Fallout 3: What vault do you start in?

Almost every Fallout game has one common denominator: you start in a vault. 

Vaults are underground facilities that were created before the Great War wiped out countless human lives on the surface. Those who were fortunate (or rich) enough to get a spot in one of the vaults across America went underground with the objective in mind that one day, future generations would emerge onto the surface once again and repopulate the Earth.

In Fallout 3, a good chunk of the early game takes place inside a vault, and throughout your journey in the Capital Wasteland, you’ll be referred to as a vault dweller due to your relative newness to surface life. 

Where is Vault 101 located in Fallout 3?

Fallout 3 begins in Vault 101, which is located just outside the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. The tutorial section of the game is spent inside the vault, and it encompasses the first 19 years of your character’s life. Major milestones including your birth, your 11th birthday, and your taking of the GOAT exam all happen inside the vault. And one day, when your father escapes Vault 101, you follow him out into the world on a mission to track him down. 

Your character will leave Vault 101 at the age of 19 in the year 2,277. When you leave Vault 101, you’ll be spit out in the “Capital Wasteland,” and will have to fend for yourself in the remnants of Washington, D.C. Other vaults you can explore in the Capital Wasteland include Vaults 106 and 92, among others, but every Fallout 3 run will begin in Vault 101. 

The nearest landmark surrounding Vault 101 is the town of Megaton, which you’ll pass through while completing Fallout 3’s main quest.  You can return to Vault 101 later on in the game as part of the quest “Trouble on the Homefront.”