Congress Heights Station - DC Metro
Green Line - station in Washington, DC.
About Congress Heights station
Congress Heights sits on the Green Line in far Southeast Washington, and it has taken on a larger role as the St. Elizabeths campus east of the station has been redeveloped. Three entrances connect the platform to Alabama Avenue SE and the surrounding residential blocks, with no Metro parking – riders arrive on foot or by bus. The Entertainment and Sports Arena on the St. Elizabeths East campus is the station’s most visible destination, drawing crowds for basketball and events, while the federal headquarters complex on the western campus generates a steady weekday commute in the opposite direction from most of the system.
The area around Congress Heights
Congress Heights is a residential Ward 8 neighborhood of apartment buildings and modest single-family homes along the ridge above the Anacostia. Commercial activity concentrates on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Alabama Avenue. The redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths campus has brought new institutional and entertainment uses to what was long a closed site. Riders are mostly residents, plus event crowds and federal workers heading to the campus.
What is near Congress Heights station?
A modern arena on the St. Elizabeths East campus hosting basketball and community events.
6 min walkThe redeveloping eastern half of the historic hospital campus, with new civic, office and residential uses.
6 min walkThe main commercial street through Congress Heights, with local shops, restaurants and services.
5 min walkThe historic western campus, now a large federal headquarters complex behind its original stone wall.
10 min walkFirst and last trains at Congress Heights
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 | 5:37 am | 12:27 am |
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:10 am | 11:49 pm |
| Fri | Branch Av | 5:37 am | 2:27 am |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:10 am | 1:49 am |
| Sat | Branch Av | 6:37 am | 2:27 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:10 am | 1:46 am |
| Sun | Branch Av | 6:37 am | 12:27 am |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:10 am | 11:45 pm |
Travel times and fares from Congress Heights
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 19 min | $3.00 | $2.50 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 12 min | $2.90 | $2.50 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 9 min | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| Union Station | 21 min | $3.05 | $2.50 |
| Smithsonian | 16 min | $2.70 | $2.50 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 24 min | $3.40 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 72 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 19 min | $3.20 | $2.50 |
| Branch Ave | 10 min | $3.10 | $2.50 |
| Greenbelt | 37 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Congress Heights
Congress Heights is served by the Green Line only.
Parking at Congress Heights
Tips for using Congress Heights
- For events at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, this is the closest station – allow around six minutes on foot each way.
- There is no Metro parking at Congress Heights, so drivers attending events should check arena parking arrangements in advance.
- Only the Green Line serves this station; for Blue or Silver line destinations you will need to change downtown.
Congress Heights station FAQ
Yes. The arena sits on the St. Elizabeths East campus roughly six minutes walk from the station, making Congress Heights the natural transit choice for events there. Expect the platform to be busy immediately after games and concerts finish.
Only the Green Line stops here. Northbound trains run toward Anacostia, the Navy Yard and downtown Washington; southbound trains continue toward Southern Avenue, Suitland and the Branch Ave terminus in Prince George s County.
No Metro park-and-ride facility is provided. The station serves walk-up riders and bus connections from the surrounding Ward 8 neighborhoods. Drivers attending events at the nearby arena should look into the arena s own parking arrangements rather than expecting station parking.
The eastern campus is about six minutes away, and the western campus with the federal headquarters complex is roughly ten minutes uphill along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Access to the federal campus itself is controlled, so employees should follow their agency s entry guidance.