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Capital Beltway

road, Maryland, and Virginia, United States

Quick Summary

The Capital Beltway, officially Interstate 495, is a 64-mile (103-km) highway encircling Washington, D.C.. This interstate roadway passes through both Maryland and Virginia, connecting these states to the capital region.1

The term "Beltway" has also come to represent the political and social sphere of Washington, D.C., and its immediate suburbs. While built to ease traffic congestion, the Beltway and other regional highways have struggled to keep pace with the area's population growth. The Beltway is a well-known highway in the United States.21

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