DCA to IAD transfer
Car Service from DCA to Dulles
DC ExecuCar runs Reagan National to Washington Dulles as one private car, curb to curb, with both flights tracked. Metro makes the same connection, but Dulles’ own FAQ puts the Silver Line at 50–55 minutes just to Rosslyn — before you change to the Blue Line.
- One car, no transfer
- Both flights tracked
- Bags stay in the vehicle
- Met inside DCA baggage claim
- Dropped at IAD Departures Level
- Fixed rate, no surge
How the DCA to Dulles transfer works
Your chauffeur watches the inbound flight into Reagan National and meets you at the outside curb — Terminal 1 has a single curb, and Terminal 2 pick-ups happen on the Baggage Claim Level outer curb. Because the DCA Cell Phone Lot is closed for construction, we wait in a terminal garage, where the first 60 minutes are free, instead of circling the airport roadway.
From there it is one continuous drive west to Dulles. Nothing is unloaded, re-checked or handed to a second driver, and your luggage never leaves the car. At IAD you are dropped on the Departures Level at Ticketing and Check-In, the same level as the East and West security checkpoints.
We back-time from your Dulles departure, not from your DCA landing. Dulles recommends arriving two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one, so the pick-up time at Reagan National is set by the flight you are catching, with the afternoon I-66 and Dulles Access Road peak built in.
DCA to IAD at a glance
| Pick-up at DCA | Outside curb at Terminal 1; Terminal 2 Baggage Claim Level outer curb |
|---|---|
| Waiting at DCA | Cell Phone Lot closed for construction; terminal garages free up to 60 minutes |
| Drop-off at IAD | Main Terminal, Departures Level — Ticketing and Check-In |
| Return pick-up at IAD | Outside the Main Terminal on the Arrivals Level (private vehicles) |
| Recommended buffer at IAD | 2 hours domestic, 3 hours international |
| Metro alternative | Silver Line 50–55 minutes to Rosslyn, then Blue Line to DCA station |
Five things people get wrong about this connection
Reagan National and Dulles are treated as one city in a booking engine and as two different counties on the ground. Almost every missed Dulles departure we are called about starts with one of these five assumptions.
Choosing a vehicle for an airport-to-airport run
An inter-airport leg is different from a hotel run: every bag you own is with you, and there is a departure deadline at the far end. Luggage capacity usually decides the vehicle rather than passenger count.
Sedan
Cadillac CT6
Up to 3 passengers and 3 pieces of luggage. The usual choice for a solo connection or a pair travelling light.
SUV
Escalade ESV
Up to 6 passengers and 6 pieces of luggage. The safe pick when checked bags are coming off an inbound flight.
Van
Sprinter Executive
Up to 14 passengers and 14 pieces of luggage, for crews and groups moving between the two airports together.
DCA to Dulles questions
How do I get from DCA to Dulles without renting a car?
A pre-booked car is the only option that stays door to door. We meet you at the Reagan National curb, drive straight to the Dulles Main Terminal and drop you on the Departures Level at Ticketing and Check-In.
Is Metro a realistic way to connect the two airports?
It works, but it is slow. Dulles puts the Silver Line at 50–55 minutes to Rosslyn on its own, then you change to the Blue Line for DCA, plus a 600-foot indoor walk between the Dulles station and the terminal.
Where does my car meet me at Dulles on the way back?
Private vehicle pick-up at IAD is outside the Main Terminal on the Arrivals Level — a different curb from the Uber and Lyft zone, which sits on the ground level outside Baggage Claim at doors 2, 4 and 6.
How early should the car drop me at Dulles?
Dulles recommends two hours before a domestic departure and three hours before an international one. We set the Reagan National pick-up backwards from that, so you are not relying on a guess about traffic.
Also useful
- Reagan National airport car serviceRates, routes and booking across all of DCA
- Dulles airport car serviceIAD pick-ups, drop-offs and fixed rates
- Car service at DCA Terminal 1Air Canada, Frontier and Southwest, gates A1–A9
- Car service at DCA Terminal 2Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue and United
- Dulles to Tysons Corner car serviceThe same corridor, one exit earlier
- Fleet and luggage capacityPassenger and bag counts for every vehicle
- Dulles international arrivals car serviceCustoms, baggage claim and where the driver waits at IAD
Airport details on this page come from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority: private ride pick-up at DCA, private pick-up at IAD and the Dulles Silver Line FAQs. Checked 26 September 2026.
Book the DCA to Dulles leg
One car, both airports, a fixed rate quoted before you travel and a driver who is already watching your inbound flight.