Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a major airport  south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia, United States. It is the nearest commercial airport to the capital and serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. For decades it was called Washington National Airport; it was renamed in 1998 to honor President Ronald Reagan. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) operates the airport with close oversight by the federal government due to its proximity to the national capital.