Bethesda

Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.

Understand
Bethesda was a quiet suburb until 1984, when the Red Line of the Metrorail was extended. This brought an explosion of growth, and many high rise office and apartment buildings were built. Bethesda became the major suburban destination in Maryland for wining and dining, and is much more family-friendly than anywhere in D.C. Bethesda is generally ranked #1 in the list of the most educated cities in the U.S. and the richest neighborhoods in the U.S.

By plane
Baltimore-Washington International, Dulles International , and Washington Reagan National airports are more or less equidistant by taxi from downtown Bethesda, usually taking about 30-45 minutes, without traffic. Budget an extra 30 minutes during rush hour.

For information on getting from the airports to Bethesda, see Washington, D.C.

By Metrorail
Bethesda is served by WMATA trains via its Red Line; travel time from central Washington, D.C. is just over 20 minutes. is located at the intersection of Wisconsin Ave and Old Georgetown Road. Eventually, the Purple Line will be built, giving easy access to Silver Spring and the campus of the University of Maryland.

From other points in Montgomery County, MD
Ride-on-Bus and MetroBus operate service between downtown Bethesda and other locations in Montgomery County, including Rockville, Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

By car
Wisconsin Ave (Route 355) and Connecticut Avenue run from Downtown Washington DC to Bethesda.

By bicycle
The Capital Crescent Trail, which runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring passes through Bethesda. Between Bethesda and Georgetown the trail is smooth asphalt suitable for rollerblading. The trail from Bethesda to Silver Spring is closed as of Oct 2020 due to construction of the Purple Line light rail.

By bus
Bethesda Circulator operates free bus service within downtown Bethesda. It runs every 10 minutes M-Th 7AM-11PM, F 7AM-midnight, Sa 10AM-2AM, Su no service.

Ride-on-Bus and MetroBus operate service between downtown Bethesda and other locations in Bethesda, including Montgomery Mall and the National Institutes of Health.

By foot
You can walk around downtown Bethesda — it's not so big.

Parking
Parking is usually only available in the public garages, which have rates between $1.50 and $2.00 per hour.

Parking meters cost $2.25 per hour. Parking enforcement is aggressive and fines start at $45 for an expired meter.

See
Bethesda is not known for its sights; it's known for its restaurants and bars. Nonetheless, you might be interested to see:





Do
Bethesda Urban Partnership sponsors many events including free concerts, movie showings, and art exhibitions, all of which are posted on the website.



Eat
Bethesda is known throughout the Washington D.C. area for its nearly 200 restaurants.

Stay safe
Bethesda, like most of the county, is very  safe. This being an urban area, it wouldn't hurt to be watchful of your belongings, though.

Go next

 * Rockville includes the grave of American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, writer of The Great Gatsby.
 * Silver Spring
 * Washington, D.C. is a 10-minute ride south on the Red Line Metrorail from the Bethesda Metrorail Station.