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orywireThe Capital Pride Parade steps off Saturday, June 20, with closures affecting 14th Street NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW and downtown routes. Here is what drivers, residents and Metro riders need to know before heading out.
D.C.’s Capital Pride Parade steps off Saturday, June 20, at 3 p.m. ET from 14th and T Streets NW, with the public route running south on 14th Street and east on Pennsylvania Avenue. Drivers should avoid 14th Street NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Logan Circle, downtown and Penn Quarter through Saturday night because D.C. police have posted emergency no-parking zones and several staged closures.
The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency lists the parade for 3 to 8 p.m. ET. The agency says the route starts at 14th and T Streets NW, proceeds south on 14th Street to Thomas Circle, circles counterclockwise around Thomas Circle back to 14th Street, continues south to Pennsylvania Avenue NW and heads east to 9th Street NW.
Capital Pride lists the parade window as 3 to 7:30 p.m. and places the event in the Shaw, Logan Circle, Downtown and Penn Quarter neighborhoods. D.C. police say parade assembly and disbanding areas extend beyond the public start and finish, so traffic controls reach nearby blocks.
D.C. police listed several closure windows for Saturday.
From 6 a.m. Saturday through 1 a.m. Sunday, closures include 17th Street NW from New Hampshire Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue, plus Corcoran, Q and Church streets NW between 18th and 16th streets.
From about 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., closures include 15th Street NW from U Street to Massachusetts Avenue, T, Swann, S, R, Corcoran, Q, Church and P streets NW between 16th and 14th streets, and O Street NW from 16th to 15th streets.
From about 1 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., the closure area expands across the parade route and nearby downtown streets, including 14th Street NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Constitution Avenue NW, New York Avenue NW, H, G, F, E and D streets NW, 7th through 13th streets NW and the 12th Street Tunnel approaches. D.C. police also listed the I-395 northbound exit 3 and westbound I-395 exit 4B toward 12th Street NW Downtown among the affected closures.
Separately, festival-related closures are already affecting Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 3rd and 7th streets, Constitution Avenue NW from 3rd to 7th streets and nearby cross streets through Monday morning.
Emergency no parking runs from 4 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday on the following corridors, according to D.C. police. Vehicles parked in violation of posted signs will be ticketed and towed.
The FAA’s current operations plan lists several airports where weather or event volume could trigger ground stops or ground delay programs today. Travelers should check airline apps and official airport or FAA status pages before heading to the airport.
The FAA has extended flight limits affecting JFK, LaGuardia and Newark to manage congestion and air traffic control constraints. Travelers should know the airport timelines, how airline schedules may change and what to check before booking or flying.
D.C. police said vehicles will not be able to cross 14th Street NW between U Street and Constitution Avenue during the parade. Motorists trying to move through Northwest and downtown can use U Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Independence Avenue, 17th Street NW and the 3rd Street Tunnel, but should expect delays near the parade and the 17th Street block party.
Residents east or west of 14th Street can still access homes. Police said residents between 16th and 14th streets from U Street to Rhode Island Avenue should approach from 16th Street and officers will assist. Drivers trying to reach CityCenter, Chinatown or Capital One Arena should enter from the east.
DDOT’s public-space permitting system also lists a temporary suspension of non-emergency roadway, alley and sidewalk work in designated areas from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, meaning drivers should not count on normal construction-lane patterns inside the event area.
Metro said rail service will run normal weekend service, but riders should expect larger crowds. For the parade, Metro points riders to U Street or Archives on the Green and Yellow lines, or McPherson Square, Metro Center and Federal Triangle on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines. Several Metrobus routes are detoured through the weekend; riders should check WMATA alerts before leaving.
A separate National Park Service closure keeps Dupont Circle Park closed to the public for Pride weekend. The agency’s record of determination lists the park closure from Friday, June 19, through Monday, June 22.
Street reopening times can depend on crowd size, police operations and cleanup. D.C. police said all listed closures and times are subject to change based on conditions, so drivers should avoid the parade corridor after late morning, follow posted emergency no-parking signs and check D.C. police, DDOT and WMATA updates before driving or taking a bus downtown.
The FAA listed possible or probable ground stops or ground delay programs at several major U.S. airports Thursday as storms, wind, low clouds and staffing constraints affected planning. Travelers should check airline apps and official airport status before leaving for the airport.
