The NAS Patuxent River guide

• Fly into BWI, DCA or Dulles; all three are 65 to 90 road miles away and the Navy Lodge quotes about two hours to each. There is no commercial service at St. Mary's County Regional Airport, so plan on a rental car.
• From the Washington Beltway take Route 5 south through Waldorf, then Route 235 (Three Notch Road) south to Lexington Park. Route 235 is the main commercial strip and every gate is off it.
• Gate 1 at Route 235 and Pegg Road is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is the gate to use at night or on weekends.
• Gate 2 at Route 235 and Great Mills Road (Route 246) is open weekdays roughly 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and closed weekends. Gate 3 is reported open daily 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; confirm current hours on the base access page or with the Pass and ID office at 301-342-3231.
• The Pass and ID / Visitor Control Center is at Gate 2 and has limited hours (weekday mornings, shorter on Fridays). Contractors and visitors without a CAC or DoD ID need a sponsor and should arrive early; the base access FAQ on the NAS Patuxent River site explains the paperwork.
• Traffic stacks up on Route 235 at both gates from about 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. and again 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. as the civilian workforce shifts; the Thomas Johnson Bridge from Solomons is a single choke point and backs up in the same windows.

• St. Mary's County Public Schools serves the whole county including on-base housing; the district's Military Families office is on base at 21993 Bundy Road, Building 2090, and helps with enrollment and Interstate Compact issues.
• Great Mills High School is the closest high school to the base and Leonardtown High School is the other big one; both draw heavily from NAS Patuxent River families and contractors, and Chopticon High School in Morganza serves the north county.
• There is no DoD school on base; children ride district buses from the housing neighborhoods.
• Navy Child and Youth Programs on base run a Child Development Center, school-age care and a youth center; get on the MilitaryChildCare.com wait list as soon as you have orders.
• St. Mary's College of Maryland (public honors college) is 15 minutes south in St. Mary's City and the College of Southern Maryland has a Leonardtown campus for spouses and off-duty education.

• Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River is the on-base facility: a Primary Care Medical Home with pharmacy, dental and specialty clinics, open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It does not have an emergency room; after hours call 301-342-1506 for the provider on call.
• TRICARE region is East (Humana Military). The clinic has an on-site TRICARE service center with walk-in help for enrollment and referrals.
• The nearest civilian hospital and emergency room is MedStar St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown, about 20 minutes from the gates; the nearest trauma centers are in the Washington and Baltimore metros.
• For a TDY traveler the practical move is to keep your home PCM and use urgent care on Route 235 or the clinic's sick call if needed.

Commissary & Exchange

Commissary at 22155 Cuddihy Road, Building 2173, closed Mondays; the Navy Exchange at 22099 Cuddihy Road is open daily with a mini-mart and gas station.

Fitness

The Drill Hall at 47424 Keane Road, Building 458 is the main fitness center with 24/7 unmonitored access for registered patrons; free for military, DoD civilians and families, contractors buy an MWR membership.

Outdoor recreation

MWR Outdoor Recreation rents kayaks, boats and camping gear; Hog Point campground is on the base waterfront and Navy Recreation Center Solomons has cabins, RV sites and a marina.

Dining

On-base options are the MWR clubs and food court near the Drill Hall plus the galley for authorized patrons; off base, Route 235 in Lexington Park and California has most chains and Solomons and Leonardtown have the local seafood and brewery spots.

Legal & finance

The Region Legal Service Office detachment handles powers of attorney and wills; the Fleet and Family Support Center covers financial counseling, relocation and spouse employment.

Chapel & pets

The base chapel offers Catholic and Protestant services; the Navy Lodge is pet friendly and the veterinary treatment facility handles pet health certificates for PCS moves.

1. 01Book NGIS the day you get orders; when a Test Pilot School class starts or a big flight-test period kicks off, on-base rooms and the Route 235 hotels fill at the same time.
2. 02Use Gate 1 for anything before 5:30 a.m. or after 6:30 p.m. and on weekends; Gate 2 closes weekends and its Visitor Control Center keeps short weekday-morning hours.
3. 03If you are a contractor without a CAC, get your sponsor to submit access paperwork before you fly; showing up at the Pass and ID office cold can cost you a morning.
4. 04Route 235 is the only real artery, so pick lodging on the same side of the base as your building; NAVAIR and TPS are on the north and east side near Gate 1, Webster Field is 20 minutes south in St. Inigoes.
5. 05The Thomas Johnson Bridge to Solomons is two lanes with no shoulder; if you stay on the Calvert side, budget extra time at shift change and in any wind or ice event.
6. 06Bring layers year round: flight-line wind off the bay makes 45 F feel much colder, and summer humidity means a second uniform shirt in the car is not overkill.
7. 07Crabs are in season roughly May through October; the crab houses in Solomons and on the St. George Island road are worth the drive on a Friday.
8. 08Cell coverage and internet on the south end of the county are spotty; if you rent in St. Inigoes or Ridge, confirm the connection before you sign.

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