Metro Center Station - DC Metro
Red Line, Blue Line, Orange Line and Silver Line - interchange station in Washington, DC.
About Metro Center station
If the system has a center of gravity, this is it. Metro Center is where the Red Line crosses the Blue, Orange and Silver, making it the transfer nearly every rider learns first, and its sixteen street entrances spill out across the downtown blocks around 12th and 13th Streets NW. The two platform levels stack at right angles, connected by escalators in the middle of a large mezzanine that doubles as an informal meeting point. Above ground you are in the theater and retail heart of downtown: Ford’s Theatre, the National and Warner Theatres, CityCenterDC and the department store blocks are all within a few minutes. Crowds are heavy on weekday evenings and before shows.
The area around Metro Center
Downtown proper – offices above, retail and restaurants at street level, hotels scattered through, and theaters clustered within a few blocks. It is one of the few parts of the District that stays busy into the evening, thanks to shows at the theaters and events at the arena a short walk east. Weekday ridership is a mix of office workers, shoppers, tourists and people simply changing trains.
What is near Metro Center station?
The theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot, now a working stage and museum operated with the National Park Service.
5 min walkRestored 1920s theater on 13th Street NW, a couple of blocks from the station, hosting concerts, comedy and touring shows.
3 min walkLong-running theater on Pennsylvania Avenue NW presenting touring Broadway productions and other stage shows.
5 min walkOpen-air block of luxury retail, restaurants and public plazas built on the former convention center site.
5 min walkDowntown arena for basketball, hockey and concerts; Gallery Place station is closer, but the walk from here is easy.
8 min walkRoughly ten minutes west along the downtown grid to the Pennsylvania Avenue pedestrian plaza on the north side.
10 min walkFirst and last trains at Metro Center
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 | 5:33 am | 12:10 am |
| Mon-Thu | Shady Grove | 5:28 am | 12:10 am |
| Fri | Glenmont | 5:33 am | 2:10 am |
| Fri | Shady Grove | 5:28 am | 2:10 am |
| Sat | Glenmont | 6:33 am | 2:10 am |
| Sat | Shady Grove | 6:28 am | 2:10 am |
| Sun | Glenmont | 6:33 am | 12:10 am |
| Sun | Shady Grove | 6:28 am | 12:10 am |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:39 am | 12:02 am |
| Mon-Thu | Franconia-Springfield | 5:21 am | 11:51 pm |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:39 am | 2:02 am |
| Fri | Franconia-Springfield | 5:21 am | 1:51 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:36 am | 2:01 am |
| Sat | Franconia-Springfield | 6:21 am | 1:49 am |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:39 am | 12:02 am |
| Sun | Franconia-Springfield | 6:21 am | 11:49 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:29 am | 12:00 am |
| Mon-Thu | Vienna | 5:26 am | 12:10 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:29 am | 2:00 am |
| Fri | Vienna | 5:26 am | 2:10 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:29 am | 1:56 am |
| Sat | Vienna | 6:26 am | 2:10 am |
| Sat | West Falls Church | 10:22 pm | 10:22 pm |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:29 am | 12:00 am |
| Sun | Vienna | 6:26 am | 12:10 am |
| Sun | West Falls Church | 10:22 pm | 10:22 pm |
| Day | Toward | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thu | Ashburn | 5:29 am | 11:56 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Downtown Largo | 5:33 am | 12:10 am |
| Mon-Thu | New Carrollton | 5:37 am | 11:55 pm |
| Fri | Ashburn | 5:29 am | 1:56 am |
| Fri | Downtown Largo | 5:33 am | 2:10 am |
| Fri | New Carrollton | 5:37 am | 1:55 am |
| Sat | Ashburn | 6:28 am | 1:58 am |
| Sat | Downtown Largo | 6:38 am | 2:10 am |
| Sat | New Carrollton | 6:24 am | 1:51 am |
| Sun | Ashburn | 6:28 am | 11:58 pm |
| Sun | Downtown Largo | 6:37 am | 12:10 am |
| Sun | New Carrollton | 6:25 am | 11:50 pm |
Travel times and fares from Metro Center
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 2 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 5 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Union Station | 6 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 3 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 17 min | $2.85 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 53 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 12 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Shady Grove | 36 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Glenmont | 31 min | $6.50 | $2.50 |
| Downtown Largo | 29 min | $5.80 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Metro Center
2 min away
NEXT · REDGallery Pl-Chinatown2 min away
PREVIOUS · BLUEFederal Triangle1 min away
NEXT · BLUEMcPherson Square2 min away
PREVIOUS · ORANGEFederal Triangle1 min away
NEXT · ORANGEMcPherson Square2 min away
PREVIOUS · SILVERFederal Triangle1 min away
NEXT · SILVERMcPherson Square2 min away
Parking at Metro Center
Tips for using Metro Center
- The Red Line platform and the Blue/Orange/Silver platform sit on different levels at right angles – follow the line color signs rather than the direction names when transferring.
- With sixteen entrances, specify a street corner rather than just ‘Metro Center’ when arranging to meet someone.
- Expect heavy crowds at the escalators right after weekday evening theater and arena events let out.
Metro Center station FAQ
The Red Line uses one platform level and the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines use another, crossing at right angles below it. Escalators in the middle of the mezzanine connect the two. Follow the color-coded signs for the line you want, then check the platform display for the correct direction.
Metro Center is, at about a five-minute walk east along F Street toward 10th Street NW. Gallery Place is a similar distance from the other side. Ford’s Theatre is a working theater as well as a museum, so check its schedule before making the trip.
Take an exit on the east side of the station toward 11th and G Streets NW, then walk a couple of blocks northeast. Signs in the mezzanine name the street each stairway serves, which is worth reading given how many entrances this station has.
It is consistently among the busiest, largely because it is the main Red Line transfer point as well as a downtown destination in its own right. Gallery Place, Union Station and L’Enfant Plaza are in the same tier. Current ridership figures are published by WMATA at wmata.com.