Directions to the Forum

The U.S. Naval Observatory is located in northwest Washington, D.C., on Massachusetts Avenue, 1 km (0.6 mile) west of Rock Creek Park. It appears as a circular area on most Washington street maps. The Savoy Suites and Holiday Inn hotels are located on Wisconsin Avenue just one block directly west of the Observatory.

All sessions of the forum will be held in the large conference room in building 56, which is just inside the Observatory's South Gate.

Washington, D.C. is served by three airports: Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore-Washington International. The the most convenient of these to the Naval Observatory is Reagan National. However, direct international flights will arrive at Dulles or Baltimore-Washington International.

Maps:

• DC area map
• USNO neighborhood
• USNO site map

Specific Directions from Airports:

• Reagan National Airport (DCA)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)

Driving:

Primary access roads to the Naval Observatory include Massachusetts Avenue; Wisconsin Avenue; Reno Road to 34th Street NW; and, from the south, Rock Creek Parkway (after morning rush hour) to Massachusetts Avenue.

From the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Maryland, you have two options:

1. Exit at Connecticut Avenue (exit 33 - route 185) southbound. After 2.5 miles you will encounter Chevy Chase Circle, where you enter the city of Washington. Continue on Connecticut Avenue one more mile, and turn right onto Nebraska Avenue. After one block, turn right again onto Fessenden Street. Immediately turn left onto Reno Road. (Fessenden serves as the southbound access to Reno from Nebraska, because left turns are not allowed from Nebraska.) Reno Road southbound becomes 34th Street and leads directly to the main gate of the Naval Observatory.
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2. Exit at River Road (exit 39 - route 190) eastbound. Go 2 miles to Goldsboro Road (route 614). Turn right onto Goldsboro, continue about 0.5 mile, and turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue (route 396). Continue eastbound on Massachusetts Avenue about 4.5 miles (past Westmoreland Circle, Ward Circle, and Wisconsin Avenue) to the Naval Observatory on the right.

From downtown Washington or close-in northern Virginia, after morning rush hour (>09:30), the best scheme is to get onto Rock Creek Parkway northbound near the Lincoln Memorial or Kennedy Center. Get off Rock Creek Parkway at the Massachusetts Avenue exit and turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue at the top of the hill.

For all of these routes, it is best to consult a map ahead of time and carry it with you!

Free parking will be available at the Naval Observatory. Please enter the Observatory through the South Gate. From the 3100 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW - at the traffic light by the British Embassy - turn south onto Observatory Circle and continue to the South Gate. Tell the police officer at the gate your name and that you are attending the Astrometry Forum. You will be directed to park in the south parking lot, not far from the gate.

Please do not attempt to enter the main gate of the Observatory at 34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue. This is especially tempting if you use Reno Road to 34th Street southbound, or Massachusetts Avenue eastbound. Instead, proceed eastbound on Massachusetts (a left turn from 34th Street) and go to the next light, at the British Embassy. Turn right onto Observatory Circle there and go to the South Gate.

The forum reception will be held in the Gilliss Buiding (otherwise known as the main building or Building 1) of the Naval Observatory. All other forum events will be held in Naval Observatory Building 56, which is the building immediately adjacent to the South Gate.

Both the Savoy Suites and Holiday Inn hotels are located one block west of the Naval Observatory, on Wisconsin Avenue. The simplest way to get to the hotels from Massachusetts Avenue is via the section of Observatory Circle west of the Observatory, which connects to Calvert Street, which intersects Wisconsin. However, you cannot legally turn left from westbound Massachusetts Avenue onto that section of Observatory Circle during rush hours.

Public Transportation:

The Naval Observatory South Gate can be reached via the N2, N4, or N6 bus lines on Massachusetts Avenue - get off at the British Embassy stop at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW. The Naval Observatory Wisconsin Avenue Gate can be reached via the 30, 32, 34, or 36 bus lines on Wisconsin Avenue - get off at the Hall Place stop at 2300 Wisconsin Avenue NW.

From the Metro rail Red Line, you can transfer to the N busses (westbound) at the Dupont Circle station or to the 30s busses (southbound) at the Friendship Heights station.

It is also possible to walk to the Naval Observatory from either the Dupont Circle station or the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan station, both on the Red Line. From Dupont Circle, simply walk west on Massachusetts Avenue about 1.5 miles (3 km). From Woodley Park, there are several routes through the neighborhood streets - each about 1.3 miles (2 km) - that you can find if you consult the USNO neighborhood map. Enter at the South Gate.

For detailed directions and notes, see public transportation notes.