Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation
Moving America forward — from interstate highways and international airports to next-generation civilian flying car pods and autonomous cargo transport networks.
4.1M
Federal Highways (miles)
5,000+
Commercial Airports
900M+
Annual Air Passengers
55,000
DOT Employees
Agency Overview
Department of Transportation
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) was established by Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operations on April 1, 1967. It is a cabinet-level agency responsible for ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people.
The DOT oversees all modes of transportation — aviation, highways, rail, maritime, transit, pipelines, and emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) systems including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, civilian flying car pods, and autonomous cargo drones. As the nation enters the Advanced Air Mobility era, DOT and the FAA are establishing the regulatory framework for urban air mobility corridors, vertiport infrastructure, and next-generation airspace integration.
DOT at a Glance
- Established
- October 15, 1966
- Operations Began
- April 1, 1967
- Headquarters
- Washington, D.C.
- Secretary
- Sean Duffy
- Annual Budget
- $105 billion
- Sub-agencies
- 11 operating administrations
Operating Administrations
DOT Operating Administrations
The DOT is organized into 11 operating administrations, each responsible for a specific mode or function of the national transportation system.
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation · 45,000+ employees
Regulates civil aviation safety, manages the National Airspace System, certifies aircraft and pilots, and leads integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and eVTOL operations.
Federal Highway Administration
Highway · 2,700 employees
Oversees the 47,000-mile Interstate Highway System and provides federal funding and technical assistance for the nation's 4.1 million miles of public roads.
Federal Railroad Administration
Rail · 1,000 employees
Promotes safe and environmentally sound rail transportation, oversees Amtrak, and funds high-speed rail corridor development.
Federal Transit Administration
Transit · 600 employees
Provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, and ferry services.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Trucking · 1,100 employees
Regulates commercial trucks and buses, sets safety standards for drivers and vehicles, and oversees autonomous commercial vehicle certification.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safety · 600 employees
Sets and enforces vehicle safety standards, investigates defects, manages recalls, and leads autonomous vehicle safety policy.
Federal Aviation Administration — AAM Office
Advanced Air · 500+ employees
Dedicated office for Advanced Air Mobility integration — eVTOL certification, vertiport standards, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) corridors, and flying car pod airspace rules.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin
Pipeline · 600 employees
Ensures the safe transportation of energy products by pipeline and the safe shipment of hazardous materials by all transportation modes.
Maritime Administration
Maritime · 800 employees
Promotes the U.S. merchant marine and maritime industry, manages the National Defense Reserve Fleet, and supports port infrastructure.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Safety · 1,100 employees
Regulates commercial motor vehicle safety and oversees the commercial driver's license program.
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Policy · 700 employees
Provides overall leadership, policy direction, and coordination across all DOT operating administrations and transportation modes.
Aviation Infrastructure
National Airport System
The U.S. operates the world's largest and most complex aviation system — from major international hubs to regional airports and the emerging network of Advanced Air Mobility vertiports.
Handle more than 1% of total U.S. passenger enplanements. These are the primary gateways for international and domestic travel.
Handle between 0.25% and 1% of total U.S. passenger enplanements. Critical connectors for regional economies.
Serve smaller communities and general aviation. Over 4,700 public-use airports provide essential connectivity to rural and remote areas.
Advanced Air Mobility
Flying Car Pods & Urban Air Mobility
The United States is leading the global transition to Advanced Air Mobility — a new era of civilian eVTOL aircraft, autonomous cargo drones, and urban vertiport networks that will transform how Americans travel.
Active Development — FAA Integration Phase 2026Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) encompasses electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — commonly called flying cars or air taxis — as well as autonomous cargo drones and high-altitude delivery systems. The FAA's AAM Implementation Plan targets full urban corridor operations by 2028.
AAM Vehicle Types
Civilian eVTOL Air Taxi
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed for urban and suburban passenger transport. Operates from vertiports on rooftops, parking structures, and dedicated ground pads. Companies include Joby Aviation, Archer, Wisk, and Lilium.
Personal Flying Car Pod
Single or dual-occupant autonomous flying pods for door-to-door personal transport. Designed for residential pod-pad landing zones. Integrates with ground vehicle mode for last-mile connectivity.
Autonomous Cargo Drone
Unmanned cargo aircraft for package delivery, medical supply transport, and logistics. Amazon Prime Air, UPS Flight Forward, and Wing Aviation hold FAA Part 135 air carrier certificates.
Heavy Cargo eVTOL
Large-format electric cargo aircraft for freight transport between distribution centers, ports, and regional hubs. Designed to replace short-haul cargo helicopter and turboprop operations.
High-Altitude Autonomous UAV
Long-range autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles operating above 60,000 feet for transcontinental cargo and communications relay. DARPA and DOD collaboration with commercial operators.
Supersonic Air Taxi
Next-generation supersonic passenger aircraft for city-pair routes. Boom Supersonic's Overture and Spike Aerospace S-512 target commercial operations in the 2030s with FAA supersonic noise rule compliance.
