DC Metro Fare Calculator: Price Between Any 2 Stations
DC Metro fares change with distance and time of day. Pick your two stations and get the exact price.
Work out your DC Metro fare
Pick where you are starting and where you are going. The price comes from WMATA’s own published station-to-station table, so it is the fare the faregate will actually charge.
Why DC Metro fares are different for every trip
Most American subways charge one price wherever you are going. The DC Metro does not. Your fare depends on how far you travel and what time you travel, which is why there is no single answer to “how much is the Metro?” – there are 4,753 answers, one for each pair of stations.
Unlike most US subways, the DC Metro does not charge a flat fare. What you pay depends on how far you ride and when you ride, which is why the same trip can cost $2.25 or $6.75.
| First 3 composite miles | $2.25 |
| Each additional composite mile | +$0.45 |
| Cap, weekday until 9:30 pm | $6.75 |
| Cap, after 9:30 pm and all weekend | $2.50 |
| Senior and disabled riders | 50% off |
Rates from WMATA Tariff #49, effective 2026-07-01. Source
The cheapest and most expensive DC Metro trips
| Trip | Composite miles | Weekday | Evening & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown to Metro Center | 0.29 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Federal Triangle to Metro Center | 0.30 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Federal Center SW to L'Enfant Plaza | 0.33 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ashburn to Morgan Boulevard | 38.23 | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Ashburn to New Carrollton | 38.24 | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Ashburn to Downtown Largo | 39.47 | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Fares valid July 2026. Source: WMATA.
Note what happens in the evening: because the late-night and weekend cap is $2.50, the most expensive trip on the system costs less than half after 9:30 pm than it does at 5 pm.
Ways to pay less
Travel after 9:30 pm or at the weekend. The cap drops to $2.50, which on a long trip saves more than $4.25.
Senior and disabled fares are half price. Riders 65 and over, and riders with a disability, pay 50% of the standard fare with a registered card. You have to enroll – the discount is tied to the card, not claimed at the gate.
Passes, if you ride a lot. Unlimited passes run from a day to a month and include Metrobus. They only pay off above a certain number of trips, and they are not eligible for transfer discounts.
Bus transfers. Changing between bus and rail within two hours takes up to $2.25 off the second fare, but only if you tap the same card for both.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the pair. Fares run from $2.25 for a short hop to $6.75 for the longest weekday trip. Use the calculator at the top of this page for the exact price between your two stations.
Yes, considerably, on longer trips. After 9:30 pm on weekdays and all day at weekends no fare exceeds $2.50, however far you are going. Short trips already cost $2.25 and do not change.
It is how WMATA measures the distance your fare is based on: the average of the distance the train actually travels between your two stations and the straight-line distance between them. Averaging the two means an indirect route is not charged as harshly as its track mileage would suggest.
No. Changing between Metro lines is free and there is no limit on how many times you do it. Your fare is set by where you tap in and where you tap out, not by the route you take between them.
Yes. Tapping a contactless bank card, phone or watch costs exactly the same as a Smart Trip card. The difference is that a Smart Trip card can hold cash value and passes, and is needed to claim the rider rate in station parking lots.
Up to two children under five travel free with each fare-paying adult. From five years old they pay the full fare.