area along MacArthur Boulevard.
. Clara Barton Parkway heads east as a two-lane highway, expanding to a four-lane divided highway immediately before a diamond interchange with an access road to the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center to the north, which features the David Taylor Model Basin
, and Carderock Recreation Area of the C&O Canal to the south. East of the NSWC property, the two roadways split for the parkway's interchange with I-495 (Capital Beltway), which is similar to a trumpet interchange with extra flyover ramps. There is no direct access from westbound Clara Barton Parkway to northbound I-495 or from southbound I-495 to the eastbound parkway.
The parkway roadways come together in Cabin John just west of parking areas accessible from the eastbound direction to C&O Canal Lock 10 and C&O Canal Lock 8 and River Center. Access to a MacArthur Boulevard in Cabin John is provided by a diamond interchange to a road connecting the highway with the parkway. Clara Barton Parkway reduces to one lane eastbound as it crosses Cabin John Creek
and meets Cabin John Parkway at a partial interchange featuring ramps from westbound Clara Barton Parkway to northbound Cabin John Parkway and an entrance from Cabin John Parkway to eastbound Clara Barton Parkway, which becomes two lanes again. The westbound lanes are elevated on top of a retaining wall above the eastbound lanes through interchange with an access road to MacArthur Boulevard in Glen Echo, which is the location of Glen Echo Park and Clara Barton National Historic Site
. The interchange features a tight hairpin-turn ramp from eastbound to westbound parkway, a tight right-turn ramp from the access road to the westbound parkway, and an unused bridge over the westbound direction.
East of Glen Echo, Clara Barton Parkway reduces to a two-lane undivided highway that closely parallels MacArthur Boulevard on the hillside to the north. The parkway passes a pair of parking areas for Little Falls before expanding to a four-lane divided highway while passing a third parking area for C&O Canal Lock 6. Clara Barton Parkway reduces to a two-lane undivided highway again as it passes under a pedestrian bridge. The parkway crosses Little Falls Branch
and enters the District of Columbia before reaching its east terminus at an intersection with Canal Road and Chain Bridge Road. Canal Road heads east toward Georgetown while Chain Bridge Road crosses Chain Bridge into Arlington, Virginia to connect with Virginia State Route 120
and VA 123
.
!Jurisdiction
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=6|Montgomery County, Maryland
|rowspan=3|Carderock
|0.0
|MacArthur Boulevard – Great Falls, Potomac
|Western terminus
|-
|0.7
|Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center
|Diamond interchange
|-
|1.6
|, Tysons Corner
|No direct access from southbound I-495 to eastbound Clara Barton Parkway and from westbound Clara Barton Parkway to northbound I-495
|-
|rowspan=2|Cabin John
|3.1
|MacArthur Boulevard – Cabin John
|Diamond interchange
|-
|3.5
|Cabin John Parkway
to
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
||Glen Echo
|4.2
|MacArthur Boulevard – Glen Echo
|No access from access road to eastbound Clara Barton Parkway
|-
|colspan=2|Washington, D.C.
|6.8
|Chain Bridge Road south to / Canal Road east – Georgetown, Arlington
|Eastern terminus
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. It is administratively part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
. It was signed as the George Washington Memorial Parkway until 1989, when it was renamed to avoid motorist confusion. It is named in honor of Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
, founder of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
.
The parkway's eastern terminus (38°55′49.45"N 77°6′42.92"W) is in the District of Columbia, where the parkway connects with Canal Road and Chain Bridge. Its western terminus (38°58′42.7"N 77°12′24.04"W) is at MacArthur Boulevard in the Potomac
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
area of Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside the Capital Beltway. The parkway provides access to Glen Echo Park and the Clara Barton National Historic Site
Clara Barton National Historic Site
The Clara Barton National Historic Site, which includes the Clara Barton House, was established in 1974 to interpret the life of Clara Barton , an American pioneer teacher, nurse, and humanitarian who was the founder of the American Red Cross. The site is located northwest of Washington D.C...
in Glen Echo, Maryland
Glen Echo, Maryland
Glen Echo is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, that was chartered in 1904. The population was 242 at the 2000 census.Glen Echo derives its name from Edward and Edwin Baltzley, who came up with name circa 1888...
. The parkway connects to the Capital Beltway via a partial interchange and also via the Cabin John Parkway
Cabin John Parkway
Cabin John Parkway is an automobile parkway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The parkway runs from Clara Barton Parkway in Cabin John north to the Capital Beltway in Bethesda...
(administered by the Maryland State Highway Administration
Maryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
). The parkway includes an overhanging bridge near Glen Echo.
One section of the parkway serves one-way traffic during weekday rush hours, permitting only southbound traffic to Washington in the morning and northbound traffic to Maryland in the afternoon.
Planned connection
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
were originally supposed to be joined by a bridge at the Great Falls. However, opposition from preservationists led to the cancellation of that bridge. Instead, traffic between the two parkways uses the American Legion Bridge
American Legion Memorial Bridge (Potomac River)
The American Legion Memorial Bridge, also known as the American Legion Bridge and formerly as the Cabin John Bridge, is a bridge in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It carries the Capital Beltway across the Potomac River between Montgomery County and Fairfax County, Virginia...
of the Capital Beltway. The Virginia side of the river at Great Falls is managed by the superintendent of the parkway as a national park, known as Great Falls Park. Some elements of the proposed final parkway configuration were built but have never been used, such as the concrete bridge that would have carried northbound traffic at the Glen Echo turnaround. It remains in place over the roadway, but its surface is covered by grass and it connects only to a wooded area along MacArthur Boulevard.
