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Suggest a Feature →Joint Base Andrews — Prince George's County, Maryland
Inside the Beltway. Outside the madness.
Joint Base Andrews sits 10 miles southeast of Washington D.C. in Prince George's County — a position that puts you inside the most politically dense real estate on Earth. Every few weeks the base makes the news as Air Force One lifts off or foreign dignitaries land. For the people who actually live and work here, it's a study in contrasts: world-historical ops tempo, suburban Maryland traffic, and an unusually wide range of off-base options from downtown D.C. to the Maryland tidewater.
The metro area is expensive. DC area BAH is among the highest in DoD. That's not generosity — it's math. Housing near Andrews ranges from townhomes in Clinton and Suitland to further-out options in Waldorf, Bowie, or Prince Frederick. Commutes are real. Factor the Beltway into every decision you make about where to live.
The upside is access. Smithsonian museums are free and world-class. The monuments are lit at night and worth visiting even if you've been stationed here for years. Every branch of service has a presence in the region, and the joint environment at Andrews means your peer group is genuinely diverse.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Old Hickory Steakhouse
"Gaylord National's signature steakhouse overlooking the Potomac."
Worth the splurge for a promotion dinner or farewell. Views of the river from National Harbor.
Happy hour at the bar is significantly cheaper than the dining room and the food is the same.
The Capital Grille
"DC expense-account steakhouse that actually delivers."
Classic power-lunch steakhouse near Penn Quarter. Good for a retirement dinner or if someone else is paying.
Happy hour bar menu (5-7pm) runs $7 cocktails and $8 apps.
Angelika Film Center & Café
"Mosaic District anchor with good coffee and indie films."
Not technically close to Andrews, but the Mosaic District in Merrifield is a go-to for date nights when you want something that isn't a chain mall.
Park once at Mosaic and walk to restaurants, bars, and the theater without moving the car.
Old Bowie Town Grille
"Neighborhood bar in old downtown Bowie. Actually good food."
Historic Bowie Town is underrated — brick main street, local feel, solid burgers and craft beer. Popular with the Andrews crowd who live in Bowie.
Trivia nights pack the place. Get there early if you want a table.
La Fondita Taqueria
"Truck-to-counter tacos in Hyattsville."
Authentic family-run tacos near the University of Maryland corridor. Cheap, fast, legitimately good.
Cash preferred. Street parking is fine during weekday lunch.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Billy Goat Trail (C&O Canal)
"Best technical day hike inside the Beltway."
Section A is genuinely scramble-over-boulders hard. Sections B and C are easier. All along the Potomac north of DC. About 45 minutes from Andrews.
Weekends are packed. Go on a weekday morning if possible.
Calvert Cliffs State Park
"Chesapeake Bay fossil beach, one hour south."
The famous fossil cliffs on the Chesapeake. Shark teeth wash up on the beach below. Moderate hike in, but kids lose their minds when they find a tooth.
Low tide is best for fossil hunting. Check tide charts before you go.
Greenbelt Park
"National Park Service campground six miles from Andrews."
A genuine NPS campground in the middle of the suburb sprawl. Good for a weekend with family when you can't get far. Trails into mature forest.
America the Beautiful (Annual Pass) gets you in free and covers camping.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Smithsonian Museums (National Mall)
"Free. World-class. One metro stop from each other."
Natural History, American History, African American History and Culture, Air and Space, American Art — all free, all within walking distance. This is what you live near. Use it.
NMAAHC requires timed entry passes that book weeks out. Reserve them as soon as you know you're going.
The Kennedy Center
"National performing arts center with free daily Millennium Stage shows."
The roof terrace has Potomac views. The Millennium Stage at 6pm daily is free — no tickets, just show up. Military discount on many performances.
Millennium Stage is first-come, first-served. Arrive 20 minutes early for a good spot.
Old Town Alexandria
"Colonial waterfront that didn't get turned into condos."
King Street is walkable, historic, and has real restaurants, shops, and bars. 20 minutes from Andrews without Beltway traffic. Water taxi from National Harbor connects in summer.
Thursday evening farmer's market on King Street. Park at the waterfront garage.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
National Zoo
"Smithsonian Zoo — free and genuinely excellent."
Free admission. Giant pandas (when in residence), elephants, big cats. The bird house and reptile discovery center are underrated. Metro accessible.
Go on weekday mornings. The pandas and big cats are most active early.
Six Flags America
"Right down the road. Military tickets are a deal."
Large regional park with good thrill rides. 10 minutes from the gate. ITT office on base typically has discounted tickets.
Buy through ITT first — usually $20-30 less than gate price.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The Navy capital. Sailboats, crabs, and colonial architecture."
Historic downtown, USNA campus, great seafood. Dock Street is a legitimate bar strip for a night out. Crab houses open seasonally on the bay.
"The battlefield that changed everything."
The NPS visitor center is outstanding. Auto tour covers all three days of the battle. The ranger programs are genuinely excellent. Bring the whole day.
"Skyline Drive through Blue Ridge ridgeline."
Overlooks every quarter mile, Old Rag Mountain as a day hike, dark skies at night. About 90 minutes from Andrews. America the Beautiful pass works here.
"Closest real beach. Atlantic coast, active military community."
Four-hour drive, worth it for a long weekend. Strip is crowded in summer — stay a few blocks back. Joint Expeditionary Base is nearby if you need lodging.
Metro (Green Line) runs through Prince George's County and into DC — Branch Avenue station is close and avoids Beltway driving entirely for most DC trips.
DC traffic patterns mean you can go 10 miles in 45 minutes or 10 miles in 2 hours depending on when you leave. Learn the windows: before 7am or after 8pm for reverse-commute.
Virginia and Maryland are different states with different gun laws, vehicle registration rules, and alcohol regulations. If you're new to the region, spend an hour learning the differences.
Joint Base Andrews rotates through VIP aircraft traffic constantly. If you see unusual aircraft on the ramp, there's usually a reason. Don't post about it.
The IRS, USDA, and countless federal agencies have campuses in Prince George's County. Your neighbors are often federal employees — which is useful when you need to navigate bureaucracy.
Beltway traffic is not a minor inconvenience — it's a life-organizing force. Houses that look affordable in Waldorf or Bryans Road add 45-90 minutes to your commute. Run the numbers before you commit to a neighborhood. And DC's cost of living will eat your BAH faster than you expect.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.