Ballston-MU Station - DC Metro
Orange Line and Silver Line - interchange station in Arlington, VA.
About Ballston-MU station
Ballston-MU anchors the western end of Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, where the Orange and Silver lines run beneath Fairfax Drive through a chain of dense, walkable urban villages. The MU in the name refers to Marymount University, whose Ballston campus sits a few blocks from the station. Three entrances feed a busy underground station serving office towers, apartment buildings, county facilities and a large indoor shopping and dining complex directly above. There is no Metro parking, which is deliberate – this station was designed to be reached on foot. Ridership is steady all day rather than purely peak-driven, with a strong evening component from restaurants and the ice rink.
The area around Ballston-MU
Ballston is high-rise Arlington: office buildings, apartment towers and hotels packed around a few intersections, with quieter single-family streets starting only a short distance away. It draws a mix of federal and defense-sector workers, students, and residents who chose the neighborhood specifically to live without a car. Street life is busiest along Wilson Boulevard and Fairfax Drive in the evenings.
What is near Ballston-MU station?
The redeveloped indoor shopping and dining complex directly above the station, with a food hall and an ice rink.
3 min walkThe university s urban campus building a few blocks east of the station, home to graduate and professional programs.
4 min walkThe county s main library, with a large collection, meeting rooms and the local history archive.
6 min walkAn open green space beside the central library with ball fields and lawn, popular with local league play.
7 min walkThe main dining and nightlife corridor running east from the station toward Virginia Square and Clarendon.
4 min walkFirst and last trains at Ballston-MU
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 | New Carrollton | 5:14 am | 11:45 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Vienna | 5:41 am | 12:25 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:14 am | 1:45 am |
| Fri | Vienna | 5:41 am | 2:25 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:14 am | 1:41 am |
| Sat | Vienna | 6:41 am | 2:25 am |
| Sat | West Falls Church | 10:37 pm | 10:37 pm |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:14 am | 11:45 pm |
| Sun | Vienna | 6:41 am | 12:25 am |
| Sun | West Falls Church | 10:37 pm | 10:37 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Ashburn | 5:44 am | 12:11 am |
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:18 am | 11:49 pm |
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:22 am | 11:40 pm |
| Fri | Ashburn | 5:44 am | 2:11 am |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:18 am | 1:49 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:22 am | 1:40 am |
| Sat | Ashburn | 6:43 am | 2:13 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:23 am | 1:49 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:09 am | 1:36 am |
| Sun | Ashburn | 6:43 am | 12:13 am |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:22 am | 11:49 pm |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:10 am | 11:35 pm |
Travel times and fares from Ballston-MU
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 15 min | $3.15 | $2.50 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 22 min | $3.30 | $2.50 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 20 min | $3.45 | $2.50 |
| Union Station | 26 min | $3.70 | $2.50 |
| Smithsonian | 18 min | $3.30 | $2.50 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 23 min | $3.40 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 38 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 18 min | $2.75 | $2.50 |
| New Carrollton | 43 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Vienna/Fairfax-GMU | 14 min | $4.95 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Ballston-MU
Parking at Ballston-MU
Tips for using Ballston-MU
- Ballston has no Metro parking – if you are driving, use the commercial garages around Ballston Quarter rather than looking for a station lot.
- Both the Orange and Silver lines serve this platform, and they run together all the way to Rosslyn, so either train works for downtown.
- The walk east along Wilson Boulevard to Virginia Square and then Clarendon is flat and pleasant, and often quicker than waiting for a train one stop.
Ballston-MU station FAQ
Marymount University. The university has a campus building in Ballston within a few minutes walk of the station, and the station name was extended to reflect it. The main Marymount campus is elsewhere in Arlington and is not walkable from here.
The Orange Line and the Silver Line both stop here, sharing the same tracks and platform. They stay together through Rosslyn and across the river into downtown Washington, then diverge east of the city, so check the destination sign if you are traveling far east.
There is no Metro-operated parking facility at this station. Ballston is a dense, walkable district and there are several commercial parking garages nearby, including under the shopping complex above the station, but they are privately run and charge commercial rates.
It is directly above and beside the station – a walk of two or three minutes from the faregates. Follow signs toward Wilson Boulevard and the complex entrance is immediately in front of you, with the food hall and ice rink on the upper levels.