Lexington Park, Maryland
NAS Patuxent River Crashpad — TDY lodging that feels like home
Looking for a NAS Patuxent River crashpad? Pax River in Lexington Park, Maryland is where the Navy tests its aircraft, so TDY orders here run weeks or months for Test Pilot School, program reviews and flight-test detachments. A furnished crashpad at or under the government lodging rate beats bouncing between Route 235 hotels, especially when NGIS is full.
Mission
Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) headquarters and the Navy's principal aircraft research, development, test and evaluation center, flying roughly 165,000 air operations a year across about 140 aircraft types.
Host units
Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) headquarters · Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) · U.S. Naval Test Pilot School · Test Wing Atlantic: VX-1, VX-20, VX-23 and HX-21
Commute
Most TDY travelers stay along Route 235 (Three Notch Road) between Lexington Park and California and reach Gate 1 or Gate 2 in 5 to 15 minutes; Leonardtown via Route 5 and Route 4 runs 20 to 25 minutes, and Solomons across the Thomas Johnson Bridge runs 20 to 30 minutes depending on bridge traffic.
Homes near the gate
Crashpads serving NAS Patuxent River
1 fully furnished property positioned for the NAS Patuxent River commute.
Why stay in a crashpad near NAS Patuxent River?
NAS Patuxent River sits on a peninsula where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, about 65 miles southeast of Washington. It hosts NAVAIR headquarters, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and the Test Wing Atlantic squadrons, and the workforce is unusual for a naval air station: roughly 2,400 active-duty alongside about 9,800 civilians and 5,700 contractors. That mix means the TDY population is heavy on engineers, program managers and contractor teams who arrive in waves for test periods and design reviews, and their stays often stretch past the 30-day mark. On-base lodging is limited to Navy Gateway Inns & Suites and a Navy Lodge, and the off-base hotel inventory along Route 235 is small for a county of about 116,000, so rooms tighten fast when a big test event or a TPS class cycle lands. A furnished crashpad in Lexington Park, California or Hollywood gives you a real kitchen, laundry and a short drive to Gate 1 or Gate 2 for a month-plus stay, at a rate that keeps you inside per diem.
Who we host at NAS Patuxent River
- U.S. Naval Test Pilot School students and instructors from every service and several allied nations
- Developmental and operational test aircrew and maintainers on detachment to VX-1, VX-20, VX-23 and HX-21
- NAVAIR program-office staff, engineers and logisticians in for design reviews, test events and milestone meetings
- Defense-contractor engineers and technicians supporting F-35, P-8, E-2D, CH-53K, MQ-25 and other programs
- Fleet aviators and acquisition-corps officers attending courses, boards and conferences at NAWCAD
Per diem, DTS, and your wallet
Every NAS Patuxent River stay is priced at or below the Lexington Park government lodging rate. You'll receive itemized, DTS-ready receipts for your travel voucher — for a typical TDY that means zero out-of-pocket lodging cost. Read the full breakdown in our TDY per diem guide, or run your own numbers: the per diem calculator use the same rates DTS does. PCSing here instead? Check BAH for NAS Patuxent River.
Local intel
NAS Patuxent River crashpad FAQs
Where should I stay on TDY to NAS Patuxent River?
Try Navy Gateway Inns & Suites first (1-877-NAVY-BED), then the Navy Lodge. If both are full, get your non-availability documentation and book a furnished crashpad or hotel in Lexington Park or California along Route 235, which puts you 5 to 15 minutes from the gates.
What is the per diem rate for Lexington Park and Pax River?
For FY2026 St. Mary's County uses the standard CONUS rate: $110 lodging and $68 M&IE, with $51 on first and last travel days. Rates run through September 30, 2026; FY2027 rates take effect October 1, 2026.
Which gate should I use?
Gate 1 at Route 235 and Pegg Road is open 24/7. Gate 2 at Route 235 and Great Mills Road (Route 246) is the weekday gate and is home to the Pass and ID / Visitor Control Center, so anyone without a DoD ID goes there. Confirm current hours on the NAS Patuxent River base access page before you arrive.
Calculators
Plan your NAS Patuxent River TDY budget
Mission-ready lodging
TDY to NAS Patuxent River? Lock in your lodging.
Send your dates and reason for stay — we'll match you with a furnished crashpad near Naval Air Station Patuxent River at the government rate.