Alexandria Transportation

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The King Street Trolley is a free and convenient way to get up and down King Street between the King Street Metro Station and the Potomac River 17 blocks away. The old-looking black and red trolley with wooden benches is actually a modern bus with rubber tires, heat, and air conditioning. Also, the large Plexiglas windows are removable for those nicer days. You can board at any of the 15 or 20 stops along King Street, including a stop on the water's edge and another right at King Street Station.

Throughout the ride there are recorded announcements informing riders of the historic sites, restaurants, and shopping available at each stop. Some of the sites mentioned include Christ Church, the Friendship Firehouse, and Market Square.

The route is 17 blocks, or about 3/4 of a mile each way, and the trolleys run about every 15 to 20 minutes. It runs every day from 11:30am to 10pm and is free for anyone be they visitors, commuters, or local residents. The ride from one end of the street to the other takes about 15 minutes when traffic is light. The trolley stop along the river is just 50 feet or so from the National Harbor-Alexandria water taxi dock.

The City of Alexandria funds the trolley at the tune of some $800,000 a year.

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Old Town Alexandria is a great place to walk around. There are lots of shops and restuarants as well as some beautiful old architecture. So wander around, do some shopping, check outsome fabulous building and grab a bite to eat....you'll be happy you did.

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The Capital Beltway is one of the most famous roads in the country, particularly for those who are interested in politics. The Beltway is also one of the most infamous roads in the DC-Northern Virginia area for local drivers who spend half of their lives sitting in traffic. It is also just one of numerous limited access highways provided transportation to and from the northern Virginia area. On a random Saturday in December 2008, it took me an hour just to cross the damned old Woodrow Wilson Bridge. On a Saturday! Thank god I don't have to drive this freakin road every day.

The Beltway (I-495) - As its name suggests, the beltway forms a ring around central Washington DC, with the road almost entirely in the states of Maryland and Virginia, traveling through DC just over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. It is designated as Interstate 495 though the eastern portion of the Beltway is also the path of Interstate 95. On local traffic reports you will hear the inner loop and outer loop mentioned... the inner loop is the clockwise lanes closer to the city and the outer loop is made up of the counterclockwise lanes. The total route is 64 miles.

Interstate 395 - I-395 begins in the south where I-95 meets the Beltway at Springfield, VA (this huge interchange is known as the Mixing Bowl). It runs 13 miles northeast through Virginia then over the Potomac and into downtown DC. After passing under the Mall it ends at New York Avenue.

Interstate 295 - I-295 runs just 8 miles from the Beltway at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, along the east bank of the Potomac, then into downtown Washington DC (where it is called the Southeast Freeway, or even Interstate 695 for 1.5 miles) before it merges with I-395. If you continue north on I-295 rather then heading into downtown DC, this route becomes Anacostia Freeway / Kenilworth Ave then the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

George Washington Memorial Parkway - The GW Parkway is a small freeway maintained by the National Park Service. It follows the south and west bank of the Potomac through Virginia from the beltway to George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. The Northern Section runs from the Beltway past the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport to the north end of Old Town Alexandria at North Washington Street. The Southern Section begins at the south edge of old Town on South Washington Street, and runs to Mount Vernon.

Next to Richmond's Staples Mill station, I arrive and leave from the Alexandria station at 110 Callahan Drive most often. It's a stone's throw from the King Street metro station where I go to other parts of the Washington DC area. I used to always go home from university by train. A lot of times, I would leave from Alexandria instead of Union Station. This station is basic on the inside with seats more uncomfortable than those of Richmond and only vending machines as a souce for food has more architectural character than many.

DART Buses supplement Metro Bus service in Alexandria to various points and historical landmarks within the city and connects with all of Alexandria's metro stations and the Pentagon metro station during weekday rush. Connections outside the city are provided by Metro Bus. The "Dash About" free weekend shuttles are colourful like this one, but the regular buses have a dark violet stripe and goldenrod lettering.

Virginia Railway Express is a commuter train line rather like New Jersey Transit or SEPTA in the Philadelphia area. There are two main VRE lines. One runs from Washington's Union Station (through Alexandria) to Manassas and back. The other runs from Washington to Fredericksburg.

This is a map of Old Town to get you aquainted with the area. Most of the Old Town shops and restaurants are within a few blocks on either side of King Street. Take a nice healthy walk as you go from the King Street metro station to the waterfront and take in the charm of Old Town.

Metro Bus takes you not just all over Alexandria, but all over the Washington, D.C. metro area. It covers the all of the city of Alexandria, the city of Falls Church, Washington, D.C., and parts of Fairfax County, VA; Montgomery and Prince George's County, MD.