Canal Road is an east-west street and important commuter route in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Its western terminus is at Chain Bridge and the Clara Barton Parkway. Its eastern terminus is at M Street and the Whitehurst Freeway, at the western edge of the Georgetown neighborhood. Georgetown University has an entrance on Canal Road. Canal Road is part of the National Highway System.

Canal Road has reversible lanes to handle rush-hour traffic. From Foxhall Road to Arizona Avenue, Canal Road has two lanes, both of which are reversible. From Arizona Avenue to Chain Bridge, Canal Road has three lanes, of which the center lane is reversible.During morning rush hour, which runs from 6:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., the reversible lanes change to the southbound (towards Washington) direction.During evening rush hour, which runs from 2:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., the reversible lanes change to the northbound direction. At all other times, the center lane of the three lane portion is used as two left turn lanes, one to turn onto Arizona Avenue and the other to turn onto the Chain Bridge.