Potomac TRACON (PCT, radio communications: Potomac Approach and Potomac Departure) is a
terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facility in charge of the
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
airspace,
Washington Special Flight Rules Area, the
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
area airspace and the
Richmond-Charlottesville area airspace.
It is based in
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 10,057 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, an increase from 9,611 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and 6,670 at ...
. Potomac TRACON is the fourth largest TRACON in the United States, handling 1,400,659 aircraft operations in 2024.
PCT is a consolidation of 4 former TRACON facilities controlling air traffic for the region's 4 major airports:
Washington Dulles International Airport,
Washington National Airport,
Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and
Richmond International Airport. PCT is organized into 4 areas, still associated with those geographic regions:
*Shenandoah (SHD) covers Dulles and the west area of PCT
*Mount Vernon (MTV) covers the Washington National Airport,
Joint Base Andrews, and surrounding region
*Chesapeake (CHP) covers BWI and the northern area of PCT
*James River (JRV) covers Richmond and the southern area of PCT
References
Air traffic control in the United States
Aviation in Washington, D.C.
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