North Bethesda Station - DC Metro
Red Line - station in North Bethesda, MD.
About North Bethesda station
Formerly named White Flint, this Red Line station was renamed to match the district growing around it. The mall it was originally built for is gone; in its place, the Pike & Rose development has put streets, apartments, offices, restaurants and a cinema within a few minutes of the platform, turning what was a parking-lot station into something closer to a neighborhood one. It still functions as a park-and-ride, with well over a thousand spaces for Montgomery County commuters heading into Bethesda and downtown Washington. The station sits alongside Rockville Pike with a single station building, and the surrounding corridor continues to redevelop from big-box retail toward denser mixed use.
The area around North Bethesda
North Bethesda along the Rockville Pike corridor: a landscape mid-transition, with new mixed-use blocks and apartment towers rising next to older strip retail and surface lots. Pike & Rose is the walkable core, with restaurants and a cinema that draw evening traffic. Riders are largely Montgomery County commuters plus a growing number of residents in the new buildings by the station.
What is near North Bethesda station?
Mixed-use district of restaurants, shops, a cinema and offices, and the main walkable destination from the station.
5 min walkThe long commercial strip along MD 355, with large stores and services spread out along the road.
6 min walkThe cluster of offices and residential towers immediately around the station, a significant weekday destination.
3 min walkFirst and last trains at North Bethesda
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 | 5:09 am | 11:40 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Shady Grove | 5:31 am | 12:34 am |
| Fri | Glenmont | 5:09 am | 1:40 am |
| Fri | Shady Grove | 5:31 am | 2:34 am |
| Sat | Glenmont | 6:09 am | 1:40 am |
| Sat | Shady Grove | 6:37 am | 2:34 am |
| Sun | Glenmont | 6:09 am | 11:40 pm |
| Sun | Shady Grove | 6:43 am | 12:34 am |
Travel times and fares from North Bethesda
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 26 min | $6.15 | $2.50 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 28 min | $6.25 | $2.50 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 36 min | $6.65 | $2.50 |
| Union Station | 32 min | $6.60 | $2.50 |
| Smithsonian | 34 min | $6.45 | $2.50 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 46 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 84 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 41 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Shady Grove | 10 min | $3.50 | $2.50 |
| Glenmont | 57 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at North Bethesda
North Bethesda is served by the Red Line only.
Parking at North Bethesda
Tips for using North Bethesda
- The station was renamed from White Flint, so older maps, signs and directions may still use the previous name.
- Parking here is substantial and generally easier to find than at the busier stations closer to the District.
- Pike & Rose is the walk worth making from this station; most of the rest of the corridor is better reached by bus or car.
North Bethesda station FAQ
Yes – it carried the White Flint name for decades, after the shopping mall it was built to serve, and was renamed North Bethesda to match the district that has grown up around it. Older directions and maps may still use the previous name.
No. The mall that gave the station its original name has been demolished, and redevelopment has replaced retail-and-parking with a denser mix of uses along the corridor. Pike & Rose, just south of the station, is the main shopping and dining destination now.
Roughly 1,270 spaces, which is comfortable for a mid-line Red Line station. It is a practical option for Montgomery County drivers who want to avoid the traffic and parking costs closer in. Spaces are usually available through the morning peak.
Pike & Rose is about five minutes away and holds most of the walkable restaurants, shops and a cinema. Beyond that the Rockville Pike corridor is still built around driving, so distances stretch quickly once you leave the immediate station area.