George Washington Memorial Parkway
Encyclopedia
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
maintained by the U.S. National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge
Arlington Memorial Bridge
The Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. crosses the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Columbia Island. The northeastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of the National Mall...
passes over Columbia Island
Columbia Island (District of Columbia)
Columbia Island is located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., and is part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Boundary Channel separates the island from the Virginia shoreline to the southwest...
, which is within the District of Columbia
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....
. It is separated into two sections joined by Washington Street (Virginia State Route 400) in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. A third section, the Clara Barton Parkway, runs on the opposite side of the Potomac River
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...
in the District of Columbia and 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...
. A fourth section was proposed for Fort Washington, Maryland
Fort Washington, Maryland
Fort Washington, Maryland is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland in the suburbs of the capital city of the United States of America, Washington, D.C., south of the downtown district. It is a prosperous community with an African American majority...
, but never built. The parkway is designated an All-American Road.
Northern section
The northern section extends from North Washington Street at First Street, at the northern end of Old Town Alexandria, to its terminus at Interstate 495, the Capital BeltwayInterstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
, in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, just south of the Potomac River. It follows the Potomac River, passing through Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, and serves as the primary access point to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
. The parkway also provides automobile access to Theodore Roosevelt Island
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Theodore Roosevelt Island is a island and a national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The island was given to the American people by the Theodore Roosevelt Association in memory of the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt....
, the LBJ National Grove, Gravelly Point Park, Fort Marcy, Columbia Island Marina and Turkey Run Park. There are scenic view rest areas for those wishing to view the Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
skyline and Potomac Palisades
The Palisades, Washington, D.C.
The Palisades is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River, running roughly from the edge of the Georgetown University campus to the D.C.-Maryland boundary...
. The cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
with the 14th Street Bridge, dating to 1932, is one of the oldest cloverleaf interchanges in the United States. Spout Run Parkway connects the George Washington Memorial Parkway to U.S. Route 29, providing an indirect connection to Interstate 66. The portion of the parkway north of National Airport and State Route 233 is part of the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
.
Southern section
Washington Street in Alexandria is owned by the National Park Service as part of the parkway, and leased to the city for maintenance. A majority of the park along the Alexandria shore line is also leased land.The southern section extends from South Washington Street at the southern end of Old Town Alexandria past Fort Hunt
Fort Hunt, Virginia
Fort Hunt is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. . It is one of the wealthiest places in the United States with a median household income surpassing that of Greenwich, Connecticut and Malibu, California, and is most famous for the site of former P.O...
to Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
. The southern section is a limited-access highway, but with at-grade intersection
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
s. At Mount Vernon, the parkway ends at a traffic circle
Traffic circle
A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...
, where it joins State Route 235. Most of this route was taken from the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway's right-of-way. The Mount Vernon bicycle trail
Mount Vernon Trail
The Mount Vernon Trail is a popular running and bike path in Northern Virginia that follows the west bank of the Potomac River from near Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon. The northern, urban half is open and has views of Washington, D.C. across the river. The southern below Alexandria is...
parallels the southern and middle sections of the parkway (from Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon), and is often filled with recreational and commuter cyclists and runners. Points of interest on or near the parkway are the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Woodrow Wilson Bridge
The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. While over the water near the Virginia shore, it crosses the southern tip of the District of...
, Jones Point
Jones Point
Jones Point is a geographic point on the Potomac River which is part of the city of Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The Jones Point lighthouse and a small park are located at the point, which is immediately north of the confluence of Hunting Creek and the Potomac River...
, Hunting Creek
Hunting Creek
Hunting Creek is a cove and tributary stream of the Potomac River between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County in Virginia. It is formed by the confluence of Cameron Run and Hooff Run. The community of Huntington takes its name from the creek. Jones Point forms the north side. Dyke Marsh is...
, Dyke Marsh
Dyke Marsh
Dyke Marsh is located on the west bank of the Potomac River south of Alexandria, Virginia between Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon. Dyke Marsh consists of about of tidal marsh, floodplain, and swamp forest. Forming 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, Dyke Marsh is the largest remaining piece of...
, Fort Hunt Park
Fort Hunt Park
Fort Hunt Park is a public park located in Fort Hunt, Fairfax County, Virginia. It is administered by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The park preserves the remains of the eponymous Fort Hunt, portions of which date to the time of the Spanish-American War...
