Anacostia Station - DC Metro
Green Line - station in Washington, DC.
About Anacostia station
Anacostia is the Green Line’s gateway to the historic heart of Southeast Washington, and it carries a genuine tourist role alongside a heavy commuter one. The station sits on Howard Road at the foot of the hill, with two entrances and a large park-and-ride lot that draws drivers from across Ward 8 and southern Prince George’s County. From the mezzanine it is a short but uphill walk to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, the spine of Historic Anacostia, and a slightly longer climb to Cedar Hill, the house where Frederick Douglass spent his last years. Buses fan out from here across the whole east-of-the-river side of the city, which makes Anacostia one of the busiest transfer points in the southern half of the network.
The area around Anacostia
Historic Anacostia is one of Washington’s oldest surviving neighborhoods, with rows of nineteenth-century frame houses climbing the hill above the station. The commercial stretch along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road mixes long-standing local businesses with newer galleries and cafes. Riders here are overwhelmingly residents and workers rather than visitors, though the Douglass house brings a steady stream of school groups and history travelers.
What is near Anacostia station?
The hilltop home of Frederick Douglass, preserved by the National Park Service with guided tours of the interior and views back over the city.
16 min walkA community arts hub on Good Hope Road with gallery space, small studios and a cafe, used heavily for local events.
10 min walkAnacostia s best-known street landmark, an oversized wooden-style chair that has stood on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue for decades.
12 min walkA long riverfront park along the Anacostia River with playing fields, a skating pavilion and riverside paths.
12 min walkThe main commercial street of Historic Anacostia, with local restaurants, barbershops and civic buildings.
8 min walkFirst and last trains at Anacostia
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 | Branch Av | 5:35 am | 12:25 am |
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:13 am | 11:52 pm |
| Fri | Branch Av | 5:35 am | 2:25 am |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:13 am | 1:52 am |
| Sat | Branch Av | 6:34 am | 2:24 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:13 am | 1:49 am |
| Sun | Branch Av | 6:35 am | 12:25 am |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:13 am | 11:48 pm |
Travel times and fares from Anacostia
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 16 min | $2.40 | $2.40 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 9 min | $2.30 | $2.30 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 6 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 18 min | $2.45 | $2.45 |
| Smithsonian | 13 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 21 min | $3.05 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 69 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 16 min | $2.70 | $2.50 |
| Branch Ave | 13 min | $3.60 | $2.50 |
| Greenbelt | 34 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Anacostia
Anacostia is served by the Green Line only.
Parking at Anacostia
Tips for using Anacostia
- Almost everything worth walking to from this station is uphill, so budget more time than a flat map distance suggests.
- Cedar Hill sits at the top of a steep block; if that is a problem, a bus along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue gets you much closer.
- The park-and-ride lot is popular with drivers from Ward 8 and southern Maryland and fills on weekday mornings.
Anacostia station FAQ
Yes, it is the closest Metro station to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. The walk is about fifteen to twenty minutes and climbs a substantial hill. Local buses running up Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue shorten the climb considerably if you would rather not walk it.
Yes. There is a large park-and-ride facility with several hundred spaces, which makes this one of the main driving access points for the Green Line south of the river. Like most Metro lots on this corridor it tends to fill during the weekday morning peak.
Only the Green Line stops here. Northbound trains run up through the Navy Yard, L Enfant Plaza and downtown; southbound trains continue toward Congress Heights and the southern end of the line in Prince George s County.
The Smithsonian s Anacostia Community Museum is on Fort Place SE, too far to walk comfortably from the station – it is well over a mile and uphill. Take a connecting bus from the Anacostia bus bays, and check current routing on wmata.com before you set out.