Joint Base Andrews
Every U.S. presidential departure rolls from this Maryland ramp — the two Boeing VC-25s parked here become Air Force One the moment the president steps aboard.
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What began as Camp Springs Army Air Field in May 1943 grew into the nerve center of National Capital Region air power. Named on 2 May 1945 for Lt. Gen. Frank Maxwell Andrews (1884–1943), who commanded U.S. forces in the European Theater before his death that same year, the base later served as postwar headquarters for Strategic Air Command and the Military Air Transport Service.
What to look for
- The two Boeing VC-25 aircraft — they only carry the call sign Air Force One when the president is aboard, not at any other time
- Markings tied to Lt. Gen. Frank Maxwell Andrews, the Air Force founder (1884–1943) for whom the field was renamed in 1945
- The three additional wings sharing the base: the active-duty 89th Airlift Wing, the reserve 459th Air Refueling Wing, and the Air National Guard's 113th Wing
Active U.S. Air Force installation in Prince George's County, Maryland, under the 316th Wing; access requires military authorization.
Joint Base Andrews is one of 37 sights worth the detour in Washington, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Washington pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Washington
- White HouseBritish forces torched it in 1814. It has been the U.S. president's home and office ever since.
- The PentagonDesigned and built in 16 months during World War II — 17.5 miles of corridors, a five-acre central courtyard, and a 9/11 memorial at the exact point of impact.
- United States CapitolEvery street address in Washington DC radiates outward from this building — it is literally the zero point of the city.
- Washington MonumentThe faint color seam partway up the shaft marks where construction stopped for 23 years.
- Smithsonian InstitutionBritish scientist James Smithson left a bequest that became 157 million objects, 21 museums, and a zoo — almost all free to walk into.
- Arlington National CemeteryThe ground holding 400,000 graves was seized from Robert E. Lee's own family over an unpaid tax bill in 1864.