Federal Triangle Station - DC Metro
Blue Line, Orange Line and Silver Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About Federal Triangle station
Federal Triangle is one of the most useful stations on the system for visitors, and a lot of people using it do not realize how well placed it is. The entrances open on 12th Street NW right beside the Ronald Reagan Building, and from there it is a short, flat walk south to the National Mall and two of the Smithsonian’s largest museums. Blue, Orange, and Silver Line trains all stop here. On weekdays the flow is federal employees heading into the enormous government buildings that give the Federal Triangle district its name; on weekends and through the summer it turns into a tourist station, with families walking toward Natural History and American History.
The area around Federal Triangle
The Federal Triangle itself – a wedge of monumental 1930s government buildings between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue. It is architecturally grand and pedestrian-scaled in a formal, ceremonial way rather than a lively one. To the north is downtown and Penn Quarter; to the south, the Mall. Weekday riders are government workers, weekend riders are almost all visitors.
What is near Federal Triangle station?
Smithsonian museum with the Hope Diamond, the dinosaur hall, and the rotunda elephant; free entry.
7 min walkSmithsonian collection covering the Star-Spangled Banner, the presidency, and American popular culture.
6 min walkLarge federal and commercial complex directly beside the station, with a food court and event space.
1 min walkHome of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, on Constitution Avenue.
9 min walkOpen granite plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue with a view straight down toward the Capitol.
5 min walkFirst and last trains at Federal Triangle
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 | 5:40 am | 12:03 am |
| Mon-Thu | Franconia-Springfield | 5:20 am | 11:50 pm |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:40 am | 2:03 am |
| Fri | Franconia-Springfield | 5:20 am | 1:50 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:37 am | 2:02 am |
| Sat | Franconia-Springfield | 6:20 am | 1:48 am |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:40 am | 12:03 am |
| Sun | Franconia-Springfield | 6:20 am | 11:48 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:30 am | 12:01 am |
| Mon-Thu | Vienna | 5:25 am | 12:03 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:30 am | 2:01 am |
| Fri | Vienna | 5:25 am | 2:03 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:30 am | 1:57 am |
| Sat | Vienna | 6:25 am | 2:03 am |
| Sat | West Falls Church | 10:21 pm | 10:21 pm |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:30 am | 12:01 am |
| Sun | Vienna | 6:25 am | 12:03 am |
| Sun | West Falls Church | 10:21 pm | 10:21 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Ashburn | 5:28 am | 11:55 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:34 am | 12:11 am |
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:38 am | 11:56 pm |
| Fri | Ashburn | 5:28 am | 1:55 am |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:34 am | 2:11 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:38 am | 1:56 am |
| Sat | Ashburn | 6:27 am | 1:57 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:39 am | 2:11 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:25 am | 1:52 am |
| Sun | Ashburn | 6:27 am | 11:57 pm |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:38 am | 12:11 am |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:26 am | 11:51 pm |
Travel times and fares from Federal Triangle
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 1 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 8 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 4 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 12 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 2 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 18 min | $2.70 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 54 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 13 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Downtown Largo | 28 min | $5.70 | $2.50 |
| Franconia-Springfield | 36 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Federal Triangle
Parking at Federal Triangle
Tips for using Federal Triangle
- For Natural History or American History, exit toward 12th Street and walk south – you will reach Constitution Avenue and the Mall in under ten minutes.
- The Ronald Reagan Building food court is directly beside the station and is one of the few reliable lunch options in the immediate area.
- Smithsonian station is closer to the Mall’s south side museums such as Air and Space, so choose based on which museum you actually want.
Federal Triangle station FAQ
The National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History are both on the north side of the Mall and are the closest, each around a six to eight minute walk south from the station. The National Archives is a little further east.
Federal Triangle is better for the north side museums – Natural History, American History, and the Archives. Smithsonian station comes up on the Mall itself and is better for the Air and Space Museum, the Washington Monument, and the memorials to the west.
The building sits immediately beside the station entrances on 12th Street NW, so the walk is essentially nothing. It contains offices, event space, and a large food court. Note that building access requires passing security screening.
Blue, Orange, and Silver Line trains all stop here on a single platform. That gives frequent service east toward Capitol Hill and west through Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn into Virginia, where the three lines split.