Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Station - DC Metro
Green Line and Yellow Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station
Few stations put you closer to the founding documents of the United States. Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter opens directly onto the plaza of the United States Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue, with the National Archives building immediately across the street. Green and Yellow line trains serve the single island platform, and two entrances feed riders into one of the densest visitor corridors in the city. Step out and you are within a few minutes of the National Gallery of Art, the eastern end of the National Mall, and the restaurant and theater blocks of Penn Quarter. It is a station used almost equally by federal workers, tourists and people heading to an evening event a few blocks north.
The area around Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
Penn Quarter is downtown Washington at its busiest: government buildings and law firms on Pennsylvania Avenue giving way to theaters, museums and a thick concentration of restaurants around Seventh Street NW. Evenings and weekends bring crowds heading to arena events and shows, while weekday mornings belong to commuters. Almost nobody drives here – there is no station parking, and the whole district is built for walking.
What is near Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station?
Home of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, in the monumental building directly opposite the station.
2 min walkThe open granite plaza and Lone Sailor statue that the station entrance opens onto, with a world map set into the paving.
1 min walkTwo connected buildings on the Mall holding one of the great collections of European and American painting, free to enter.
5 min walkThe eastern stretch of the Mall lawn, with the Smithsonian museums lined up along both sides.
5 min walkThe downtown arena for basketball, hockey and concerts, a straightforward walk north up Seventh Street.
8 min walkThe restored theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot, now a working stage with an accompanying museum.
8 min walkFirst and last trains at Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
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 | 5:26 am | 11:57 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:21 am | 12:20 am |
| Fri | Branch Av | 5:26 am | 1:57 am |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:21 am | 2:20 am |
| Sat | Branch Av | 6:26 am | 1:57 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:21 am | 2:20 am |
| Sun | Branch Av | 6:26 am | 11:57 pm |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:21 am | 12:20 am |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:23 am | 11:58 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Huntington | 5:28 am | 11:59 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Mt Vernon Sq | 5:35 am | 11:29 pm |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:23 am | 1:58 am |
| Fri | Huntington | 5:28 am | 1:59 am |
| Fri | Mt Vernon Sq | 5:35 am | 1:29 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:23 am | 1:56 am |
| Sat | Huntington | 6:29 am | 1:59 am |
| Sat | Mt Vernon Sq | 6:33 am | 1:29 am |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:23 am | 11:58 pm |
| Sun | Huntington | 6:29 am | 11:59 pm |
| Sun | Mt Vernon Sq | 6:35 am | 11:30 pm |
Travel times and fares from Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 8 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 1 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 2 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 10 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 9 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 12 min | $2.65 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 65 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 7 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Branch Ave | 21 min | $4.80 | $2.50 |
| Greenbelt | 26 min | $6.10 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
Parking at Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
Tips for using Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
- The Archives entrance puts you on Pennsylvania Avenue – cross to the north side of the street for the Archives Museum visitor line, which is separate from the researcher entrance.
- For the Smithsonian museums along the Mall this station is often quicker and less crowded than Smithsonian station itself.
- There is no parking at this station; if you are driving into the city, park at an outlying station and ride in.
Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station FAQ
Yes. The station exits onto Pennsylvania Avenue essentially across the street from the National Archives building, and the walk to the museum entrance takes only a couple of minutes. It is the most direct Metro access to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The Green Line and the Yellow Line both serve this station. They share the same platform here, so northbound and southbound trains from either line use the same track in each direction – just confirm the destination on the train before boarding.
Easily. Head south a few blocks and you reach the Mall lawn in roughly five minutes, landing near the National Gallery of Art and the eastern group of Smithsonian museums. Many visitors find this a calmer starting point than the busier Mall-side stations.
Walk north on Seventh Street NW for about eight minutes. Gallery Place-Chinatown sits directly at the arena if you would rather ride one more stop, but on event nights the walk from Archives is often faster than waiting through the crowds underground.