The Washington Metro (commonly called Metro, and branded Metrorail) is a rapid transit system serving Washington, D.C. and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. With an average weekday ridership of 764,300, the Washington Metro is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States, behind the New York City Subway. [1] As of 2023 [update] , the system has 98 active stations on six lines with 129 miles (208 km) of tracks.
The Washington Metro system was conceived as an alternative to constructing a large freeway system throughout the Washington, D.C. area. It was partially financed with funds originally dedicated to highway construction. [2] Construction began in 1969, and in 1976 the first section of the Metro system opened along the Red Line between the Farragut North and Rhode Island Avenue stations in Washington, D.C. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, more stations were opened in the city and the suburban communities of Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, and Fairfax County in Virginia as well as Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. By 1991, five rail lines were open: the Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Blue Lines. The system, as originally planned, was completed in 2001 with the extension of the Green Line to Branch Avenue. In 2004, three stations were opened: an extension of the Blue Line to the Morgan Boulevard and Downtown Largo stations and the first infill station, NoMa–Gallaudet U. [3] The Silver Line opened in two phases, adding five stations in 2014 and six in 2022. [4] [5] On the Yellow and Blue Lines, an additional infill station at Potomac Yard opened on May 19, 2023. [6]
Nine Metrorail stations are officially designated transfer stations, although other intermediate stations also allow passengers to transfer between lines. Four of these stations have separate, perpendicular upper and lower levels, which open at different times. Two other transfer stations, Rosslyn and Pentagon, have parallel stacked platforms. Ten stations are termini (stations at the end of lines); several other non-terminus stations are used to short turn trains in regular service. [7]
The busiest station in the system in 2023 was Metro Center, with more than 3.9 million passenger entries over the course of the year. [8] Rosslyn was the busiest station in Virginia, while Silver Spring was the busiest in Maryland. The system's 10 busiest stations are all located in Washington.
There are six Washington Metro lines, each named for a different color. [7] All lines except the Red Line share tracks.
| Line | Ridership (May 2010) [9] | Stations [7] | Termini [7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 277,741 (37%) | 27 | Shady Grove | Glenmont |
 | 187,663 (25%) | 26 | Vienna | New Carrollton |
 | 120,104 (16%) | 28 | Franconia–Springfield | Downtown Largo |
 | 105,091 (14%) | 21 | Branch Avenue | Greenbelt |
 | 59,781 (8%) | 13 | Huntington | Mount Vernon Square |
 | — | 34 | Ashburn | Downtown Largo |
| * | Official transfer stations |
| † | Terminals |
| *† | Transfer station and terminal |
The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route.
Foggy Bottom–GWU station is an Washington Metro station in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. The island-platformed station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines, the station is located on I Street on the George Washington University (GWU) campus. It is the last westbound station in the District of Columbia on these lines before they dive under the Potomac River to Virginia.
The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 28 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Blue Line runs from Franconia–Springfield to Downtown Largo. The line shares track with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for 7. Only 3 stations are exclusive to the Blue Line.
The Orange Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 26 stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia; the District of Columbia; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Orange Line runs from Vienna in Virginia to New Carrollton in Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line and over two thirds are shared with the Silver Line. Orange Line service began on November 20, 1978.
The Red Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is a primary line through downtown Washington and the oldest and busiest line in the system. It forms a long, narrow "U," capped by its terminal stations at Shady Grove and Glenmont.
The Yellow Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system that runs between Huntington in Virginia and Mount Vernon Square in Washington, D.C. It consists of 13 stations in Fairfax County, the city of Alexandria, and Arlington County in Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. It is the shortest line in the system, and since its truncation to Mount Vernon Square, it is the only line that does not enter Maryland.
Shady Grove station is a Washington Metro station in Redland, Maryland, United States. The station opened on December 15, 1984 as part of a four-stop extension of the Red Line from Grosvenor–Strathmore station to Shady Grove. The station is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
East Falls Church station is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Arlington County, Virginia, on the Orange and Silver Lines. East Falls Church station is the last aboveground, at-grade, or open-cut station for eastbound trains. East of this station, the trains enter tunnels.
Virginia Square–GMU station is a Washington Metro station in the Virginia Square neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. The side platformed station opened on December 1, 1979, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The station serves the Orange and Silver Lines. The station serves the Virginia Square neighborhood as well as the Arlington campus of George Mason University (GMU). The station entrance is located at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and North Monroe Street.
Court House station is an island platformed Washington Metro station in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on December 1, 1979, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Weekday ridership is approximately 7,000 passengers per day. The station serves the Orange and Silver Lines.
Rosslyn station is the westernmost station on the shared segment of the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines of the Washington Metro. It is located in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. Rosslyn is the first station in Virginia heading westward from the District on the Orange and Silver Lines and southward on the Blue Line. It is one of four interchange points on the Metrorail system west of the Potomac River and located in a growing business district.
Farragut West station is a Washington Metro station in downtown Washington, D.C., United States. The side-platformed station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines, the station is located just west of Farragut Square with two entrances on I Street at 17th and 18th Streets NW.
Franconia–Springfield station is a Washington Metro rapid transit station and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail station located in Springfield, Virginia, United States. The station is the southwestern terminus of the Metro Blue Line and an intermediate station on the VRE Fredericksburg Line. It is also a major bus terminal for Fairfax Connector buses, plus other local and intercity bus routes. The station has one island-platform serving the two Metro tracks, plus two side platforms serving the RF&P Subdivision on which the Fredericksburg Line runs.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station is a Washington Metro station in Arlington, Virginia on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The station platform is elevated and covered and is the last above-ground station on the Yellow Line in Virginia, heading into Washington, D.C. It is one of only two stations in the system to have three tracks. The station is located across Smith Boulevard from Terminal 2 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; the mezzanine is directly connected to Level 2 of the terminal by two pedestrian bridges. Airport shuttle buses or a walkway connect the station and Terminal 1. The airport's Abingdon Plantation historical site is near the station.
L'Enfant Plaza station is an intermodal transit station complex located at L'Enfant Plaza in the Southwest Federal Center neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It consists of an underground Washington Metro rapid transit station and an elevated Virginia Railway Express commuter rail station.
Federal Center SW station is a Washington Metro station in an area known as the Southwest Federal Center in Washington, D.C., United States. The island-platformed station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and is located on the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines. The station is located at 3rd and D Streets.
Potomac Avenue station is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The station currently provides service for the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. The station serves a dense residential area of Southeast Washington around Potomac Avenue and is located at 14th and G Streets.
Stadium–Armory station is a Washington Metro station in Southeast, Washington, D.C. It is located at the border of the Barney Circle and Kingman Park neighborhoods. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Stadium–Armory serves the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines. It is a transfer station, as this is the last station shared by the three lines before the lines diverge going east; east of the station, all three lines rise above ground onto elevated track to cross the Anacostia River. At the diverge point, the Orange Line continues above ground veering northbound towards the Minnesota Avenue station, and the Blue and Silver Lines continue eastbound entering a tunnel towards Benning Road.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Congress as an interstate compact between Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Potomac Yard station is a Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), serving both the Blue and Yellow Lines, and opened on May 19, 2023. It is located at Alexandria's 7.5-million-square-foot (700,000 m2) Potomac Yard mixed-use development bounded by Richmond Highway and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It is the second infill station to be added to the Washington Metro system, after NoMa–Gallaudet U in 2004. It was constructed on the site of Potomac Yard, a former railroad freight yard.
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| Bus rapid transit | |
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| Washington Metro | |
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