In Washington, D.C., there are two current primary Interstate Highways and four current auxiliary Interstates. In addition, two proposed primary Interstates and two proposed auxiliary Interstates were cancelled in whole or in part.
| Interstate Highways of the District of Columbia | |
|---|---|
| |
| System information | |
| Formed | August 14, 1957[1] |
| Highway names | |
| Interstates | Interstate X (I-X) |
| System links | |
Interstate 495, also known as the "Capital Beltway", creates an artificial boundary for the inner suburbs of Washington and is the root of the phrase "Inside the Beltway". Almost completely circling Washington, D.C., it crosses a tiny portion of the District at its southernmost point at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I-66 runs from the eastern edge of Georgetown, connects with the Beltway, and continues through Northern Virginia to I-81. I-295 comes up from the south starting at the eastern edge of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Beltway and crosses the Anacostia River into downtown, linking up with I-395 (the Southwest Freeway), a major commuter route extending from New York Avenue to the Beltway and Interstate 95 in Springfield, Virginia, via I-695 (the Southeast Freeway). The Inner Loop was a proposed network of freeways in the city center; however, only portions of it were ever built. Today, the "inner loop" is most frequently used to describe the inside lanes of 495. That is those that travel clockwise around Washington.
Interstate Highways
| Number | Length (mi) | Length (km) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Formed | Removed | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 I-66 | 1.48[2] | 2.38 | Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66 / US 50) in Arlington, VA | Whitehurst Freeway (US 29) in Foggy Bottom | 1977 | current | Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, Potomac River Freeway | |
 I-70S | — | — | — | — | — | 1975 | Part of the planned North Central Freeway; Maryland portion was renamed I-270 in 1975 | |
 I-95 | — | — | — | — | 1961 | 1977 | Plans to run I-95 through downtown Washington via the planned Inner Loop and North Central Freeway were scrapped, prompting I-95 to replace I-495 along the eastern half of the Capital Beltway. Portions built were re-designated I-395. | |
| I-95 | 0.11[2][3] | 0.18 | Woodrow Wilson Bridge (VA–DC–MD border) | 1977 | current | No boundary crossing signage; concurrent with I-495 since 1991 | ||
 I-195 | 1.90 | 3.06 | Southwest Freeway / 3rd Street Tunnel (I-395) in Southwest Federal Center | New York Avenue NW (US 50) in Mount Vernon Square | proposed | — | Will replace I-395 through the Third Street Tunnel[4] | |
 I-266 | 1.79 | 2.88 | — | — | — | 1972 | Proposed loop route of I-66 between the District, and Arlington County, but canceled in the face of community opposition during Washington's "freeway revolts;" D.C. officials proposed designating the route Interstate 66N, a move opposed by the AASHTO.[citation needed] | |
 I-270 | — | — | — | — | 1975 | 1977 | Part of the planned North Central Freeway; Maryland portion was known as I-70S until in 1975 | |
 I-295 | 7.25[5] | 11.67 | Anacostia Freeway (I-295) in Oxon Hill, MD | Anacostia Freeway (DC 295) / 11th Street Bridges (I-695) in Anacostia | 1964 | current | Anacostia Freeway (south of the 11th Street Bridges) | |
 I-395 | 3.48[5] | 5.60 | 14th Street Bridges (I-395 / US 1) in Arlington, VA | New York Avenue NW (US 50) in Mount Vernon Square | 1977 | current | 14th Street Bridges, Southwest Freeway, 3rd Street Tunnel | |
 I-495 | 0.11[3] | 0.18 | Woodrow Wilson Bridge (VA–DC–MD border) | 1991 | current | Previously existed 1961–1977, reinstated 1991; no boundary crossing signage; concurrent with I-95 | ||
 I-695 | 1.39[5] | 2.24 | Southwest Freeway / 3rd Street Tunnel (I-395) in Southwest Federal Center | Anacostia Freeway (I-295 / DC 295) in Fairlawn | 1961 | current | Southeast Freeway, 11th Street Bridges; signage bearing I-695 shields were added in 2011; will be replaced by an extension of I-395 | |
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