DC Metro Hours: Opening, Closing and Train Times
When the DC Metro opens and closes each day, how often trains run, and where to check first and last trains for your station.
What time does the DC Metro open and close?
| Day | Trains run |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 5:00 am to midnight |
| Friday | 5:00 am to 2:00 am |
| Saturday | 6:00 am to 2:00 am |
| Sunday | 6:00 am to midnight |
Those are system-wide. They tell you when the Metro is running, not when a train will be at your platform – the last train through a downtown station can be well after the nominal closing time, while a station at the end of a line sees its last train much earlier.
When is rush hour on the DC Metro?
Extra trains run from about 7 to 9 in the morning and 4 to 6 in the afternoon on weekdays. That is a service definition, not a fare one – it does not change what you pay.
The fare boundary is different and falls at 9:30 pm. Weekday trips up to 9:30 pm are charged at the standard distance-based rate up to $6.75; after 9:30 pm, and all weekend, no trip costs more than $2.50.
How often do trains run?
| Line | Rush | Midday | After 9:30 pm | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Line | 5 min | 6 min | 10 min | 6 min |
| Blue Line | 10 min | 12 min | 15 min | 12 min |
| Orange Line | 10 min | 12 min | 15 min | 12 min |
| Silver Line | 10 min | 12 min | 15 min | 12 min |
| Green Line | 6 min | 6 min | 8 min | 8 min |
| Yellow Line | 6 min | 6 min | 7 min | 8 min |
Scheduled frequencies from WMATA's published feed for a normal service week, July 2026.
Two lines do not run their full route on every train. About half of Yellow Line trains turn back at Mt Vernon Square, so stations north of there get a Yellow train roughly half as often. Silver Line trains alternate between Downtown Largo and New Carrollton, so each of those branches sees half the headline frequency.
First and last trains by line
Pick your line for departure times from every station, in both directions and for each day of the week.
Shady Grove – Glenmont
27 stations · about 62 min end to end
Blue LineDowntown Largo – Franconia-Springfield
28 stations · about 63 min end to end
Orange LineNew Carrollton – Vienna/Fairfax-GMU
26 stations · about 55 min end to end
Silver LineDowntown Largo – Ashburn
39 stations · about 85 min end to end
Green LineBranch Ave – Greenbelt
21 stations · about 49 min end to end
Yellow LineHuntington – Greenbelt
22 stations · about 51 min end to end
Planned track work
WMATA rebuilds sections of track most weekends, and occasionally shuts a stretch of line for weeks at a time. Single-tracking typically stretches waits to around 20 minutes on the affected section.
Track work is announced in advance and changes often. We do not reproduce the weekend schedule here because a stale disruption notice is worse than none – check the source before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Around midnight Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, and around 2 am on Friday and Saturday nights. That is when the system shuts – the last train from your particular station will be earlier, especially near the ends of a line.
5 am on weekdays and 6 am at weekends. Stations open about ten minutes before the first train arrives.
No. The system closes overnight every night, which is when track maintenance is done. There is no all-night Metro service in Washington.
Roughly 7 to 9 am and 4 to 6 pm on weekdays, when extra trains run. Note this is not the same as the fare boundary, which is 9:30 pm.
The longest single-line run is the Silver Line, about 85 minutes from Ashburn to Downtown Largo. Most trips within the city center take under 20 minutes.