Distance From Washington DC to Gettysburg: 79 Miles by Car

Step 1: Check the distance from Washington DC to Gettysburg

Gettysburg is 79 miles from Washington, DC, and the park is about 90 minutes away by car. Its directions page at the Gettysburg Foundation lists the 79 miles. The National Park Service press kit gives the 90 minutes. Neither page names a road or a time of day, so add time for traffic.

The Foundation page also lists the distance from other starting points.

Gettysburg is one of the longer day trips out of DC. Our day trips page mentions it next to far longer trips, such as tours from Washington DC to Niagara Falls, where it says plainly that it has none to show.

Key Takeaway Gettysburg is 79 miles and about 90 minutes from Washington, DC, and no passenger train runs there.

Step 2: Drive on US 15 to the visitor center

Follow US 15 to Gettysburg, then watch for the signs to the National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center. The park's directions page puts the center at 1195 Baltimore Pike (Route 97). The signs are near the exit at Route 97. Go north on Route 97, and the entrance is on your left at the stoplight. If you come from the east or west, drive into town on US 30 instead.

Here is the trip in one picture.

The pages do not name the roads out of DC, so use a map app for the first part of the drive.

Parking in the park is free. According to the park, there are no fees at any of its lots. Lots keep the same hours as the battlefield, which is from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Overnight parking is not permitted in them.

The Museum and Visitor Center has its own hours. Per the Gettysburg Foundation, the center is open 8 am to 5 pm daily from March to November and 9 am to 4 pm from December to February. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, and it closes at 1 pm on Christmas Eve.

A round trip from DC is about 3 hours behind the wheel. Plan a full day, not a quick stop.

Pro Tip From December to February the museum closes at 4 pm, so leave DC by about 8 am to reach it at 9:30 with time to see it.

Step 3: Plan around the missing train

No train runs from Washington, DC to Gettysburg, because the Gettysburg Foundation says passenger trains no longer service the town. It names the Amtrak terminals in Harrisburg and Baltimore as the closest ones. The Foundation's directions page says the same for anyone who hoped to arrive like Lincoln did.

Harrisburg is the one with a bus link. Per the park's directions page, Rabbit Express buses run from Harrisburg International Airport and the Amtrak station in Harrisburg to downtown Gettysburg. Harrisburg is 38 miles from Gettysburg, to the north. Freedom Transit buses run around Gettysburg, not from Washington, DC.

We found no official timetable that joins DC to Gettysburg by public transport. Without a car, plan the Harrisburg route early, or rent a car for the day. Any of the Gettysburg battlefield tours on the Gettysburg tours page starts in Gettysburg, and that page says none of them includes the ride from DC.

The only train in town is a scenic ride. The Gettysburg train ride with narration lasts 1.5 hours and is from €37 per person, with a 4.0 rating from 507 reviews. Gettysburg Railway runs it from 106 N Washington St. It shows free cancellation, and the listing says the ride to the departure station is not included.

Step 4: Pick a guide or a tour for the battlefield

You can see the Gettysburg battlefield for free, and a guide or tour is optional. On its fees page, the park says the battlefield and the visitor center are free to visit. Tickets are required for the film, the Cyclorama painting and the museum. An adult pays $20.75 for all three, or $14.75 for the museum alone.

For a guide, the park publishes a rate. A licensed battlefield guide costs $82 for 1 to 6 people in one car for 2 hours, or $117 for 3 hours. That page was last updated in March 2024, so check it before you go.

Things to Do in Washington DC's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 6 Gettysburg tours, from €19 to €142.

The horse-drawn carriage battlefield tour is from €76 per person, with a 4.8 rating from 1,118 reviews. Horse Tours of Gettysburg runs it, and it meets at 2190 Emmitsburg Rd. The group is limited to 10 people. The price includes a licensed battlefield guide and parking, and tips are not included. The listing says it is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, and it shows free cancellation.

The private tour with a licensed battlefield guide is from €85 per group of up to 6, with a 4.9 rating from 472 reviews. Horse Tours of Gettysburg runs this one too. You follow the guide in your own vehicle, so the price does not cover the ride from DC. It meets at the State of Maryland Monument on Taneytown Rd. Tips, hotel pickup and transport are not included, and it shows free cancellation.

The table sums up the choices.

Prices in the table are in two currencies. The park rate is in US dollars and the tours are in euros, as GetYourGuide shows them.

Step 5: Choose where to stay

Stay at least one night if you want more than a rushed day, because the National Park Service suggests two to three days. In its press kit, the park says to plan at least that long to see the park and its surroundings. A day trip from DC gives you only a few hours there.

You have two kinds of places to stay. The first is a historic home on the battlefield. The Gettysburg Foundation says the park rents three of them, the Bushman, Slyder and Rose houses. You book on Recreation.gov, and park staff then contact you to sign a short-term lease. The homes have kitchens, heating and air conditioning. The page gives no price, so check Recreation.gov.

The second is a hotel or motel in town. The park's directions page says Freedom Transit stops are placed for visitors who stay in area hotels and motels. We did not check Gettysburg hotels, so we list none here.

Once you stay, the evening is open. The Civil War ghost tour lasts 1 hour and is from €19 per person, with a 4.4 rating from 554 reviews. US Ghost Adventures runs it, and it meets at the Brickhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast at 452 Baltimore St. The listing says it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, and the operator does not recommend it if you cannot walk more than a mile. Transport and tips are not included. It shows free cancellation.

One honest limit. A day trip is the wrong choice if you want to cover the whole battlefield. The park suggests two to three days, and a round trip from DC takes about 3 hours of driving.

A famous place rewards the visitor who leaves enough time to stand still in it.