IAD check-in to gate timing - 9pm
 

FT - I have to attend a dinner in downtown DC that wraps up at 8:30pm. Is this enough time to get to IAD, get through security, and get to either the C or D concourse for a 10pm flight back?

I don't necessarily mind cutting it very close - especially if this gets me home without having to spend another night in a hotel.

Anyone done this successfully - or am I setting myself up for failure?

* Do you have a rental car?
* Do you have Pre-Check?
* Do you have CLEAR?

No rental, Precheck and Clear.

If you actually mean you in are a vehicle heading to Dulles at 8:30, then you should be perfectly fine. But you won't have much margin for saying some final goodbyes, then calling an Uber, etc. starting at 8:30. I'd give 30-45 minutes for the trip to IAD depending where in DC you start, and my record is curbside at IAD 37 minutes before departure - I made it to the gate around T-19 and they were holding the door for me. My margin from Georgetown is 2 hours before the flight, but that's at a lazy "I should head out around now" pace.

Yep, you should be fine as long as you have your ride at 8:30 and there's no accident on 66. If there's traffic on 66, I'd try to duck out a few minutes early. You can make it curbside to gate in ~20 minutes if you time trains/moon buggy right otherwise maybe 25-30 minutes. Security should be no more than 5 minutes with Precheck and Clear.

Thanks so much all - going to see if I can make this work. Technically departure 10:05 and I can probably get out of dinner around 8:25... clearly the life of a last minute flyer...

No one asked about checked baggage. I'll assume none, but if you're offering advice you should at least know what facts you need.

This couldn't have been any easier or gone any better, even out to the D gates last night. Dulles was a bit busier than I expected, but I left downtown DC at 8:25, arrived Dulles at 9, and was at my gate by 9:25.

Thanks all.