Union Station Station - DC Metro
Red Line - station in Washington, DC.
About Union Station station
Union Station is the closest thing Washington has to a single front door. The Red Line platform sits beneath the great Beaux-Arts terminal, which handles Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and long-distance trains, MARC and VRE commuter services, intercity buses and the DC Streetcar. That makes it the natural arrival point for anyone reaching the city by rail, and one of the busiest stations in the Metro system. It is also a Capitol Hill station in practical terms — the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress are all a walk south, and the Senate office buildings are closer still. The concourse above is worth a look in its own right, with its coffered barrel vault and marble hall.
The area around Union Station
The station sits at the junction of Capitol Hill, NoMa and the H Street corridor. South are the federal buildings and rowhouse blocks of the Hill; north is NoMa, a district of new offices and apartments built over former rail land; east along H Street runs a restaurant and bar strip reachable by streetcar. It is a busy, transitional part of the city rather than a settled neighborhood.
What is near Union Station station?
The Capitol and its visitor center sit at the south end of a straight walk down Delaware Avenue or First Street.
13 min walkFree Smithsonian museum in the old City Post Office building directly across Massachusetts Avenue from the station.
3 min walkThe Jefferson Building with its ornate main reading room, on First Street opposite the Capitol grounds.
15 min walkThe 1935 marble courthouse on First Street NE, on the eastern edge of the Capitol grounds.
14 min walkRestaurant, bar and music strip northeast of the station, reachable on the DC Streetcar that begins here.
12 min walkFirst and last trains at Union Station
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 | 5:38 am | 12:15 am |
| Mon-Thu | Shady Grove | 5:23 am | 11:59 pm |
| Fri | Glenmont | 5:38 am | 2:15 am |
| Fri | Shady Grove | 5:23 am | 1:59 am |
| Sat | Glenmont | 6:38 am | 2:15 am |
| Sat | Shady Grove | 6:23 am | 1:59 am |
| Sun | Glenmont | 6:38 am | 12:15 am |
| Sun | Shady Grove | 6:23 am | 11:59 pm |
Travel times and fares from Union Station
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 6 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 4 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 12 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Smithsonian | 14 min | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 22 min | $3.10 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 64 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 17 min | $2.55 | $2.50 |
| Shady Grove | 42 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Glenmont | 25 min | $6.30 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Union Station
Union Station is served by the Red Line only.
Parking at Union Station
Tips for using Union Station
- The DC Streetcar’s western terminus is at Union Station, which is the easiest way to reach the H Street NE corridor.
- Amtrak, MARC and VRE all use the same concourse above the Metro platform, so allow a few minutes for the walk and the escalators between them.
- For the Capitol Visitor Center, walk south on First Street rather than cutting through the Senate office buildings, which have security screening.
Union Station station FAQ
Yes. The Metro Red Line station is directly beneath the terminal, and Amtrak, MARC and VRE all board from the concourse above. Allow several minutes for the connection, particularly at peak hours when the passages are busy.
Roughly a thirteen-minute walk south, mostly on First Street or Delaware Avenue. The Capitol Visitor Center entrance is on the east front of the building. The Supreme Court and the Library of Congress are a couple of minutes further on the same route.
Only the Red Line stops here. For the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines transfer at Metro Center or Gallery Place, and for the Green and Yellow Lines transfer at Gallery Place, both a short ride away.
The DC Streetcar starts at Union Station and runs east along H Street through the whole corridor. Walking is also possible — it is around twelve minutes to the western end of the strip via the Hopscotch Bridge.