Buzz
Steps
Travel in Virginia.
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In Virginia, I-395 follows a mostly straight path from northeast to southwest. This route passes close to notable landmarks and leads you through the Mixing Bowl, where I-95 & I-495 meet, but doesn't carry an official name along this stretch.
- In Fairfax County, the highway features exits for the Mixing Bowl (southbound only), Edsall Rd in Springfield (2), and a non-numbered exit for the I-395 Express lanes (past exit 2).
- Heading southbound through the Mixing Bowl, you'll come across multiple exits that are not in sequential order, with these exits only visible to southbound travelers. Northbound drivers won't have access to these alternate routes, and the northbound exits start later. On Google Maps for PC, you'll notice this portion is also part of the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, north of the Capitol Beltway.
- Exit 1C takes you to I-95/I-495 North, heading toward Baltimore and connecting with the eastern part of the Capitol Beltway.
- Exit 1D is for I-495, which leads around the western part of the Beltway. This can be confusing on maps, as 1C and 1D split and rejoin on the route.
- Exit 1B directs traffic toward VA-644 toward Franconia-Springfield, listed as a part of I-395 in Wikipedia articles, though it is an exit from 1D.
- Exit 1A marks the southern terminus, merging with I-95 South, heading towards Richmond, and blending with the I-95 Express lanes just beyond the exit.
- Exit 1C takes you to I-95/I-495 North, heading toward Baltimore and connecting with the eastern part of the Capitol Beltway.
- Heading southbound through the Mixing Bowl, you'll come across multiple exits that are not in sequential order, with these exits only visible to southbound travelers. Northbound drivers won't have access to these alternate routes, and the northbound exits start later. On Google Maps for PC, you'll notice this portion is also part of the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, north of the Capitol Beltway.
- In Alexandria, look for exits leading to Duke St (3A), Little River Turnpike (3B), Seminary Rd (4), and King St (5).
- In Arlington County, expect exits for Shirlington, South Glebe Rd (6, 7), Arlington Ridge (8A), Pentagon City-Arlington Memorial Bridge, and Pentagon City-Washington Blvd (8B). You’ll also find an entrance for the Express lanes, a Pentagon-specific exit, and others for Rosslyn via VA-110 to I-66 (8B), as well as Crystal City (8C) and I-395 Express (unnumbered), with a few additional exits at Clark St (9, southbound only) and towards Long Bridge Park (10A).
- Exit 7 offers access to Marymount University and Shirlington (signed as 7A south, 7B north).
- Exit 8A provides access to Columbia Pike/S Arlington Rd, with further connections to the Pentagon and South Parking.
- Exit 8B serves the Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery, and Rosslyn, though the Pentagon route later runs through Express Lanes only, via SR-27.
- Exit 9 offers partial northbound access, tied to Exit 10A for northbound traffic.
- Exit 10A leads to the Pentagon’s North Parking area.
- At the Arlington-Washington line, exit for the George Washington Parkway towards Reagan National Airport and Mount Vernon (10B-C). This exit also connects to the Memorial Bridge and provides access to the airport and Mount Vernon, with signs for 10B (south) and 10C (northbound).
- In Fairfax County, the highway features exits for the Mixing Bowl (southbound only), Edsall Rd in Springfield (2), and a non-numbered exit for the I-395 Express lanes (past exit 2).
Cross the 14th Street Bridges.
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The Potomac River is spanned by a series of three parallel bridges, each with four lanes. When heading north, the crossing is known as the Rochambeau Bridge, while southbound travelers pass over the George Mason Memorial Bridge.
- Additionally, the CSX industrial, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express lines also use this route, often referred to as the "Long Bridge". The Washington DC Yellow Metrorail line also crosses here under the name Charles R. Fenwick Bridge.
Travel through Washington DC.
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In Washington DC, the highway mostly heads east before curving sharply to the north as it nears its final destination. It ends when it meets I-695 (Southeast Freeway), where it transforms into the Center Leg Freeway, running largely underground as a depressed route since 2019.
- Exits are available for US-1 (exit 1) and for the National Mall and Potomac Park via Ohio Dr (exit 2), followed by a northern end of the Express lanes shortly after. Note that Express lanes are not available on the DC side of this highway.
- Cross the Francis Case Memorial Bridge, which crosses the Washington Channel and leads traffic beneath the National Mall through two tunnels (9th and 12th Street Expressways).
- Exits lead to the 12th St Expressway (exit 3), Maine Ave (exit 4), and the 6th St SW-7th St SW-L'Enfant Promenade (southbound only) and I-695 (northbound only) (both exit 5).
- Exits also serve the U.S. Capitol (exit 6, northbound only), and for southbound traffic, exit 7 connects to I-695 and I-295.
- Cross through the Third Street Tunnel, which runs beneath Union Square and C St NW, just northwest of the U.S. Capitol.
- Exits for exit 8 provide access to the U.S. Capitol via 2nd St SW, while exit 9 connects to the U.S. Senate (via 1st St SW).
- Exit 10 brings travelers to Massachusetts Ave, leading towards Amtrak services.
- The final section of the Third Street Tunnel runs between Massachusetts Ave and H St NW, passing beneath the Frances Perkins Building.
- The route concludes at New York Avenue, where 4th St NW intersects. Notice that I-395 diverts onto New York Ave at an at-grade intersection, with traffic lights controlling both I-395 and 4th St NW, though these streets are separated by a divider.
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Before being reconfigured as I-395 following legal challenges from environmentalists, this route was originally part of the I-95 segment through Downtown Washington DC. However, I-95 was redirected to its current path, serving the eastern portion of the Capital Beltway, while this stretch became what it is today.
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While navigating the reverse direction can be confusing—especially at the Mixing Bowl where many routes converge—overall, I-395 isn't as challenging as it may seem.
