High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes: HOV lanes are reserved for carpools, vanpools, buses, and motorcycles during designated time periods. All drivers can use HOV lanes during off-peak traffic hours. They are also known as carpool, commuter, or express lanes. Most of the Washington metropolitan HOV lanes are designated HOV-2, meaning motorists other than motorcyclists must have at least one other person in the vehicle to use the lane during the designated time periods.

HOV lanes are indicated in blue on the following map. Please click on the route symbol for more information.

Please click here to enlarge image

Maryland
HOV Lanes Location	Occupants Required	Hours of Operation
I-270	HOV-2	Southbound 6:00 am – 9:00 am
I-270	HOV-2	Northbound 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
US 50	HOV-2	24 hrs 7 days a week (between US 301 and the Beltway)

For more information on Maryland HOV lanes click here.

Virginia

HOV Lanes Location	Occupants Required	Hours of Operation
Dulles Toll Road	HOV-2	Eastbound 6:30 am – 9:00 am
Dulles Toll Road	HOV-2	Westbound 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
I-66 Inside Beltway
I-66 Inside Beltway	HOV-2	Eastbound 6:30 am – 9:00 am
I-66 Outside Beltway	HOV-2	Westbound 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
	HOV-2	Eastbound 5:30 am – 9:30 am
I-66 Outside Beltway	HOV-2	Westbound 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
I-95/I-395	HOV-3	Northbound 6:00 am – 9:00 am
I-95/I-395	HOV-3	Southbound 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm

For more information on Virginia HOV lanes, including important hybrid rules, click here.

HOV Benefits:

• HOV lanes can save you up to 30 minutes each way.
• HOV lanes move more people in fewer vehicles, reducing the demand for new highways.
• HOV lanes increase the efficiency of existing highways.
• HOV lanes reduce the use of personal resources such as time, fuel, and money.
• HOV lanes benefit drivers of single-occupant vehicles by taking carpoolers out of general use lanes.