Alexandria Facts
- Overview
- Attractions
- Events
- Facts
- Kids
Population: 128,283
Elevation: 30 feet above sea level
Location: Location:
Alexandria is located in Northern Virginia south across the Potomac River
from Washington D.C.
Time Zone: Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (when
it’s noon in Alexandria, it is 11:00am in Chicago and 9:00am in Los Angeles).
Alexandria observes Daylight Saving Time from April-October.
Weather:
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Average temp. (°F) |
34.6 |
37.8 |
46.2 |
55.8 |
65.3 |
74.2 |
78.8 |
77.1 |
70.1 |
58.4 |
48.3 |
39.2 |
|
High temperature (°F) |
42.8 |
46.7 |
56.0 |
66.6 |
75.7 |
84.1 |
88.5 |
86.6 |
79.6 |
68.4 |
57.6 |
47.3 |
|
Low temperature (°F) |
26.5 |
28.8 |
36.4 |
45.0 |
54.9 |
64.1 |
69.2 |
67.7 |
60.7 |
48.3 |
39.0 |
31.0 |
|
Precipitation (in) |
3.3 |
2.7 |
3.7 |
2.9 |
4.0 |
3.3 |
3.8 |
3.6 |
3.9 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
Climate:
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Days with precipitation |
10 |
9 |
11 |
10 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
Wind speed (mph) |
10.0 |
10.3 |
10.9 |
10.5 |
9.3 |
8.9 |
8.3 |
8.1 |
8.3 |
8.7 |
9.4 |
9.6 |
|
Morning humidity (%) |
71 |
71 |
70 |
70 |
75 |
76 |
76 |
80 |
82 |
80 |
76 |
72 |
|
Afternoon humidity (%) |
56 |
53 |
50 |
49 |
53 |
53 |
53 |
55 |
56 |
54 |
54 |
57 |
|
Sunshine (%) |
46 |
50 |
55 |
57 |
58 |
64 |
62 |
62 |
61 |
59 |
51 |
46 |
|
Days clear of clouds |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
8 |
8 |
|
Partly cloudy days |
7 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
|
Cloudy days |
16 |
15 |
15 |
14 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
|
Snowfall (in) |
5.5 |
5.1 |
2.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.8 |
2.9 |
When to Go
Summer is the most popular time of year when
tourists visit nearby Washington DC. With high temperatures in the mid to high
80’s in June, July and August and evenings in the 60’s, it’s the perfect time to
experience the city and its surrounding sites. Spring is the time for a visual
extravaganza with cherry blossoms in bloom and all that nature has in store for
the season. Temperatures average in the mid-50s in April and in the mid-60’s in
May. Fall brings a whole new look to the city. With the average temperatures
averaging right at 70, in September, the 50’s in October, and the 40’s in
November, visitors get to experience a wide array of colors as the leaves turn
in preparation for winter. From December through March a visitor may experience
the sight of snow falling. The coldest month is January with an average
temperature of 34 degrees and highs in the mid-40’s and lows averaging 25. No
matter when your travel plans for Alexandria, this wonderful, historic city is
never too cold or too hot to enjoy its many sites.
How to Get There
By Plane
Ronald
Reagan Washington National Airport is 2 miles north of Alexandria via the
George Washington Memorial Parkway. Washington's Metrorail provides easy
transport to Alexandria via its Blue and Yellow lines.
SuperShuttle operates frequent van service daily from the airport to many
locations. Hours are 6am to 10pm.
By Car
Going south
from Washington, cross the 14th Street Bridge (I-395) and go south on the scenic
George Washington Memorial Parkway, which becomes Washington Street,
Alexandria's main north-south thoroughfare. A left turn on King Street will take
you into the heart of Old Town. I-95 crosses the Potomac River at Alexandria;
take Exit 177 (U.S. 1) and go north into Old Town..
By Train
The Amtrak
station is at 110 Callahan Dr., at King Street.
By
Washington Metrorail
From
Arlington or Washington, take the Blue or Yellow lines to the King Street
station (it's across the tracks from Amtrak's Alexandria station). Metrorail
operates Monday to Thursday from 5:30am to midnight, Friday 5:30am to 2am,
Saturday 8am to 3am, and Sunday 8am to midnight.
City
Layout
Old Town
Alexandria is an easy city to get around as it is laid out in a simple grid. The
original town grew north-south along the Potomac River, but most of what you
will want to see and do today is on, or a few blocks off, King Street, the main
east-west drag, between the waterfront and the King Street Metrorail station.
Bus
Transportation
From a
visitor's standpoint, Alexandria's bus system, known as DASH, is primarily
useful for getting from the King Street Metro station to the Ramsay House
Visitor Center (take buses numbered AT-2 and AT-5). A free weekend shuttle runs
along King Street on weekends. DASH provides service from 5:30am to 11pm
weekdays, from 7am to 10pm on weekends. There's no service New Year's Day,
Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Car
Rental/Taxi
All the
major car-rental firms are based at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Taxi and limousine service is available as well.
National Holidays
New Year’s Day, January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday in
January
President’ Day, the third Monday in February
Memorial Day, the last Monday in May
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, the first Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 and
25
New Year’s Eve, December 31
