Washington Metro
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The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail,[4] is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name.[5] Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 98 stations, and 130 miles (210 km) of route.[6][7][8]
Metro serves Washington, D.C., and the states of Maryland and Virginia. In Maryland, Metro provides service to Montgomery and Prince George's counties; in Virginia, to Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and to the independent city of Alexandria. The system's most recent expansion, the construction of an infill station serving Potomac Yard, opened on May 19, 2023. It operates mostly as a deep-level subway in more densely populated parts of the D.C. metropolitan area (including most of the District itself), while most of the suburban tracks are at surface level or elevated. The longest single-tier escalator in the Western Hemisphere, spanning 230 feet (70 m), is located at Metro's deep-level Wheaton station.[9]
In 2025, the system had a ridership of 188,549,700, or about 675,100 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2026, making it the second-busiest heavy rail rapid transit system in the United States, in number of passenger trips, after the New York City Subway, and the fifth-busiest in North America.[10] In June 2008, Metro set a monthly ridership record with 19,729,641 trips, or 798,456 per weekday.[11] In 2025, Metro also led the nation in ridership growth, with 54 consecutive months of year-on-year growth.[12]
Fares vary based on the distance traveled, the time of day, and the type of card used by the passenger. Riders can enter and exit the system by using either contactless payment or a proximity card called SmarTrip.
History
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During the 1950s, plans were laid for a massive freeway system in Washington, D.C. Harland Bartholomew, who chaired the National Capital Planning Commission, thought that a rail transit system would never be self-sufficient because of low-density land uses and general transit ridership decline.[13] The freeway plan subsequently met fierce opposition, and was altered to include a Capital Beltway system plus rail line radials. The Beltway received full funding along with additional funding from the Inner Loop Freeway system project that was partially reallocated toward construction of the Metro system.[14]
In 1960, the federal government created the National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a rapid rail system.[15] In 1966, a bill creating WMATA was passed by the federal government, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland,[6] with planning power for the system being transferred to it from the NCTA.[16][17] An early proposal map from 1967 was more extensive than what was ultimately approved, with the Red Line's western terminus being in Germantown instead of Shady Grove.[18]
WMATA approved plans for a 97.2-mile (156.4 km) regional system on March 1, 1968. The plan consisted of a core regional system, which included the original five Metro lines, as well as several future extensions, many of which were not constructed.[19] The first experimental Metro station was built above ground in May 1968 for a cost of $69,000. It was 64 by 30 by 17 feet (19.5 m × 9.1 m × 5.2 m) and meant to test construction techniques, lighting, and acoustics before full-scale construction efforts.[20]
Construction began after a groundbreaking ceremony on December 9, 1969, when WMATA Chairman Frederick Babson, District Mayor Walter Washington, U.S. Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe, and Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel tossed the first spades of dirt at Judiciary Square.[21]
The first portion of the system opened on March 27, 1976, with 4.6 miles (7.4 km) available on the Red Line with five stations from Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North, all in Washington, D.C.[22][23] All rides were free that day, with the first train departing the Rhode Island Avenue stop with Metro officials and special guests, and the second with members of the general public.[24] Arlington County, Virginia was linked to the system on July 1, 1977;[25] Montgomery County, Maryland, on February 6, 1978;[26] Prince George's County, Maryland, on November 17, 1978;[27] and Fairfax County, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, on December 17, 1983.[6][28] Metro reached