Federal Center SW Station - DC Metro
Blue Line, Orange Line and Silver Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About Federal Center SW station
Federal Center SW is exactly what its name suggests: a station built to move government workers. It sits on 3rd Street SW among a cluster of large federal office buildings south of the National Mall, on the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. Weekday mornings and evenings bring dense crowds through the two entrances; the rest of the time the station is calm, and on weekends the surrounding streets can feel almost empty. Visitors do use it – the National Museum of the American Indian and the U.S. Botanic Garden are both a reasonable walk east – but this is fundamentally a commuter station, and most people passing through the fare gates are heading to an office a block or two away.
The area around Federal Center SW
Southwest federal Washington: broad streets, mid-century government office buildings, and comparatively little street life. Health and Human Services and other federal agencies occupy the immediate blocks. South and west the area shifts toward the Southwest Waterfront residential neighborhood. Ridership is overwhelmingly federal employees and contractors on weekdays.
What is near Federal Center SW station?
Smithsonian museum in a curved limestone building at the eastern end of the National Mall.
9 min walkHistoric conservatory and garden at the foot of Capitol Hill, free to enter.
11 min walkThe western approach to the U.S. Capitol, with open lawns and views up to the dome.
12 min walkThe cluster of federal agency headquarters immediately surrounding the station on 3rd and D Streets SW.
2 min walkFirst and last trains at Federal Center SW
Departure times by direction. Which way you are traveling matters – the last train toward one terminal can be an hour before the last train the other way.
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:44 am | 12:07 am |
| Mon-Thu | Franconia-Springfield | 5:16 am | 11:46 pm |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:44 am | 2:07 am |
| Fri | Franconia-Springfield | 5:16 am | 1:46 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:41 am | 2:06 am |
| Sat | Franconia-Springfield | 6:16 am | 1:44 am |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:44 am | 12:07 am |
| Sun | Franconia-Springfield | 6:16 am | 11:44 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:34 am | 12:05 am |
| Mon-Thu | Vienna | 5:21 am | 11:59 pm |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:34 am | 2:05 am |
| Fri | Vienna | 5:21 am | 1:59 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:34 am | 2:01 am |
| Sat | Vienna | 6:21 am | 1:59 am |
| Sat | West Falls Church | 10:17 pm | 10:17 pm |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:34 am | 12:05 am |
| Sun | Vienna | 6:21 am | 11:59 pm |
| Sun | West Falls Church | 10:17 pm | 10:17 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Ashburn | 5:24 am | 11:51 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:38 am | 12:15 am |
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:42 am | 12:00 am |
| Fri | Ashburn | 5:24 am | 1:51 am |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:38 am | 2:15 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:42 am | 2:00 am |
| Sat | Ashburn | 6:23 am | 1:53 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:43 am | 2:15 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:29 am | 1:56 am |
| Sun | Ashburn | 6:23 am | 11:53 pm |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:42 am | 12:15 am |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:30 am | 11:55 pm |
Travel times and fares from Federal Center SW
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 7 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 10 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 2 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 18 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 4 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 17 min | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 60 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 12 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Downtown Largo | 22 min | $5.30 | $2.50 |
| Franconia-Springfield | 40 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Federal Center SW
Parking at Federal Center SW
Tips for using Federal Center SW
- This is a weekday station – expect very few open food options nearby on evenings and weekends.
- For the Capitol Visitor Center, Capitol South is a shorter walk than Federal Center SW.
- Blue, Orange, and Silver trains share this platform, so read the destination sign before boarding if you are heading into Virginia.
Federal Center SW station FAQ
It is on the southern edge. The eastern end of the Mall, including the National Museum of the American Indian and the Botanic Garden, is around a ten minute walk. For the central Mall museums, Smithsonian station is a much better choice.
Capitol South, one stop east on the same lines, is closest to the Capitol Visitor Center and the House office buildings. From Federal Center SW the Capitol grounds are walkable but you are approaching from the west side, which takes longer.
No Metro parking facility is provided. The station is in central Washington where street parking is metered and limited, and the surrounding garages serve federal buildings. Arriving by train or bus is the practical option.
Quiet. Ridership here is driven almost entirely by the federal offices above and around the station, so weekend traffic is light and consists mainly of visitors walking toward the eastern end of the National Mall.