Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport & George Washington Memorial Parkway
A Shared Cultural Landscape
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 7, 2026
1. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport & George Washington Memorial Parkway Marker
The 1930s saw the introduction of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (present-day George Washington Memorial Parkway) and Washington National Airport (present-day Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport). Opened in 1932, Mount Vernon Memorial Highway was developed as a carefully designed scenic roadway and memorial to President George Washington.
In 1938, Gravelly Point was selected as the location for the airport, partly because of its proximity to the highway. To make way for the airport, the highway had to be shifted west of its original location. Like the highway, the airport was a New Deal-era economic recovery construction project led by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Opened in 1941, the airport's main terminal columns, central colonnade, and spreading wings resembled Washington's home, Mount Vernon. Ruins of an eighteenth-century plantation, once owned by Washington's stepson, sit on a hill above the airport.
Together, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and George Washington Memorial Parkway continue to connect travelers to the National Capital region and beyond.
Erected by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space
this page online
Location. 38° 51.81′ N, 77° 2.569′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. It is on George Washington Memorial Parkway south of Gravelly Point, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1100 Levee Rd, Arlington VA 22202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Roadside Respite (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Arlington's Natural Side (approx. Ό mile away); Significance of Roaches Run Sanctuary (approx. Ό mile away); a different marker also named From Brownfield to Playing Fields (approx. Ό mile away); New and Renewed Land (approx. Ό mile away); Long Bridge Park: A Legacy of Recreation (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named A Historic Junction (approx. 0.3 miles away); Looking Beyond the Park (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Other markers no longer nearby. A Historic Junction (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 7, 2026
2. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport & George Washington Memorial Parkway Marker
Additional commentary.
1. Colloquial names for the airport and parkway
Colloquially, the airport is called National Airport or just National. The parkway is often referred to as GW Parkway.
— Submitted May 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
