Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Guide

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport sits in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 14 km south of downtown Baltimore and 56 km northeast of Washington, D.C. It is the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area and ranked 22nd among U.S. airports by passenger volume in 2024. The airport is named after Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native who became the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier, accounting for over 70% of passenger traffic and occupying Concourses A, B, and part of C. The airport operates three active runways and has a single terminal with five concourses — four domestic and one international — totaling 78 gates. A major Concourse A/B connector and baggage system upgrade, the largest capital project in the airport's history, was underway in 2024-2025.

BWI opened for commercial service in 1950 and is operated by the Maryland Aviation Administration, part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. It offers nonstop service to more than 80 domestic and 13 international destinations, with approximately 300 daily departures. Direct rail access via MARC and Amtrak connects the airport to Baltimore and Washington without requiring passengers to drive.