When living in Burke and needing to go to the airport, the first thought is usually to take a car.

However, after a few trips, you realize that a car is not always the best option.

Depending on which airport you are going to, what time your flight is, and how much luggage you have, the convenience of a car versus public transportation can vary greatly.

The most convenient airport to use from Burke is definitely Reagan National Airport, DCA.

The distance is about 15 miles, so if traffic is good, you can get there in about 20 to 30 minutes.

Especially for early morning flights, using a car or Uber/Lyft is the most convenient option.

The problem arises on weekday mornings.

While the map says it takes 30 minutes, if traffic on I-395 or the roads toward DC starts to back up during rush hour, the estimated time keeps increasing.

As your flight time approaches, watching the navigation turn red can be exhausting before you even arrive at the airport.

In such cases, you might consider taking the VRE.

You can take the VRE from Burke Centre station to Crystal City and then transfer to the Metro to connect to DCA.

While transferring is a bit of a hassle compared to driving, the advantage is that you can somewhat predict your arrival time during rush hour.

However, the VRE does not run like a regular subway that comes every few minutes.

It operates mainly during weekday commuting hours, so you need to check if your flight time aligns with the train schedule.

For weekends or very early morning flights, a car is generally much more practical.

Dulles International Airport, IAD, is also not too far from Burke.

Depending on road conditions, you can expect about 30 to 40 minutes by car. When flying internationally, you often have to drag a large suitcase, so in such cases, I find that using Uber or asking a family member is more convenient than public transportation.

Dulles has become more accessible with the Silver Line Metro connecting directly to the airport.

However, since you first have to travel to the Metro station from Burke, the total travel time may be longer than by car.

You also need to consider airport parking fees. For trips lasting a day or two, it might be easier to leave your car at the airport, but for trips of 5 or 7 days, parking fees can add up significantly.

In such cases, comparing long-term parking costs with round-trip Uber fares can surprisingly show that Uber might be the better option.

Ultimately, there is no single way to get to the airport from Burke.

For early morning flights, a car is best; for weekday morning trips to DCA, VRE and Metro are good options; and for international flights with a lot of luggage, Uber or a car is more convenient.

Now, when I book a flight, I check transportation options right after the departure time.

The exact number of miles from Burke to the airport doesn't matter much.

In Northern Virginia, the timing of when you travel those 15 miles is far more important than the distance itself.