George Washington Bridge, or GW Bridge as locals call it, has been one of the most iconic structures in New York City since it was completed in 1931. Its name was originally the Hudson River Bridge, and it spans that river, connecting the borough of Manhattan in “The City” to the town of Fort Lee across the river in New Jersey (the state border is in the center of the bridge). It was soon renamed in honor of the first President of the United States. Its anchor location in New York is near Fort Washington. Fort Washington and Fort Lee were both fortifications that Washington used to unsuccessfully prevent an invasion of the city by British troops during the Revolutionary War. Hotels near George Washington Bridge can be found both in New Jersey, on Manhattan Island, and in New York State farther to the east.
In 1931, the George Washington Bridge was the longest main span suspension bridge in the world. It was surpassed by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in1937. As of 2010, it is number eighteen on the list. The five longest main span suspension bridges in the world now are the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan, the Xihoumen Bridge in China, the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, the Runyang Bridge also in China, and the Humber Bridge in England.
In New York City, the bridge is anchored at West 178th Street and Cabrini Boulevard, north of Harlem and the northern end of Central Park and south of the Cloisters, the gardens, park, and museum that comprise a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art . On the New Jersey side, the highway from the GW Bridge is the main route to Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the three main airports for New York City. The other two that most airlines to NYC use are John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, both located in the borough of Queens .
There are other routes to New Jersey and Newark Airport from lower Manhattan via the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels. In addition to its outlet in Manhattan, the GW Bridge is a major interstate highway, leading to the Bronx and northern Long Island . It is a toll bridge with multiple vehicle lanes.
Additionally, the George Washington Bridge has pedestrian walkways and bike lanes that have no toll or fee, and it is a popular site for commuters and sightseers alike. On the New Jersey side of the bridge, the pedestrian sidewalk accesses the Long Path. This walking and hiking trail is nearly 350 miles long, and leads through the Catskill Mountains and other points of interest in New York and New Jersey all the way to Albany .
Because of its function as a major route to Newark Airport, a number of hotels near George Washington Bridge will be found around Fort Lee. A good number of these are excellent national and international chains like Holiday Inn, Best Western, Doubletree, and Hilton. There are also several hotels near George Washington Bridge on the Manhattan side of the bridge and in the Bronx – particularly around the Bronx Botanical Garden , Bronx Zoo , and Yankee Stadium . Many of these are also trusted national chain hotels like Howard Johnson and Best Western, and numerous motels.