Washington Dulles International Airport – IAD Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is known by many names, including Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, and even Dulles. It is an international airport that serves the Washington metropolitan area. It occupies both a greater portion of Dulles and a small portion of Chantilly in Fairfax County, straddling the Loudoun-Fairfax line. It is one of the three major airports in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area that handled more than 24 million passengers in a year.
Best Time to Visit
IAD Airport is named after the 52nd Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles. It is known for its main terminal, which is a well-known landmark that was designed by Eero Saarinen. President Eisenhower selected the current site of Dulles back in 1958. The current airport was built over what was then Blue Ridge Airport, a lesser-known airport. The terminal complex of Washington Dulles is made up of a main terminal and two parallel midfield terminals. The entire complex has a total of 123 gates. The airport’s original airport code was DIA, short for Dulles International Airport. But when handwritten, it was often mistaken for the code for the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, DCA. So, in 1968, the code was changed to IAD.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Travelers can stay in the confines of the airport and still find a good hotel to stay in. The Washington Dullles Airport Marriott is a 3-star hotel located within airport grounds. A short drive away is the 4-star The Westin Washington Dulles Airport, which offers contemporary accommodations at a more affordable price. Another airport of choice for locals from and travelers to Washington are the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
