Welcome to Fort Meade! Your New Duty Station Guide

Welcome to Fort Meade, the nation's center for information, intelligence, and cyber operations. Located right between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, this is a place where the mission is critical, the acronyms are endless, and the traffic on the BW Parkway is a daily adventure. As home to U.S. Cyber Command, the NSA, and the Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade supports a massive population of nearly 70,000 service members, family members, and civilian employees. Off base, communities like Odenton, Laurel, and Columbia offer great living options, while historic Annapolis is just 30 minutes away. When you first arrive on orders, your priority is checking in with your specific command or sponsor. And if civilian visitors are coming to see you, make sure they stop at the Visitor Control Center at the Reese Road Gate to register for their passes. Once you are settled, there is plenty to explore. Enjoy the local restaurants right outside the gate, or drive less than an hour south to experience the world-class museums and history of D.C. Prefer the outdoors? The Patuxent Research Refuge is right in your backyard, and Shenandoah National Park makes for an easy weekend trip.