Visiting Fairfax for a Game?

Fairfax is served primarily by Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), located about 13 miles away and roughly a 23-minute drive under normal conditions. Rideshare via Uber or Lyft averages around $39 from IAD to Fairfax. For a transit option, take the Silver Line Metro from the Dulles station to Wiehle-Reston East, transfer to the Orange Line, and ride to Vienna station — the full trip takes approximately 47 minutes — then connect to a CUE bus or rideshare to reach your hotel or EagleBank Arena.

Fairfax is a suburban city where a rental car is strongly recommended — traffic from Washington D.C. can be heavy, especially on weeknights. The WMATA Orange Line ends at Vienna station, and the Fairfax CUE bus system connects Vienna Metro to the George Mason University campus. Rideshare apps are readily available and are the smartest last-mile option when arriving by Metro for games at EagleBank Arena.

Old Town Fairfax (also called Downtown Fairfax) is the best base for visiting sports fans, offering walkable streets, local dining like The Auld Shebeen Irish pub, and easy access to the rest of the city. The Fairfax Corner and Fair Lakes corridors also have strong hotel clusters with brands like Hilton Garden Inn Fairfax, Hampton Inn Fairfax City, Holiday Inn Express, and Residence Inn Fairfax City. Nightly hotel rates generally range from about $90 to $175, with budget options starting around $90 and mid-range properties typically landing between $120 and $150. Staying near the Vienna Metro station is another solid option if you plan to combine the George Mason game with a day trip into Washington D.C.

EagleBank Arena is a 10,000-seat on-campus arena that hosts both the George Mason Patriots men's and women's basketball teams, giving visiting fans two programs to follow in a single trip. The Patriots compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, a competitive mid-major league with genuine March Madness pedigree — Mason famously made the Final Four in 2006. Fairfax's proximity to Washington D.C. (about 20 miles east) means you can combine a Patriots game with a day visiting the capital's pro sports venues or catching a Washington Commanders, Capitals, or Nationals game. The college atmosphere on the GMU campus gives the arena a lively student-section energy that distinguishes it from a standard pro-sports arena experience.