Alexandria

Understand

First surveyed in 1749, Alexandria claims some of the richest history in the D.C. metropolitan area. At various points in her past, Alexandria has been part of the District of Columbia, a regional slave trading market, an occupied city, a washed-up post-industrial hamlet, and a hometown to famous American heroes and rebels. Today, the town serves as an interesting day-trip alternative for weary tourists looking to escape the capital, a treasure trove of early American architecture, a romantic getaway for metro-area residents, and a bedroom community for the white-collar workers that fuel the Federal labor mills to the north. Old Town's cobblestone streets have nearly 4,000 buildings dating as far back as the 1600s, and is filled with shops and good restaurants.

Neighborhoods of interest include:

• Old Town was laid out in 1749, making it the oldest section of the city, and is a historic district. Old Town is chiefly known for its historic town houses, art galleries, antique shops, restaurants, and its unique cobblestone streets and red brick sidewalks.
• Del Ray is to the northwest of Old Town, much of which was once in the separate town of Potomac. It has a vibrant commercial corridor.

Get in

By plane

Alexandria is accessible from the three Washington, D.C., area airports.

• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is located just north of Alexandria in Arlington. From Reagan National, downtown Alexandria (King Street Station) is only two Metro stops away: take the Yellow metro line in the direction of Huntington or the Blue line towards Franconia/Springfield.
• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is 30 miles northwest of Alexandria.
• Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is 40 miles northeast of Alexandria.

For information on traveling to Alexandria from DC area airports, see the "Get in" section of Washington DC.

By train

• Train operators:

• All Amtrak trains in the area stop at nearby Washington Union Station and a few lines also stop here, very close to the King Street stop on the Blue/Yellow Metro lines. Routes stopping at Washington Union Station:

• Cardinal operating three trips weekly between Chicago and New York City with stops in Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Indianapolis, Connersville, Cincinnati, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Hinton, White Sulphur Springs, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.
• Carolinian between Charlotte and New York City via Raleigh, Richmond, and Washington, D.C.
• Crescent between New Orleans and New York City via Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C.
• Northeast Regional is Amtrak's busiest regional service, connecting Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the many towns and cities in-between. Toward the east end of the route, some trips terminate at Springfield instead of Boston. Some services also continue south into Virginia towards Newport News, Roanoke and Norfolk on three separate branch routes from Alexandria. This is also Amtrak's most frequent service, with multiple daily departures, and the longest trip takes 12.5 hours. The overnight Northeast Regional service from Boston includes sleeping cars; the train departs Boston in the evening and arrives early morning in Washington, D.C.
• Palmetto between Savannah and New York City.
• Silver Meteor and Silver Star between Miami and New York City via Savannah.
• Virginia Railway Express (VRE) provides weekday, daytime rail service to Alexandria station from Fredericksburg, Manassas and Washington, D.C.

By Metrorail

Metro stations in Alexandria served by the Blue and/or Yellow lines include: Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town, Eisenhower Avenue, Van Dorn Street, Huntington.

For more information on riding the metro, see Washington DC#Get_around.

By car

Major roads of note:

• Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (the "Capital Beltway"), a major freeway that serves the southern part of Alexandria and circles the Greater Washington D.C. area. The Capital Beltway section just east of Alexandria, known as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, is the last major crossing point of the Potomac River in the southern part of the metro area. For those traveling from the Virginia side to Old Town Alexandria, failure to make the last exit before entering the bridge will result in a long, difficult journey across the bridge and appropriate turn-abouts are spread thin on the Maryland side. If traffic is backed up at the Wilson Bridge or the Beltway/Hwy 1 interchange and you still want to get to Old Town, simply exit north at Telegraph Road and proceed up to the Duke Street exit going east. Take Duke Street a mile or so until you get to around Patrick/Henry and then meander your way north a couple of blocks to King Street. No reasonable alternatives exist for those traveling west out of Maryland.
• Interstate 395 runs north-south along the western section of Alexandria.
• U.S. Highway 1: depending on where you are, this is either the Richmond Highway or Patrick/Henry - a major north-south artery into Washington D.C.
• George Washington Memorial Parkway, known as Washington Street in Alexandria, it runs north-south along the Virginia side of the Potomac River and is an easy and pleasant drive to Mount Vernon.
• King Street (State Route 7) - runs east-west from Old Town Alexandria out towards Falls Church, Virginia.
• Duke Street (State Route 236) - runs east-west into Old Town Alexandria.

Get around

The historic center of Alexandria is known as "Old Town", which is where the most notable restaurant, shopping, architectural, and tourist destinations are located.

By foot

Stroll down King Street and visit the side streets of Old Town. The main Old Town section begins about a half-mile east of the King Street-Old Towne Metrorail Station and provides a combination of restaurants, art and antique shops, souvenir traps, and public buildings. With its French-style open-air cafes, gas lamp-styled lights, red brick sidewalks, and historical, old-style architecture, King Street provides one of the most romantic settings in the DC metro area. More than just a tourist destination or open-air museum, Old Town is a vibrant community of residents who take great pride in their city. The streets north and south of King Street near the river boast nearly 4000 18th- and 19th-century buildings still used as private residences. Unlike many of the planned communities promoted by new urbanism, the streets of Old Town simply ooze a sense of character and authenticity that is not normally seen outside the best cities in Europe.

By trolley

King Street Trolley operates a free transportation service from the King Street metro station to the waterfront. These black and red rubber tire trolleys are free and will stop at any one of the signs for the trolley stops along King street.

By bus

DASH, the city's fare-free bus system, operates throughout the entire city. The DASH bus routes 30 and 31 overlap the King Street Trolley route through Old Town and go between Braddock Road and King Street metro stations. Use the DASH trip planner to plan your route.

By car

Getting around Alexandria beyond Old Town and the Duke Street business district is a little more difficult, and will require bus transit or a car.

Two-hour parking is often available a few blocks away from King Street (though it can be harder to find on weekend evenings), but read the parking signs carefully. Some parking is free, some is metered, and some is for locals only. Tires are frequently marked (chalked) by parking enforcement staff; if you exceed 2 hours you will get a ticket. If you plan on leaving your car for more than a couple hours it would be wise to pay to park in one of the many parking garages in the city.

By water taxi

A water taxi runs from the waterfront at the end of King Street to Georgetown and The Wharf in Washington D.C. and to National Harbor in Maryland.

By bicycle

For information on bike-sharing programs in the Washington DC area, see Washington DC#Get_around.

Big Wheel Bikes, located near the waterfront just south of King Street, offers bike rental services.

Bicycle trails

The Mount Vernon Trail runs through Alexandria (although the Old Town section is streets), goes all of the way to Mount Vernon, and connects with the greater D.C. area.

Stay safe

Alexandria, particularly Old Town, is a safe city with considerably less crime than its neighbor, Washington, DC. While you are unlikely to be the victim of a crime here, you should take normal precautions that you would in any urban area.

Go next

• Arlington - Location of the Pentagon, Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Statue), and Arlington Cemetery.
• South Alexandria
• Mount Vernon - George Washington lived here in the mansion by the same name which overlooks the Potomac River.
• Washington, D.C. - Explore America's national capital.