About the Area
You can buy just about any type of house you want in this great area and I hope you love where you end up. Click on these links to educate yourself with information that may help you decide where you want to ultimately plant your roots.
- If you are looking for a shorter commute, check out the links to Northern Virginia's network of roadways in "The Drive". The DC Metro area is known for some traffic "challenges" so under that heading you'll also find internet and radio links that will keep you abreast of how traffic is flowing so you can pick the best route for your commute.
- Whether you are trying to "go green", trying to have a more productive commute or are simply tired of paying the outrageous gas prices, there are "Public Transportation" options as well as "Other Options" to help you get around.
You'll find other helpful links in this section as well regarding health care, local news and one of my favorite sites to refer clients to when they want to know the scoop about where they may be buying, under the "What your neighbors are saying" topic.
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Driving Routes
The Northern Virginia area has a mixture of interstates, major arteries, and toll roads to move you around the area. If you live in Loudon or Fairfax Counties and choose to drive to your job - either inside or outside the Beltway - you will drive on a mixture of all of these.
If you live in Loudon County but work closer to DC, the area's two toll roads - the Dulles Toll Road and the Dulles Greenway - may figure into your commute, as they are some of the most direct roads into Fairfax County and the Capital Beltway.
If you do choose to drive the toll roads, E-ZPass is a necessity. This window-mounted, transponder-based toll system allows you to drive through toll-booths without stopping - you simply keep your account charged through your credit card. E-ZPass is governed on a state by state basis, and as a Virginia resident, you can purchase a transponder from either the Maryland or Virginia Authorities.
Also, please note that many interstates in the area have a designated HOV lane or lanes (HOV stands for High Occupancy Vehicles). HOV Lanes are for use by commuters during rush hour periods who ride in vehicles with multiple people (i.e. - carpools of at least 2 or 3 people, vanpools or buses) or individuals who drive motorcycles. Please see information on HOV in Northern Virginia or HOV in Maryland for further information.
Traffic Conditions
Your local TV station will have traffic conditions during the morning and evening rush hours. But that won't always help - here are some other resources to help you find the best way home.
Internet
- Live Traffic Map from WTOP
- Traffic Map from WashingtonPost.com (same as above, but with links to traffic cameras)
- Traffic Map from traffic.com
Radio
- WTOP has "traffic on the 8's", all day, every day for the entire DC-Baltimore area.
- XM Radio channel 214 has continous loops of traffic and weather information for the DC and Baltimore area commute.
- Sirius Satellite Radio has a combined DC and Baltimore channel at 152
Metro - Metrorail and Metrobus
DC's regional public transportation system is called Metro. It utilizes a combination of rail and bus service and covers Washington, DC and the immediate suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. If you are traveling into DC or one of its immediate suburbs, and want to use publc transportation, you will usually find the routes you need with them.
Local Bus Services
Metrorail and Metrobus only extend so far into Northern Virginia. To get closer to your home, you frequently need to transfer to smaller, local systems that service local neighborhoods.
Loudon County
- Loudon County Commuter Bus (bus service to Rosslyn, Virginia)
- Loudon Commuter Bus (bus service inside Loudon)
Fairfax County
Other Systems
- ART - Arlington County
- CUE - City of Fairfax
- DASH - City of Alexandria
- OmniRide - Prince William County
- RIBS - Cities of Reston & Herndon
- TAGS - City of Springfield
- List of other specialized routes and services
Commuter Rail
Northern Virginia also has commuter rail service - Virginia Railway Express (VRE). There are two lines - the Fredricksburg Line (starting south of the city) and the Manassas Line (starting at Dulles Airport).
Additionally, Maryland has commuter rail service - MARC. Even though Loudon County is in Virginia, it is right across the Potomac River from Maryland and several MARC stations along the Brunswick Line that services Washington, DC.
These commuter rail systems are popular, but with few exceptions only run into the city during the morning commute hours and out during the afternoon commute hours.
Ridesharing
Commuter Connections is an expansive resource for anyone who commutes in the Washington, DC area. You can apply to create local carpools in your area, or look for vanpools that service your neighborhood through this site.
The DC area also has a rather unusual commuting option: Slug Lines. The idea is that drivers who don't have normal carpools (or are short on their carpools due to illness or vacation), pick up drivers at select spots to use the HOV lanes.
Airports
The Washington DC-Baltimore area is home to three major airports:
- Dulles Airport, located near Sterling, VA, is a major hub for United Airlines, and is the DC-area airport for direct international flights. (If you fly into a New York airport from an international locale, you can connect to any DC airport.) It is serviced by many shuttle bus companies and is serviced by the Dulles Access Road (which parallels the Dulles Toll Road).
- Reagan National Airport (DCA) is a minor hub for US Airways, but services many airlines for shorter US trips in and out of DC (the general rule of thumb is anything east of the Mississippi River, but there are exceptions). National Airport has its own stop in the Metro system, that drops you off right at the main terminal.
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (usually just referred to as BWI) is also a minor hub for US Airways, and the primary airport for Southwest Airlines in the DC area (though Dulles does service Southwest as well). It is accessible by MARC and Amtrak - a shuttle bus from the rail station brings you to the airport.
Rail
Union Station is a major hub for Amtrak. Both the MARC and VRE commuter rail stations end their lines here, and Metrorail also has a Union Station stop on the Red Line.
Additionally, Lorton, Virginia is the northern end of Amtrak's Auto Train line. The Auto Train offers non-stop service to the Orlando area, and has room for carrying your car or other recretational vehicles.
Long Distance Bus Service
Hospitals
The larger Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia area is home to many excellent research insitutions, such as Johns Hopkins, the National Institutes of Health, and the UVA Medical Center. However, for your day-to-day health care needs, you'll find many excellent hospitals and treatment centers just around the corner.
The majority of Northern Virginia hospitals are affilitated with Inova, a regional health system. The hospitals are:
Northern Virginia is also home to several HCA and Sentara affiliated facilities, including
- Broadlands
- Reston
- StoneSpring (formerly known as Broadlands)
- Potomac
Independent Hospitals include:
- Virginia Hospital Center (formerly known as Arlington Hospital)
- Prince William Hospital
Northern Virginia has many facilities and services available for the elderly and disabled.
Loudon County
Fairfax County
Looking for Retirement Living in the DC Area? The Guide to Retirement Living can help you narrow down your search.
Want to see what locals have to say about your neighborhood? Check out city-data.com!
- LoudonExtra.com, from the Washington Post
- Virginia News, from the Washington Post
