Washington DC Metro Map 2026 (WMATA): Lines, Tickets & Prices

Washington Metro map: Key facts for travelers

• System hours are 5:00 am to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5:00 am to 2:00 am Friday, 6:00 am to 2:00 am Saturday, and 6:00 am to midnight Sunday.
• Six color-coded lines serve 98 stations across a 128-mile Metrorail network.
• Blue and Yellow trains serve Reagan National Airport, while Silver trains serve Dulles Airport.
• Tariff 48 uses regular fares and late-night or weekend fares, with SmarTrip available as a physical or virtual card.
• Maryland’s Purple Line is a separate light-rail system, not a seventh WMATA Metrorail line.

Current Washington Metro service alerts

From July 6 to September 6, 2026, Red Line trains do not run between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights. Grosvenor-Strathmore, Medical Center, and Bethesda are closed; shuttle buses replace trains. Check WMATA’s current alerts and upcoming track work before traveling.

According to WMATA’s 50th anniversary network overview, this WMATA map covers six color-coded Metrorail lines, 98 stations and a 128-mile network across Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

The official printable PDF helps visitors identify transfer stations, the correct terminus for their direction and direct rail links to Reagan National and Dulles airports. This guide adds 2026 fares, SmarTrip details, service hours and verified station choices.

Washington’s Metro is more than a way across downtown: its color-coded routes connect the capital region with Maryland, Virginia and two major airports.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, was created by interstate compact in 1967. WMATA’s official history records that Metrorail opened on March 27, 1976, with five Red Line stations.

The network recorded 147 million trips in calendar year 2025, according to WMATA’s 2026 anniversary overview.

The names Metro and Metrorail refer to the rail system represented on the official map. Metrobus is WMATA’s separate bus system. WMATA’s 50th anniversary Metro Owner’s Manual identifies ten Metrorail stations that offer transfers, including Metro Center, L’Enfant Plaza, Gallery Place, Rosslyn and Pentagon.

Use the official WMATA’s real-time train tracker for current train positions and the WMATA Trip Planner for a departure-specific itinerary. These tools complement the printable rail map rather than replace it.

Washington Metro lines on the WMATA map

The DC Metro map uses the same official line colors and terminal labels listed below.

• Red Line: Shady Grove to Glenmont.
• Orange Line: Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to New Carrollton.
• Blue Line: Franconia-Springfield to Downtown Largo.
• Green Line: Branch Ave to Greenbelt.
• Yellow Line: Huntington to Mt Vernon Sq, with every other train continuing to Greenbelt.
• Silver Line: Ashburn to Downtown Largo or New Carrollton, with trains alternating between the two eastern destinations.

The Silver Line extension to Dulles and Ashburn opened on November 15, 2022. It added 11.4 miles and six stations, so the airport connection shown on the current WMATA map is active service, not a proposed expansion.

How to read the Washington DC Metro map

Read the rail diagram by finding your starting station, tracing its line color and checking the terminus shown in your direction of travel.

1. Find the station closest to the destination and note its line color.
2. Check the terminus in the required direction before entering the platform.
3. At a transfer station, follow the color and destination for the next line rather than relying only on a compass direction.
4. Confirm the exit and review current service alerts before the trip.

Use the same physical or virtual SmarTrip card, or eligible contactless bank card, at the entry and exit faregates.

The destination matrix connects eight major visitor sites with a line and a specific station. Some large sites, especially the National Mall, extend across several stations, so the listed stop is a practical reference rather than the only possible choice.

DC Metro airport connections on the WMATA map

Both major airports have direct Metrorail stations, according to WMATA’s official airport guidance. Reagan National Airport is served by Blue and Yellow trains, with covered walkways linking the station to the terminal.

On the DC Metro map, both airport stations appear directly on their serving lines.

Dulles Airport is served by the Silver Line. WMATA states that the terminal is about a six-minute walk from the station.

Metro Center is the downtown reference point in the airport table. For IAD, WMATA published a 53-minute Metro Center reference journey when the Silver Line extension opened in 2022. Check the official WMATA Trip Planner for a current departure because waiting and service conditions vary.

WMATA’s Tariff 48 has applied since February 23, 2026. It does not use a current peak and off-peak split. Instead, Metrorail uses regular fares and fares charged late at night or on weekends, with regular fares based on distance.

