Connecting between Metro and D.C.-Area Airports and Other Transportation Services

The Metro system is great for getting around the Washington, D.C. area, but it's also an important link to other transportation facilities and services: Washington's three major airports, MARC Train Service (MARC), Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Amtrak passenger rail service, Greyhound bus service, Metrobus, and local bus systems. Union Station is a key transportation hub, as well as being a popular destination in itself.

How to Connect

Scroll down or choose a link for details about how to connect between Metrorail and these services: D.C. area airports, Amtrak, MARC, VRE, and Greyhound.

Connections between Metrorail and Metrobus are available at all Metrorail stations. An easy way to find your connection is to use Metro's online Ride Guide. Also see CommuterPage.com's Metro Bus and Rail and Transfers Made Simple pages. For information about other local bus systems, see the ART and Other Local Transit page.

Overview: Metrorail, Other Rail and Bus Services, and Airports

The map below shows the Metrorail system in relation to other transportation systems serving the Washington, D.C. area. (The map is not exactly to scale.)

Connecting Between Metro and Washington D.C. Area Airports

The three airports serving the Washington, D.C. area are Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI).

Metrorail goes directly to Reagan National Airport (Blue Line, National Airport station). Reagan National is also a short taxicab ride from Washington and close-in suburbs, and Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland taxis are available at the exits of each terminal.

Rail transportation between BWI Airport and Union Station, on the Metrorail Red Line, is provided by Amtrak and MARC trains.

Metrobus Service to BWI and Dulles Airports

Metrobus route B30 provides express service between Metrorail's Greenbelt station and BWI Airport. Full fare for a one-way trip is $2.00, $1.15 with a rail-to-bus transfer, $.90 with a bus-to-bus transfer. See Metro's B30 timetable (PDF format).

Metrobus also serves Dulles Airport, operating between L'Enfant Plaza station and Dulles, with stops at the Rosslyn station and Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride. See Metro's 5A timetable (PDF format).

Washington Flyer Coach Service

Washington Flyer Coach Service provides a bus link between Dulles Airport and the West Falls Church Metrorail station. Visit the Washington Flyer web site for more information.

Directions To The Airports

These web sites provide directions for driving to the airports, as well as public transportation options:

BWI Airport
Reagan National Location/Directions
Washington Dulles Airport Location/Directions

Connecting Between Metrorail and Other Rail Services

Amtrak passenger rail service, MARC and VRE Commuter Rail Services, and the Metrorail system all meet at Union Station. In addition to Union Station, Metrorail connects with these services at these Metrorail stations:

Amtrak: King Street (Yellow and Blue Lines), New Carrollton (Orange Line).

MARC: Rockville (Red Line), Silver Spring (Red Line), Greenbelt (Green Line), College Park-U. of Md.(Green Line).

VRE: Crystal City (Yellow and Blue Lines), King Street (Yellow and Blue Lines) Franconia/Springfield (Blue Line), L'Enfant Plaza (Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Green Lines).

For more information about the Metrorail stations listed above, see Metro's interactive system map.

Connecting Between Metrorail and Greyhound Bus Service

The Greyhound Bus Terminal in Washington D.C. is located at 1005 1st St NE, Washington, DC 20002, directly behind Union Station, on Metrorail's Red Line. Union Station is quite large, so the trip around the station to the Greyhound terminal amounts to about four blocks.

Union Station

Union Station combines a busy urban railroad station with over 130 retail shops and restaurants in a magnificent Beaux-Arts building. Union Station was opened in 1907 and beautifully renovated in the 1980's. The most visited destination in the nation's capital, Union Station plays host to exhibitions, cultural events and private special events such as the Presidential Inaugural Ball and citywide galas. It's a special treat to visit when the station is decorated for the holidays.

Union Station is also a stop on Metrorail's Red Line, connecting the Washington area's clean, safe, easy-to-understand subway system with Amtrak and the MARC and VRE rail systems.

The station is located just a few blocks from the Capitol building, at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington D.C. See Stationmasters' station area map.