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Washington National Airport opened on June 16, 1941, built by the Federal Government and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. National Airport was built on the mud flats of a bend in the Potomac River at Gravelly Point, located 4 1/2 miles south of Washington D.C.. The area was dredged and built with more than 26 million cubic yards of fill. National Airport serves over 43,500 passengers a day with flights that provide commercial, general aviation, and commuter service. In 1946, 1 million passengers used Washington National. Today, commercial airlines fly nearly 16 million passengers a year in and out of Washington National. General aviation, or private/corporate aircraft, fly over 183,000 passengers a year. National Airport covers 860 acres: 733 land, and 127 water. Traffic at Washington National is limited by an act of Congress. Washington National is one of the few airports in the country that has a reservation program for all IFR arrivals and departures. For more information: Computerized Voice Reservation System (CVRS)