Route description
Clara Barton Parkway begins at an intersection with MacArthur Boulevard in Carderock. MacArthur Boulevard heads west toward Great Falls and the affluent community of PotomacPotomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
. Clara Barton Parkway heads east as a two-lane highway, expanding to a four-lane divided highway immediately before a diamond interchange with an access road to the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center to the north, which features the David Taylor Model Basin
David Taylor Model Basin
The David Taylor Model Basin is one of the largest ship model basins — test facilities for the development of ship design — in the world...
, and Carderock Recreation Area of the C&O Canal to the south. East of the NSWC property, the two roadways split for the parkway's interchange with I-495 (Capital Beltway), which is similar to a trumpet interchange with extra flyover ramps. There is no direct access from westbound Clara Barton Parkway to northbound I-495 or from southbound I-495 to the eastbound parkway.
The parkway roadways come together in Cabin John just west of parking areas accessible from the eastbound direction to C&O Canal Lock 10 and C&O Canal Lock 8 and River Center. Access to a MacArthur Boulevard in Cabin John is provided by a diamond interchange to a road connecting the highway with the parkway. Clara Barton Parkway reduces to one lane eastbound as it crosses Cabin John Creek
Cabin John Creek (Potomac River)
Cabin John Creek is a tributary stream of the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland. The watershed covers an area of . The headwaters of the creek originate in the city of Rockville, and the creek flows southward for to the Potomac River....
and meets Cabin John Parkway at a partial interchange featuring ramps from westbound Clara Barton Parkway to northbound Cabin John Parkway and an entrance from Cabin John Parkway to eastbound Clara Barton Parkway, which becomes two lanes again. The westbound lanes are elevated on top of a retaining wall above the eastbound lanes through interchange with an access road to MacArthur Boulevard in Glen Echo, which is the location of Glen Echo Park and Clara Barton National Historic Site
Clara Barton National Historic Site
The Clara Barton National Historic Site, which includes the Clara Barton House, was established in 1974 to interpret the life of Clara Barton , an American pioneer teacher, nurse, and humanitarian who was the founder of the American Red Cross. The site is located northwest of Washington D.C...
. The interchange features a tight hairpin-turn ramp from eastbound to westbound parkway, a tight right-turn ramp from the access road to the westbound parkway, and an unused bridge over the westbound direction.
East of Glen Echo, Clara Barton Parkway reduces to a two-lane undivided highway that closely parallels MacArthur Boulevard on the hillside to the north. The parkway passes a pair of parking areas for Little Falls before expanding to a four-lane divided highway while passing a third parking area for C&O Canal Lock 6. Clara Barton Parkway reduces to a two-lane undivided highway again as it passes under a pedestrian bridge. The parkway crosses Little Falls Branch
Little Falls Branch (Potomac River)
Little Falls Branch, a tributary stream of the Potomac River, is located in Montgomery County, Maryland. In the 19th century, the stream was also called Powder Mill Branch. It drains portions of Bethesda, Somerset, Friendship Heights, and the District of Columbia, flows under the Chesapeake and...
and enters the District of Columbia before reaching its east terminus at an intersection with Canal Road and Chain Bridge Road. Canal Road heads east toward Georgetown while Chain Bridge Road crosses Chain Bridge into Arlington, Virginia to connect with Virginia State Route 120
Virginia State Route 120
Virginia State Route 120 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Glebe Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Crystal City north to SR 123 at the Chain Bridge...
and VA 123
Virginia State Route 123
Virginia State Route 123 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Woodbridge north to the Chain Bridge across the Potomac River into Washington from Arlington...
.
Junction list
{| class="wikitable"!Jurisdiction
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=6|Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
|rowspan=3|Carderock
Carderock, Maryland
Carderock, Maryland, is located in Montgomery County, Maryland, along the Potomac River. Carderock is just west of Bethesda.It is the location of a division of the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center ....
|0.0
|MacArthur Boulevard – Great Falls, Potomac
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
|Western terminus
|-
|0.7
|Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center
|Diamond interchange
|-
|1.6
|, Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
|No direct access from southbound I-495 to eastbound Clara Barton Parkway and from westbound Clara Barton Parkway to northbound I-495
|-
|rowspan=2|Cabin John
Cabin John, Maryland
Cabin John is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The placename is a corruption of its original name of "Captain John's Mills."-Geography:...
|3.1
|MacArthur Boulevard – Cabin John
Cabin John, Maryland
Cabin John is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The placename is a corruption of its original name of "Captain John's Mills."-Geography:...
|Diamond interchange
|-
|3.5
|Cabin John Parkway
Cabin John Parkway
Cabin John Parkway is an automobile parkway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The parkway runs from Clara Barton Parkway in Cabin John north to the Capital Beltway in Bethesda...
to
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
||Glen Echo
Glen Echo, Maryland
Glen Echo is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, that was chartered in 1904. The population was 242 at the 2000 census.Glen Echo derives its name from Edward and Edwin Baltzley, who came up with name circa 1888...
|4.2
|MacArthur Boulevard – Glen Echo
Glen Echo, Maryland
Glen Echo is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, that was chartered in 1904. The population was 242 at the 2000 census.Glen Echo derives its name from Edward and Edwin Baltzley, who came up with name circa 1888...
|No access from access road to eastbound Clara Barton Parkway
|-
|colspan=2|Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
|6.8
|Chain Bridge Road south to / Canal Road east – Georgetown, Arlington
|Eastern terminus