, P. O. Box 1142
P. O. Box 1142
P.O. Box 1142 was a secret American military intelligence facility that operated during World War II. The American Military Intelligence Service had two special wings whose core duty was to interview the Prisoners of War , known as MIS -X and MIS -Y. They were known by their codename, the mailing...
, Huntley Meadows Park
Huntley Meadows Park
Huntley Meadows Park, the largest park operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority , is located in the Hybla Valley area of Fairfax County, Virginia, south of the city of Alexandria. The park features a visitor center, a beaver-created wetland with boardwalk, wildlife observation platforms, and...
, and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon (plantation)
Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River.Mount Vernon was designated...
.
Clara Barton Parkway
The Clara Barton Parkway 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 overcome motorist confusion.The Clara Barton Parkway has its eastern terminus in the District of Columbia, where the parkway connects with Canal Road and Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge (Washington, D.C.)
The Chain Bridge is a viaduct which crosses the Potomac River at Little Falls in Washington, D.C. It carries close to 22,000 cars a day. It connects Washington with affluent sections of Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia. On the Washington side, the bridge connects with Canal Road...
. Its western terminus is at MacArthur Boulevard in the Potomac area of 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...
, just outside the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
. The parkway provides access to Glen Echo Park
Glen Echo Park (Maryland)
Glen Echo Park, also known as Glen Echo Amusement Park and Glen Echo Park Historic District, is a public park and national historic district in Glen Echo, Montgomery County, Maryland. It is managed by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It began in 1891 as...
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 Clara Barton 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). The Clara Barton Parkway includes an overhanging bridge near Glen Echo.
Previously proposed connection
The parkways on the two sides of the river were originally supposed to be joined by a bridge at the Great Falls of the Potomac RiverGreat Falls of the Potomac River
The Great Falls of the Potomac River are located at the fall line of the Potomac River, upstream from Washington, D.C. Great Falls Park, operated by the National Park Service, is located on the southern banks in Virginia, while Chesapeake and Ohio Canal parkland is located along the northern banks...
. However, opposition from preservationists led to the cancellation of that bridge. Instead, traffic between the two parkways uses the American Legion Bridge. The Virginia side of the Potomac river at Great Falls is managed by the Superintendent of the parkway as a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
site, known as Great Falls Park
Great Falls Park
Great Falls Park is a small National Park Service site in Virginia, United States. Situated on 800 acres along the banks of the Potomac River in northern Fairfax County, the park is a disconnected but integral part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway...
. Some elements of the proposed final parkway configuration – such as the concrete bridge that would have carried northbound traffic at the Glen Echo turn-around – were built but have never been used.
Administrative history
The parkway was authorized May 29, 1930 and transferred from the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital August 10, 1933. On November 28, 1989, the portion in Maryland was renamed the Clara Barton Parkway. The Parkway also administers other National Park Service features and areas:- Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialArlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialArlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion, is a Greek revival style mansion located in Arlington, Virginia, USA that was once the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It overlooks the Potomac River, directly across from the National Mall in Washington,...
- Arlington Memorial BridgeArlington Memorial BridgeThe Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. crosses the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Columbia Island. The northeastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of the National Mall...
- Clara Barton National Historic SiteClara Barton National Historic SiteThe 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...
- Claude Moore Colonial FarmClaude Moore Colonial FarmThe Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run is the only privately run park in the U.S. National Park Service . The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm, a privately funded foundation, pays for all activities on the farm, while the land is owned by the NPS...
- Columbia Island Marina
- Dyke MarshDyke MarshDyke Marsh is located on the west bank of the Potomac River south of Alexandria, Virginia between Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon. Dyke Marsh consists of about of tidal marsh, floodplain, and swamp forest. Forming 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, Dyke Marsh is the largest remaining piece of...
- Fort MarcyFort Marcy ParkFort Marcy Park is a public park located in unincorporated McLean, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is administered by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.thumb|thumb|right|Fort Marcy as it appeared during the Civil War...
- Glen Echo ParkGlen Echo Park (Maryland)Glen Echo Park, also known as Glen Echo Amusement Park and Glen Echo Park Historic District, is a public park and national historic district in Glen Echo, Montgomery County, Maryland. It is managed by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It began in 1891 as...
