McPherson Square Station - DC Metro
Blue Line, Orange Line and Silver Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About McPherson Square station
Two blocks from the White House, McPherson Square is a downtown office station in the fullest sense – K Street law firms, lobbying shops, associations and federal agencies pour into it twice a day and leave it quiet in between. The platform runs beneath I Street NW, with four entrances placed at the ends of the mezzanines so riders surface close to Franklin Square or nearer Vermont Avenue depending on which stair they take. For visitors it is a genuine alternative to the more crowded Metro Center approach to the White House and Lafayette Square, and it puts you within easy reach of the theaters and hotels on the west side of downtown. Blue, Orange and Silver trains all stop here.
The area around McPherson Square
This is the heart of the K Street corridor: eight- and ten-story office buildings, ground-floor lunch spots geared to the weekday crowd, and two green squares – McPherson and Franklin – giving the blocks some breathing room. The area shifts sharply between a packed weekday lunch hour and a near-empty Sunday. Downtown hotels put a steady trickle of visitors through the station as well.
What is near McPherson Square station?
The president's residence, viewable from the Pennsylvania Avenue pedestrian plaza on the north side; tours must be arranged well in advance.
7 min walkThe park directly north of the White House, ringed by historic buildings including St. John's Church and Decatur House.
8 min walkRestored downtown square a block from the station, with a cafe pavilion, fountain and shaded seating.
3 min walkThe small park the station is named for, centered on an equestrian statue of Civil War general James B. McPherson.
2 min walkFirst and last trains at McPherson Square
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 | 5:37 am | 12:00 am |
| Mon-Thu | Franconia-Springfield | 5:23 am | 11:53 pm |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:37 am | 2:00 am |
| Fri | Franconia-Springfield | 5:23 am | 1:53 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:34 am | 1:59 am |
| Sat | Franconia-Springfield | 6:23 am | 1:51 am |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:37 am | 12:00 am |
| Sun | Franconia-Springfield | 6:23 am | 11:51 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:27 am | 11:58 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Vienna | 5:28 am | 12:12 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:27 am | 1:58 am |
| Fri | Vienna | 5:28 am | 2:12 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:27 am | 1:54 am |
| Sat | Vienna | 6:28 am | 2:12 am |
| Sat | West Falls Church | 10:24 pm | 10:24 pm |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:27 am | 11:58 pm |
| Sun | Vienna | 6:28 am | 12:12 am |
| Sun | West Falls Church | 10:24 pm | 10:24 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Ashburn | 5:31 am | 11:58 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:31 am | 12:02 am |
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:35 am | 11:53 pm |
| Fri | Ashburn | 5:31 am | 1:58 am |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:31 am | 2:02 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:35 am | 1:53 am |
| Sat | Ashburn | 6:30 am | 2:00 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:36 am | 2:02 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:22 am | 1:49 am |
| Sun | Ashburn | 6:30 am | 12:00 am |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:35 am | 12:02 am |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:23 am | 11:48 pm |
Travel times and fares from McPherson Square
| 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 | 6 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 12 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 4 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 16 min | $2.95 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 52 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 11 min | $2.35 | $2.35 |
| Downtown Largo | 30 min | $5.95 | $2.50 |
| Franconia-Springfield | 34 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at McPherson Square
Parking at McPherson Square
Tips for using McPherson Square
- For the White House visitor area and Lafayette Square, this is usually a shorter and calmer walk than transferring at Metro Center.
- The station has separate entrances toward each end of the platform, so check whether you want the 14th Street or Vermont Avenue side before you go down.
- Weekday lunchtime crowding at the fare gates is brief but intense between about noon and one.
McPherson Square station FAQ
It is one of the closest, at roughly a seven-minute walk to the north side of the grounds. Federal Triangle and Farragut West are comparable, and which is best depends on which side of the complex you want. For Lafayette Square and the Pennsylvania Avenue plaza, McPherson Square works well.
The Blue, Orange and Silver Lines all serve this station on the shared downtown trunk. That gives you direct trips out to Arlington and Fairfax to the west and to Prince George’s County to the east without changing trains.
From McPherson Square, the small park just above the station, which is named for Union general James B. McPherson and holds an equestrian statue of him. The park is a short walk from the station entrances and is a common meeting point downtown.
No Metro parking – this is a dense downtown station with no park-and-ride facility. Commercial garages exist throughout the surrounding blocks but daytime rates are steep. Most riders arrive by train, bus or on foot.