Van Ness-UDC Station - DC Metro
Red Line - station in Washington, DC.
About Van Ness-UDC station
Van Ness-UDC takes its second name from the University of the District of Columbia, whose campus sits directly above the station on Connecticut Avenue. That gives the station a distinct rhythm — student traffic through the day rather than a pure morning and evening commuter peak — layered onto a residential upper Northwest neighborhood of large apartment buildings. The stretch of Connecticut Avenue here also holds the International Chancery Center, a cluster of purpose-built embassies, so the mix on the escalators is unusually international. It is a deep Red Line station with a straightforward layout, and Rock Creek Park is close enough to the east that the neighborhood feels greener than its apartment density would suggest.
The area around Van Ness-UDC
Forest Hills and North Cleveland Park meet around Van Ness, an area of substantial mid-century apartment buildings along Connecticut Avenue backing onto leafy single-family streets. The UDC campus and the embassy cluster on Van Ness Street give it an institutional character. Riders are students, embassy and office staff, and a large population of long-term apartment residents commuting downtown.
What is near Van Ness-UDC station?
The city's public university, with its main campus built directly over and beside the station on Connecticut Avenue.
2 min walkMarjorie Merriweather Post's estate, holding a major Russian imperial and French decorative arts collection in formal gardens.
15 min walkWashington's best-known independent bookstore, north on Connecticut Avenue, with a heavy author-event schedule.
14 min walkTrail access into the park's Soapstone Valley section east of Connecticut Avenue, part of the large urban park system.
10 min walkFirst and last trains at Van Ness-UDC
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 | 5:24 am | 11:55 pm |
| Mon-Thu | Shady Grove | 5:38 am | 12:20 am |
| Fri | Glenmont | 5:24 am | 1:55 am |
| Fri | Shady Grove | 5:38 am | 2:20 am |
| Sat | Glenmont | 6:24 am | 1:55 am |
| Sat | Shady Grove | 6:38 am | 2:20 am |
| Sun | Glenmont | 6:24 am | 11:55 pm |
| Sun | Shady Grove | 6:38 am | 12:20 am |
Travel times and fares from Van Ness-UDC
| To | Time | Weekday to 9:30pm | Late night & weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | 11 min | $2.60 | $2.50 |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | 13 min | $2.70 | $2.50 |
| L'Enfant Plaza | 21 min | $3.05 | $2.50 |
| Union Station | 17 min | $3.05 | $2.50 |
| Smithsonian | 19 min | $2.85 | $2.50 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 31 min | $4.40 | $2.50 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport | 69 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Pentagon | 26 min | $3.70 | $2.50 |
| Shady Grove | 25 min | $6.75 | $2.50 |
| Glenmont | 42 min | $6.65 | $2.50 |
Travel times and fares published by WMATA. Fares valid July 2026.
Changing lines at Van Ness-UDC
Van Ness-UDC is served by the Red Line only.
Parking at Van Ness-UDC
Tips for using Van Ness-UDC
- The UDC campus is effectively on top of the station — the escalators come up within the campus plaza on Connecticut Avenue.
- Hillwood Estate is a walk east and downhill from Connecticut Avenue; entry is ticketed, so check availability before setting out.
- Connecticut Avenue runs straight downtown from here, so this is a useful station to know if you are staying in upper Northwest.
Van Ness-UDC station FAQ
Yes, and it is about as close as Metro stations get to a campus — the escalators emerge at the edge of the UDC plaza on Connecticut Avenue. That is the reason UDC appears in the station name.
It is roughly a fifteen-minute walk east and slightly downhill from Connecticut Avenue toward Linnean Avenue. Hillwood is ticketed and has set opening days, so confirm hours and reserve before you travel out there.
Yes, though it is a fair walk — around fourteen minutes north along Connecticut Avenue toward Nebraska Avenue. Some riders find it easier to take a northbound bus up Connecticut, particularly in bad weather.
There is no Metro park-and-ride facility. Connecticut Avenue has metered parking and some commercial garages, and the residential streets behind it are permit-restricted, so arriving by train or bus is far more practical.