Potomac, Anacostia rivers to close to boaters for 4th of July weekend

Valerie Bonk | vbonk@wtop.com
June 18, 2026, 10:59 AM

Boaters planning to head to the D.C. area on 4th of July will have to plan ahead for some major closures of local popular boating spots. ... The U.S. Coast Guard announced that large sections of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River will be closed to recreational boaters during the holiday celebration.

The closures include all waters of the Potomac River from the Francis Scott Key Bridge to 200 yards south of the 14th Street Bridge from 8 a.m. on July 2 through 6 a.m. on July 5. ... All areas of the Anacostia River from the 11th Street Bridge to 200 yards south of the Frederick Douglass Bridge will be closed from 6 p.m. to midnight on July 4. The closing on the Anacostia River applies to all vessels.

While recreational boaters will not be allowed on the Potomac from July 2 through July 5, commercial ferries and dinner cruises will be allowed to travel on the Potomac on July 2, but not from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 3 or noon to midnight on July 4.

Flights to and from Reagan National Airport will also be impacted on July 4 as the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said Tuesday that no planes will take off or land at the airport on July 4 after noon until flights resume July 5.

{snip}

Valerie Bonk
Valerie Bonk started working at WTOP in 2016 and has lived in Howard County, Maryland, her entire life. She's thrilled to be a reporter for WTOP telling stories on air. She works as both a television and radio reporter in the Maryland and D.C. areas.
vbonk@wtop.com
@ValerieBonk