George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, colloquially the G.W. Parkway, is a 25-mile-long (40 km) limited-access parkway that runs along the south bank of the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, northwest to McLean, Virginia, United States, and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). Head to Arlington to see it. It is managed by the National Park Service. Last counted in 2025, visitors numbered 6.7M.
A parkway inside Arlington
July is the busiest month
July averages about 826,972 visitors, 3.9 times January. When to go ↓
You can sleep inside the park
2 places to stay are inside the park: Residence Inn by Marriott Arlington Capital View and Mt Vernon Inn. The nearest town with more is Arlington. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Baltimore
Baltimore is about 37 miles northeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 67–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 6 miles away
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) has airline service, about 6 miles from George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Busy months and weather
The months below show crowds and weather at George Washington Memorial Parkway.
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, colloquially the G.W. Parkway, is a 25-mile-long (40 km) limited-access parkway that runs along the south bank of the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, northwest to McLean, Virginia, United States, and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). It is located almost entirely in Northern Virginia, except for a short portion of the parkway northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge that passes over Columbia Island in Washington, D.C.
The parkway is separated into two sections joined by Washington Street (State Route 400) in Alexandria. A third section, which is the Clara Barton Parkway, runs on the opposite side of the Potomac River in the District of Columbia and suburban Montgomery County, Maryland. A fourth section was originally proposed for Fort Washington, Maryland, but never built. The parkway has been designated an All-American Road.
- Type
- Parkway
- Established
- 1930
- Opened
- 1932
- Area
- 11 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1981) · Virginia Historic Landmark (1991)
- Wikipedia readers
- 10K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/gwmp
Know before you go
Lodging near George Washington Memorial Parkway
You can sleep inside the park (2 places). To stay close, try Arlington (58) and Washington (247).
- 1White House
- 2Washington Monument
- 3Arlington National Cemetery
- 4United States Triumphal Arch
- 5Smithsonian Institution
- 6Lincoln Memorial
- 7Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- 8Ford's Theatre
Stay in the park
- Residence Inn by Marriott Arlington Capital View hotel
- Mt Vernon Inn hotel
Washington
693,645 people
5 mi east of George Washington Memorial Parkway · 3 mi to the park
Alexandria
160,662 people
7 mi south of George Washington Memorial Parkway · 2 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From George Washington Memorial Parkway | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | in town | — | 58 54 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 236,254 | $895K | — |
| Washington | 5 mi east | 10 min | 247 201 hotels · 2 motels · 24 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 12 hostels · 2 campgrounds | 693,645 | $737K | D− |
| Alexandria | 7 mi south | 10 min | 44 41 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 160,662 | $735K | C |
| Bethesda | 5 mi north | 5 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 69,397 | $1,170K | — |
| Tysons | 6 mi west | 10 min | 25 25 hotels | 28,936 | $640K | — |
| North Bethesda | 8 mi north | 10 min | 13 13 hotels | 49,677 | $732K | — |
| College Park | 11 mi northeast | 15 min | 17 16 hotels · 1 motel | 35,418 | $438K | — |
| Falls Church | 4 mi southwest | 5 min | 8 7 hotels · 1 motel | 15,159 | $1,056K | B− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also within reach
Pair a visit with these, within 5 miles.
Big draw14 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw25 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw34 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw44 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw55 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw64 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year
Big draw74 mi LandmarkTomb of the Unknown Soldier
Big draw85 mi National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a yearPhoto credits
White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain · Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain · Ford's Theatre National Historic Site: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Visitor numbers: 6,732,932 in 2025
The record starts in 2016 and runs to 2025.
George Washington Memorial Parkway in questions
Is George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington?
Yes. It’s inside Arlington, VA. The address is George Washington Memorial Parkway Headquarters, McLean, VA 22101.
When is the best time to visit George Washington Memorial Parkway?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 67–83°. July is the busiest month (about 826,972 visitors).
How many people visit George Washington Memorial Parkway each year?
6,732,932 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 10,323,339, set in 2016.
How far is George Washington Memorial Parkway from Baltimore?
About 37 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to George Washington Memorial Parkway?
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 6 miles away.
Where should I stay near George Washington Memorial Parkway?
Inside the park: Residence Inn by Marriott Arlington Capital View and Mt Vernon Inn. Nearby: Washington (5 mi, 247 places to stay), Arlington (in town, 58 places to stay) and Alexandria (7 mi, 44 places to stay).
Locals’ advice in Arlington
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Arlington’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.