- Gravelly PointGravelly PointGravelly Point is a park in Arlington, Virginia, United States. It is located north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along the George Washington Parkway, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C....
- Great Falls ParkGreat Falls ParkGreat Falls Park is a small National Park Service site in Virginia, United States. Situated on 800 acres along the banks of the Potomac River in northern Fairfax County, the park is a disconnected but integral part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway...
- Lady Bird Johnson Park
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the PotomacLyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the PotomacLyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac is located on Columbia Island in Washington, D.C. The memorial honors the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson....
- Mount Vernon TrailMount Vernon TrailThe Mount Vernon Trail is a popular running and bike path in Northern Virginia that follows the west bank of the Potomac River from near Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon. The northern, urban half is open and has views of Washington, D.C. across the river. The southern below Alexandria is...
- Navy-Marine MemorialNavy-Marine MemorialThe Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial, located in Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island in Washington, D.C., is a monument honoring sailors of the United States Navy and the United States Merchant Marine who died at sea during World War I. It was designed in 1922 by Harvey Wiley Corbett and...
- Netherlands CarillonNetherlands CarillonThe Netherlands Carillon adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery was a gift from the people of the Netherlands to the people of the United States of America in 1954. The gift was made to thank the United States for its aid during and after World War II. First installed at a nearby site in 1954,...
- Theodore Roosevelt IslandTheodore Roosevelt IslandTheodore Roosevelt Island is a island and a national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The island was given to the American people by the Theodore Roosevelt Association in memory of the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt....
- Turkey Run Park
- USMC War MemorialUSMC War MemorialThe Marine Corps War Memorial is a military memorial statue outside the walls of the Arlington National Cemetery and next to the Netherlands Carillon, in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps who have died in the...
- Women in Military Service for America MemorialWomen in Military Service for America MemorialThe Women in Military Service for America Memorial is located at the Ceremonial Entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and honors all women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. New York architects Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, husband and wife, designed the memorial...
Major intersections
Only interchangeInterchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
s and signalized intersections are listed.
| Location | Exit | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traffic circle Traffic circle A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must... |
||
| 2 | Fort Hunt Road - Fort Hunt Park Fort Hunt Park Fort Hunt Park is a public park located in Fort Hunt, Fairfax County, Virginia. It is administered by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The park preserves the remains of the eponymous Fort Hunt, portions of which date to the time of the Spanish-American War... |
Interchange | |
| 3 | Hunting Creek Hunting Creek Hunting Creek is a cove and tributary stream of the Potomac River between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County in Virginia. It is formed by the confluence of Cameron Run and Hooff Run. The community of Huntington takes its name from the creek. Jones Point forms the north side. Dyke Marsh is... |
Bridge; south end of gap | |
| Gap; see State Route 400 | |||
| 4 | 1st Street | North end of gap | |
| 5 | Bashford Lane | ||
| 6 | Slaters Lane | ||
| 7 | Reagan National Airport | Interchange | |
| 8 | - Washington, Richmond | Signed as exits 8A (north) and 8B (south) | |
| 9 | Interchange; no northbound exit | ||
| 10 | Arlington Memorial Bridge Arlington Memorial Bridge The Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. crosses the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Columbia Island. The northeastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of the National Mall... - Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great... , Washington |
Interchange | |
| 11 | Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 12 | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 13 | - Key Bridge Francis Scott Key Bridge (Washington) The Francis Scott Key Bridge, more commonly known as the Key Bridge, is a six-lane reinforced concrete arch bridge conveying U.S. Route 29 traffic across the Potomac River between the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia and the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C... |
Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
| 14 | , Washington | Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
| 15 | , Washington, McLean | Interchange | |
| 16 | CIA Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers... , Federal Highway Administration Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program... |
Interchange | |
| 17 | Turkey Run Park, Washington, to I-495 (U-turn) | Interchange | |
| 18 | - Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... / Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
Interchange; signed as exits 18A (south) and 18B (north) | |
External links
- National Park Service: George Washington Memorial Parkway
- History of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
- Steve Anderson's DCRoads.net: George Washington Memorial Parkway
- The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the InteriorUnited States Department of the InteriorThe United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
.