I-495 Route Map 

This is Washington, DC's Main Street - the Capital Beltway.  Although the road is not for the faint of heart, if you live or travel through the Washington, DC area, you will travel on the Capital Beltway sometime in your life.

The Capital Beltway is a mostly eight-lane Interstate highway that runs circumferentially for 64 miles around Washington, DC.  It opened by 1964 with 49 miles of six-lane highway and 15 miles of four-lane highway.  It has been progressively widened over the years to its current lane configuration.  The entire Beltway carries the I-495 designation.  Also, between I-95/I-395 in Springfield, VA and I-95 in College Park, MD, the Beltway carries the I-95 designation as well.  This happened after I-95 was cancelled through downtown DC and Prince Georges County, MD.

The Capital Beltway carries far more traffic than it was originally designed to carry.  Even with the widening that has been done over the years, there are regular traffic jams during the rush hours.  VDOT is currently conducting a study to figure out what to do about the Beltway.  Here is a link to their website about the study.

The Capital Beltway is home to the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.  This bridge carries the Beltway over the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA.  Construction to replace the former six-lane bridge continues.  There is a website that details the new bridge design and associated roadway improvements.  The Wilson Bridge is a major choke-point as the Beltway narrows from eight lanes to six lanes at the bridge.  The former Wilson Bridge was falling apart - literally.  The first new six-lane bridge is welcome in this area.

The Capital Beltway is also home to the Springfield Interchange.  The Springfield Interchange is the confluence of I-95/495, I-395 and VA 644 in Springfield, VA.  The I-95/I-395/I-495 interchange was reconstructed as a part of the Springfield Interchange Project.  Here is a link to the project website.

In 2000, VDOT changed the Exit Numbers on the Capital Beltway.  Originally, the exits were numbered sequentially from 1 to 14 beginning at US 1 in Alexandria and increased counterclockwise to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Great Falls.  Now, the exit numbers are mileage based.  The exits on the Beltway between the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Great Falls and the I-95/395/495 interchange in Springfield are based on the continued mileage from the Maryland section of the Beltway.  The exits on the Beltway between the I-95/395/495 interchange in Springfield and US 1 in Alexandria are based on the continued mileage from I-95 since I-95 multiplexes with I-495 on this stretch of the Beltway.  VDOT had installed "Old Exit xx" signs adjacent to the new exit number signs, for one year after the change.

Here are some other web sites about The Capital Beltway:

Capital Beltway (I-495 and I-95) by Scott Kozel
Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495 and I-95) by Scott Kozel
Kurumi's I-495 3di Page

On the Exit List, read down to go clockwise (west/north) and read up to go counterclockwise (east/south).  Please note that the Exit List destinations and route names do not necessarily match the actual signs on The Capital Beltway.  The Route Numbers and Exit Numbers (of course) do match.  I did this to try to include as much information possible to help you navigate the exits on The Beltway.

Please send any updates, comments and corrections to Michael Hale.

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10/19/2007