Gettysburg is in south-central Pennsylvania, about 80 miles north of Washington DC and 50 miles south-west of Harrisburg. The nearest airports are Harrisburg International (about an hour by car), Baltimore-Washington International (90 minutes), and Washington Dulles (two hours).
By road, the town is reached on US Route 15 from the north and south or via the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) from the east, exit 226. Long-distance bus service is limited; Greyhound serves Carlisle (30 miles north). The Lincoln Train Station in town is no longer used for passenger rail. A car is more or less essential for seeing the battlefield, though local trolleys and tour buses operate from the main visitor center.