U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Station - DC Metro
Green Line and Yellow Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station
Few Metro stations sit in the middle of as much history as this one. The U Street corridor was the commercial and cultural heart of Black Washington for much of the twentieth century — Duke Ellington grew up a few blocks away — and the station carries the African American Civil War Memorial in its official name because the memorial and its museum stand at the 10th Street exit. Today the corridor is one of the city’s busiest nightlife strips, and the Green and Yellow Line platform below reflects that: quiet enough at midday, packed on a Friday night with people heading for the clubs, restaurants and the 14th Street corridor a few blocks west. Ben’s Chili Bowl is essentially at the station door.
The area around U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
U Street runs from Shaw west toward 16th Street, a dense mix of restored theaters, restaurants, bars, music venues and rowhouse blocks. It was known as Black Broadway in the era of segregation, went through decades of decline after 1968, and has since become one of the most sought-after and most contested neighborhoods in the city. Evenings and weekends bring the heaviest ridership.
What is near U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station?
Memorial and adjoining museum honoring the U.S. Colored Troops, at the station's 10th Street exit.
1 min walkThe U Street institution serving half-smokes since 1958, a few steps from the station on the same block.
2 min walkRestored 1920s movie palace and performance hall next to Ben's, once a centerpiece of Black Broadway.
2 min walkOne of the most respected mid-size rock venues in the country, on V Street just north of the corridor.
6 min walkRestaurant and bar strip running south from U Street, one of the densest dining clusters in the city.
5 min walkFirst and last trains at U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
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 | 5:20 am | 11:51 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:28 am | 12:27 am |
| Fri | Branch Av | 5:20 am | 1:51 am |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:28 am | 2:27 am |
| Sat | Branch Av | 6:19 am | 1:50 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:28 am | 2:27 am |
| Sun | Branch Av | 6:20 am | 11:51 pm |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:28 am | 12:27 am |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:30 am | 12:05 am |
| Mon-Thu | Huntington | 5:22 am | 11:53 pm |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:30 am | 2:05 am |
| Fri | Huntington | 5:22 am | 1:53 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:30 am | 2:03 am |
| Sat | Huntington | 6:22 am | 1:52 am |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:30 am | 12:05 am |
| Sun | Huntington | 6:23 am | 11:53 pm |
Travel times and fares from U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 12 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 5 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 8 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 14 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 15 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 18 min | $3.40 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 70 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 13 min | $2.80 | $2.50 |
| Branch Ave | 27 min | $5.55 | $2.50 |
| Greenbelt | 20 min | $5.40 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
Parking at U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
Tips for using U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
- The 13th Street and 10th Street exits put you at opposite ends of the U Street strip — 10th Street is the one for the Civil War Memorial and Ben’s Chili Bowl.
- This station gets very busy late on Friday and Saturday nights; if you are coming from a show, expect a crowd on the escalators.
- The 9:30 Club is a short walk north on V Street rather than on U Street itself, so follow the block numbers rather than the crowd.
U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station FAQ
Take the 10th Street and U Street exit. Both Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Lincoln Theatre are on the same block of U Street just steps away, and the African American Civil War Memorial is at that exit as well.
The full name is U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo. It combines the corridor name, the memorial at the 10th Street exit honoring the U.S. Colored Troops, and Cardozo, the historic name of the surrounding area and its high school.
Yes, it is the closest Metro station. The club is on V Street NW, roughly a five to six minute walk north of the station, and this is the usual arrival and departure route for shows.
They are neighboring stops on the Green and Yellow Lines, about ten minutes apart on foot. U Street serves the nightlife corridor and the memorial; Shaw-Howard U is closer to Howard University and the southern part of Shaw near the Convention Center.