Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) picks its runway by the wind: planes take off and land into it, so the runway in use changes when the wind does. The live box below works it out from the latest airport weather report. Over 23 days of recorded flights, DCA landed toward the north about 61% of the time and toward the southeast about 39%.
Which way DCA usually lands
Over 23 days of recorded flights, DCA landed toward the north about 61% of the time and toward the southeast about 39%.
What it means for the towns around DCA
Arrivals line up on the opposite side of the airport from the way they're landing, often 10 or more miles out for a busy airport, and departures climb out ahead. When DCA switches direction, the planes over these towns change too. Each town page shows the usual paths for both directions on a street map:
- Washington, DC · 3 mi
- Alexandria, VA · 3 mi
- Arlington, VA · 4 mi
- Bethesda, MD · 10 mi
- Silver Spring, MD · 10 mi
- Waldorf, MD · 17 mi
- Rockville, MD · 17 mi
Why DCA changes runways
Landing into the wind slows a plane down over the ground, so it needs less runway, and taking off into it gets a plane flying sooner. When the wind swings around, often with a front or a line of storms, the tower turns the whole operation around: arrivals and departures move to the other end of the runway. Busy times, construction and low clouds can also change which runways controllers use.
DCA's runways: 01/19, 15/33, 04/22, 19X. A runway's number is its direction on the compass with the last zero dropped, so runway 9 points east (90°) and runway 27 points west (270°). L, C and R mean left, center and right for side-by-side runways.
See the planes around DCA live →
The controllers in the DCA tower decide the runways, line up the arrivals and clear every takeoff. Say thanks on their wall.
Common questions
Which runway is DCA using today?
It depends on today's wind: planes at Ronald Reagan Washington National take off and land into it. The live box at the top of this page works out the most likely runway from the latest airport weather report and updates each time you open the page.
Which way does DCA usually land?
Over 23 days of recorded flights, DCA landed toward the north about 61% of the time and toward the southeast about 39%.
Why are planes suddenly flying over my house near DCA?
Most likely the wind changed and DCA switched directions, which moves arrivals and departures over different neighborhoods. Storms and busy travel days can also shift the paths for a while.