The DC Metro map itself does not show fares, so check the current tariff before loading a card or pass.

On weekdays from 5:00 am through 9:30 pm, a trip costs $2.25 to $6.75. After 9:30 pm on weekdays and throughout Saturday and Sunday, the range is $2.25 to $2.50. These amounts are current as of July 17, 2026.

A physical or virtual SmarTrip card costs an additional $2.00. Travelers can buy a physical card online for postal delivery, at station fare machines or through authorized outlets.

WMATA advises allowing at least five business days for delivery, while cards bought in person are ready immediately.

At Metrorail faregates, tap the same payment medium at the start and end of the trip. Do not tap again while transferring within the paid rail system. Each traveler aged five or older needs a separate payment medium. Up to two children aged four or younger ride free with one paying adult.

A virtual SmarTrip card can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. WMATA’s optional SmarTrip app manages cards, stored value, Auto Reload and passes, but the app itself is not tapped for payment. The official app is published by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Travelers may also use WMATA’s Tap. Ride. Go. option with an eligible contactless bank card. This pays the full fare and does not support stored value, passes or reduced fares. Registered SmarTrip cards include balance protection, while cash refunds for stored value have strict residency and documentation conditions.

The official WMATA system timetable lists service Monday through Thursday from 5:00 am to midnight and Friday from 5:00 am to 2:00 am. Saturday service runs from 6:00 am to 2:00 am, while Sunday service runs from 6:00 am to midnight. These are system hours, not guaranteed first and last train times at every station.

Use the DC Metro map with the timetable to confirm the line, direction and station-specific first or last train.

WMATA’s current line-frequency table identifies weekday rush periods as 7:00 am to 9:00 am and 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Late-night service begins after 9:30 pm. As of July 17, 2026, scheduled line intervals are:

• Red: during the July 6 to September 6 construction closure, trains on the operating segments run every 6 minutes during the day and every 10 minutes late at night.
• Orange: every 10 minutes in rush periods, every 12 minutes during other daytime periods and every 15 minutes late at night. Weekend daytime service is every 12 minutes.
• Blue: every 9 to 10 minutes in rush periods, every 12 minutes during other daytime periods and every 15 minutes late at night. Weekend daytime service is every 12 minutes.

• Silver: the shared section to Stadium-Armory generally follows the Blue and Orange pattern. Each eastern branch receives service every 20 minutes in rush periods, every 24 minutes in other daytime periods and every 30 minutes late at night.
• Yellow: Huntington to Mt Vernon Sq service runs every 6 minutes on weekdays, every 7 to 8 minutes late at night and every 8 minutes on weekends. The Greenbelt extension runs half as often.
• Green: every 6 minutes on weekdays, every 7 to 8 minutes late at night and every 8 minutes on weekends.

First and last trains vary by station, and stations open about 10 minutes before the first train. Check the linked timetable for the exact station.

Some Metrobus routes operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but Metrobus remains a separate bus network. WMATA has approved more frequent Orange, Silver, Blue and late-night Red service for December 2026. Those intervals are not yet current and are therefore not used in the schedule above.

The Silver Line airport extension is already complete. Its six new stations, including Dulles and Ashburn, opened in November 2022 and belong on the current rail map.

WMATA’s Blue/Orange/Silver Capacity and Reliability Study is still evaluating six alternatives. As of July 17, 2026, no locally preferred alternative has been selected and no alignment has been approved for construction. WMATA describes the process as potentially taking 10 to 20 years or more, with no construction commitment before a funding agreement.

Maryland’s Purple Line is different. The official Purple Line project FAQ describes a 16-mile, 21-station light-rail line between Bethesda and New Carrollton under the Maryland Transit Administration, not a seventh Metrorail line. Purple Line vehicles use overhead power, while Metrorail is heavy rail powered by a third rail.

The Purple Line will connect with Metrorail at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park-UMD and New Carrollton. As of July 17, 2026, the official Purple Line project timeline targets passenger service in winter 2027.

Fun Fact: According to WMATA’s Metro Owner’s Manual: 50th anniversary edition, Metro’s architects visited 16 cities across Europe and Asia in 1966 at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s direction before shaping Washington’s network.

You will find the official WMATA map above on this page as a zoomable DC Metro map PDF to download.

More metro guides are available first for nearby US systems: the New York City subway map, Boston subway map and Chicago subway map. The English hub lists all city metro maps.