Fort Totten Station - DC Metro
Red Line, Green Line and Yellow Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About Fort Totten station
Fort Totten is one of the system’s two three-line transfer points in Northeast Washington, and it is built on two levels: the Red Line runs on an elevated outdoor platform, while the Green and Yellow Lines sit below in a separate structure. Passengers changing between them cross on foot between the two levels, which is a longer walk than most in-station transfers. It also functions as a park-and-ride for the surrounding neighborhoods, with several hundred spaces and a busy bus bay. The area around it is residential and quiet, and there is little reason to come here as a destination – Fort Totten’s value is almost entirely as a junction.
The area around Fort Totten
The Fort Totten area of Northeast DC is residential: modest single-family houses, garden apartments, and newer development around the station itself. Fort Totten Park, one of the ring of Civil War defensive sites around Washington, occupies wooded ground nearby. Riders are mainly local residents and people transferring between the Red Line and the Green and Yellow Lines.
What is near Fort Totten station?
Wooded park on the site of a Civil War fort, part of the Fort Circle Parks around the city.
10 min walkHiking route linking the ring of Civil War fort sites through Northeast Washington.
10 min walkQuiet residential Northeast DC neighborhood immediately north and east of the station.
5 min walkFirst and last trains at Fort Totten
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 | Glenmont | 5:36 am | 12:24 am |
| Mon-Thu | Shady Grove | 5:15 am | 11:51 pm |
| Fri | Glenmont | 5:36 am | 2:24 am |
| Fri | Shady Grove | 5:15 am | 1:51 am |
| Sat | Glenmont | 6:25 am | 2:24 am |
| Sat | Shady Grove | 6:15 am | 1:51 am |
| Sun | Glenmont | 6:25 am | 12:24 am |
| Sun | Shady Grove | 6:15 am | 11:51 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Branch Av | 5:13 am | 11:44 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:35 am | 12:34 am |
| Fri | Branch Av | 5:13 am | 1:44 am |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:35 am | 2:34 am |
| Sat | Branch Av | 6:12 am | 1:43 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:35 am | 2:34 am |
| Sun | Branch Av | 6:13 am | 11:44 pm |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:35 am | 12:34 am |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Greenbelt | 5:37 am | 12:12 am |
| Mon-Thu | Huntington | 5:15 am | 11:46 pm |
| Fri | Greenbelt | 5:37 am | 2:12 am |
| Fri | Huntington | 5:15 am | 1:46 am |
| Sat | Greenbelt | 6:37 am | 2:10 am |
| Sat | Huntington | 6:15 am | 1:45 am |
| Sun | Greenbelt | 6:37 am | 12:12 am |
| Sun | Huntington | 6:16 am | 11:46 pm |
Travel times and fares from Fort Totten
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 15 min | $2.95 | $2.50 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 13 min | $2.85 | $2.50 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 16 min | $3.25 | $2.50 |
| Union Station | 9 min | $2.65 | $2.50 |
| Smithsonian | 23 min | $3.25 | $2.50 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 26 min | $4.75 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 73 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 21 min | $4.15 | $2.50 |
| Shady Grove | 51 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Glenmont | 16 min | $4.60 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Fort Totten
Parking at Fort Totten
Tips for using Fort Totten
- The Red Line platform is elevated and the Green and Yellow platform is on a lower level, so allow extra time for the transfer, especially with luggage.
- The Red Line platform is open to the weather – there is limited shelter, which matters in summer heat and winter wind.
- For a trip between the Red Line and the Green or Yellow Lines toward downtown, Gallery Pl-Chinatown is often a faster transfer than Fort Totten.
Fort Totten station FAQ
Longer than a typical cross-platform change. The Red Line uses an elevated outdoor platform and the Green and Yellow Lines use a separate lower level, so you walk between two structures. Budget a few minutes, and more if you are using the elevators.
It depends on direction. Fort Totten makes sense if you are already north of downtown and heading between the Red Line and the Green or Yellow Lines. If you are coming from central Washington, Gallery Pl-Chinatown is usually the more convenient interchange.
Yes, there is a Metro park-and-ride facility with several hundred spaces, along with a bus bay. It serves commuters from the surrounding Northeast Washington neighborhoods. Check wmata.com for current rates and availability.
Honestly, no. It is a residential area and a transfer point, not a visitor destination. The main local attraction is Fort Totten Park, a Civil War fort site now part of the Fort Circle Parks, roughly a ten minute walk from the station.