Plane, train or automobile, Culpeper County has got it

Besides roads, the county has public transportation, rail and air options available. All of the county's transportation modes are well established and under consideration for expansion.

Major highways through the county include U.S. 29, which runs from Charlottesville and points south through the county north into Maryland and state Route 3, which runs east from Culpeper to Fredericksburg and then on to Gloucester.

The county's roads are maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation's Culpeper District which covers nine counties and the city of Charlottesville. District spokesman Lou Hatter said several highway projects are in the works.

These projects include the addition of two lanes on U.S. 29 near the Target and Lowe's shopping areas, and rerouting of Route 666 just beyond the shopping areas. He said those projects should be competed by November 2009. Route 229 near Catalpa just north of town will also see left turn lanes added this summer.

Culpeper's downtown depot at 109 S. Commerce St. is also served by two Amtrak routes-one runs from New York City to New Orleans; the other to the Midwest via Washington D.C. The station is open 8:30-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Bus service, run by the Virginia Regional Transit Authority, is also available Monday-Saturday. The town is covered by north and south bus routes that meet at the depot.

And in operation since 1968, the Culpeper Regional Airport is available for air travelers. Located on Beverly Ford Road off U.S. 29 near Brandy Station about seven miles north of town, the airport is open 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. in the winter and 8 a.m.

until 8 p.m. in the summer with after hours services available by request.