National Vertiport Network
The FAA and DOT are co-developing standards for a national vertiport network — dedicated takeoff, landing, and charging infrastructure for eVTOL aircraft integrated into existing airports, urban rooftops, and suburban pod-pad stations.
Skyport Hub
Under ConstructionFeatures: Charging, passenger terminal, baggage, customs
Locations: Major airports, downtown rooftops, transit hubs
Community Vertiport
Pilot ProgramsFeatures: Charging, waiting area, autonomous ground link
Locations: Suburban transit centers, shopping centers, stadiums
Residential Pod Pad
Standards DevelopmentFeatures: Home charging station, autonomous taxi integration
Locations: Private residences, apartment complexes
Cargo Drone Depot
Operational (Limited)Features: Automated loading, sorting, fleet charging
Locations: Distribution centers, hospitals, military bases
Planned AAM Corridors
Northeast Corridor
Boston → New York → Philadelphia → Washington D.C.
eVTOL, Air Taxi
California Megaregion
San Francisco → San Jose → Los Angeles → San Diego
eVTOL, Cargo Drone
Texas Triangle
Dallas → Houston → San Antonio → Austin
eVTOL, Heavy Cargo
Great Lakes Corridor
Chicago → Detroit → Cleveland → Pittsburgh
eVTOL, Air Taxi
Pacific Northwest Link
Seattle → Portland → Eugene
Cargo Drone, eVTOL
Southeast Sun Belt
Atlanta → Charlotte → Raleigh → Richmond
eVTOL, Air Taxi
Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways — 47,000 miles of limited-access freeway connecting every major American city.
47,000
Total Interstate Miles
Miles of the Interstate Highway System, the backbone of American surface transportation.
4.1M
Total Public Road Miles
Total miles of public roads in the United States, including federal, state, county, and local roads.
617,000
Bridges
Total bridges on the U.S. highway system, including 42,000 structurally deficient bridges requiring repair.
3.2T
Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled
Total vehicle miles traveled on U.S. roads annually — the highest in the world.
$110B
IIJA Highway Funding
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021) highway funding over 5 years for repair, expansion, and EV charging.
500,000+
EV Charging Stations (NEVI)
Target number of EV charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
Key Interstate Corridors
Miami, FL → Houlton, ME
1,908 miles · 15 states
The East Coast's primary north-south corridor, connecting the entire Atlantic seaboard.
Seattle, WA → Boston, MA
3,020 miles · 13 states
The longest U.S. Interstate, spanning the northern tier from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Santa Monica, CA → Jacksonville, FL
2,460 miles · 8 states
The southernmost transcontinental Interstate, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
San Francisco, CA → Teaneck, NJ
2,899 miles · 11 states
The primary mid-continent transcontinental route through the Great Plains and Rockies.
Barstow, CA → Wilmington, NC
2,555 miles · 8 states
Follows the historic Route 66 corridor across the Sun Belt.
San Diego, CA → Blaine, WA
1,381 miles · 3 states
The West Coast's primary north-south corridor along the Pacific.
Historical Timeline
Transportation Through the Ages
National Road Authorized
Congress authorizes the first federally funded road — the National Road from Cumberland, MD to the Ohio River, opening westward expansion.
Pacific Railroad Acts
Congress authorizes the transcontinental railroad, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts by 1869 and unifying the nation.
Wright Brothers First Flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright achieve the first powered, controlled airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, NC — launching the aviation age.
Federal Aid Road Act
Congress passes the first Federal Aid Road Act, establishing the framework for federal-state highway funding partnerships.
U.S. Highway System Established
The American Association of State Highway Officials establishes the numbered U.S. Highway system, standardizing interstate travel.
Civil Aeronautics Act
Congress creates the Civil Aeronautics Authority to regulate commercial aviation safety and airspace — predecessor to the FAA.
Interstate Highway System Created
President Eisenhower signs the Federal Aid Highway Act, authorizing 41,000 miles of Interstate highways — the largest public works project in history.
FAA Established
The Federal Aviation Act creates the Federal Aviation Agency (later Administration) to manage the National Airspace System.
DOT Established
The Department of Transportation begins operations, consolidating aviation, highway, rail, and maritime agencies under one cabinet department.
Amtrak Created
Congress creates the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to preserve intercity passenger rail service.
Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act
President Biden signs the $1.2 trillion IIJA — the largest infrastructure investment since the Interstate Highway System, funding roads, bridges, rail, broadband, and EV charging.
FAA Reauthorization Act
Congress reauthorizes the FAA through 2028, including new provisions for Advanced Air Mobility integration, eVTOL certification, and urban air mobility corridors.
AAM Integration Phase 1 Complete
FAA completes Phase 1 of the Advanced Air Mobility Implementation Plan — type certification for first commercial eVTOL aircraft and initial vertiport standards published.
First Commercial eVTOL Routes Launch
First FAA-approved commercial eVTOL air taxi routes begin operations in Los Angeles and Dallas, marking the dawn of the civilian flying car era in America.
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