Taking Public Transportation to the National Mall

The National Mall is a two-mile stretch of greenery bookended from east to west by the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Monument at the Potomac River. This celebration of Americana houses our seat of Government, Washington Monument, Vietnam Memorial, and 19 separate Smithsonian Institution museums. Pierre L'Enfant originally outlined plans for this space and tribute to freedom with his 1792 Capital City layout.

L'Enfant's visions of Washington, D.C. grandeur ultimately materialized with the 1901 McMillan Plan. Senator James McMillan of Michigan actually commissioned the blueprint to revitalize the area that had deteriorated into a zone of squalor. The slums and railroad tracks that surrounded Capitol Hill were to be replaced with foliage, monuments, and green space. The National Mall finally came to fruition with the completion of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922.

According to Forbes Traveler, the National Mall currently attracts 25 million visitors per year and is the most visited location in the United States of America, after Times Square and the Las Vegas Strip.

Per the Washington D.C. street guide and grid, U.S. 50 - Constitution Avenue NW to the north and Independence Avenue SW to the south largely bound the Mall. The White House situated across the Ellipse at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Thomas Jefferson Memorial located across the Tidal Basin, and the Washington Monument, form a north-south axis that bisects the National Mall.

Obviously, the area is identified as a maddeningly congested mix of downtown government workers, wide-eyed tourists, and brazen locals. The crushing amounts of people converging into the vicinity are further confounded by D.C.'s notoriously confusing street layout and surrounding Interstates 66 and 395 that terminate near the perimeter of the National Mall and dump traffic into the District.

I must advise that all visitors to the National Mall use public transportation.

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) is chiefly responsible for coordinating D.C.'s public transportation network. This system is remarkable for its speed, efficiency, cleanliness, and sleek appeal. I would argue that the Metrorail is the most aesthetically pleasing subway system that exists within the United States.

All Metro locations are marked with a towering, brown rectangular cube and "M" emblem. These fixtures will also feature lists of stations in both directions and color - coded piping requisite with the corresponding Metrorail Line.

Metro features Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Blue lines that all converge at the National Mall area downtown. These lines charge fares according to rush hour scheduling and distance traveled, which range from $1.65 to $4.50 per one-way. Metrorail service does shut down at midnight from Sundays to Thursdays, but is extended until 3 a.m. for Friday and Saturday.

Metrobus regular fares cost $1.35 at the time of this writing.

The Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) also meet downtown and at Washington's Union Station from the suburbs. These lines do charge per peak scheduling and zone travel. Fares to ride the MARC and VRE will approach $10 per one-way trip. Maryland and Virginia commuter trains are not available for use at any time on the weekend.

This guide details how to use public transportation to get to the National Mall at Washington, D.C.

Remember, the U.S. Capitol divides the District of Columbia into four Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast quadrants. Letters and numbered streets arrive in parallel pairs and are distinguished per suffix in relation to their position to the Capitol.

Taking Public Transportation to get to the National Mall from Washington, D.C.

Downtown: If possible, locate the Washington Monument or U.S. Capitol and walk towards that general location for the National Mall. Of course, navigating downtown D.C. is not always so simple. Due to height restrictions and wide boulevards, Washington is a horizontally sprawling city. The "downtown" area may be described as spanning the Foggy Bottom neighborhood at George Washington University to Union Station to East Potomac Park and the waterfront. This large downtown core rivals Chicago Loop / River North and Midtown Manhattan in terms of size. Traveling parties may be unwilling to walk such lengthy distances.

All Metrorail lines converge downtown.

The Red Line skirts the area to the north, with stops at Farragut North (Connecticut and K NW), Metro Center (12^th and G NW), Gallery Place (7^th and G NW), Judiciary Square (4^th and E NW) and Union Station (North Capitol and Massachusetts NW). Tourists will most likely pick up the Red Line from Union Station or Farragut North, which are the furthest stations from the National Mall, and take the Metrorail to Metro Center.

The National Mall is four blocks south, or roughly 2000 feet from Metro Center. Visitors may even elect to transfer onto Orange or Blue line trains at the Metro Center to the Smithsonian stop. These trains will flash "New Carrollton" or "Largo" and deposit riders immediately upon the Mall grounds.

The Blue and Orange Lines share track through downtown and can be picked up along I Street at George Washington University (23^rd St. NW), Farragut Square (17^th St. NW), and McPherson Square (15^th St. NW), before burrowing beneath 12^th Street NW to the Smithsonian and National Mall. Of course, riding the Metrorail is contingent upon the section of the Park that tourists wish to visit.

The Lincoln and Vietnam Memorial area, which fronts the Potomac, is actually a short walk south of GW and the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.

Metrorail service is also available at the Navy Yard (New Jersey and M SE), Waterfront (4^th and M SW), and the Convention Center (7^th and M NW). These posts do mark the fringes of downtown, where riders may pick up the Green and Yellow Lines. The L'Enfant Plaza and National Archives stations do facilitate the best access to the National Mall area between the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument from the aforementioned areas.

Northwest: The Red Line serves the critical Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenue NW corridors. The Red Line enters the District from Maryland via Wisconsin Avenue at Friendship Heights (DC-MD border) and stops at Tenleytown (Nebraska), before cutting directly east to Connecticut. The Red Line then stops at Van Ness - UDC, Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, and Dupont Circle along this major thoroughfare, prior to entering downtown.

Red Line trains running deeper into the District will flash a "Glenmont" banner. These visitors will elect to exit the Metro system at Metro Center and make the short walk south along 12^th Street NW to meet the National Mall at Constitution Avenue.

All major radial streets west of Rock Creek Park do provide Metrobus service. Buses into downtown and the National Mall pick up at MacArthur Boulevard, Massachusetts Avenue, and Wisconsin. Georgetown shoppers and passerby will avail themselves to the D5, 31, 32, and 36, that all serve M Street and descend upon the National Mall area via Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Green and Yellow Lines snake around Georgia Avenue NW east of Rock Creek Park. The Metrorail is available here at Petworth (Georgia-New Hampshire), Columbia Heights (14^th and Irving NW), 12^th and U NW, and Howard University (Georgia - 7^th - Rhode Island). Trains towards downtown will flash "Branch Avenue" or "Huntington" and riders will exit at Archives - Navy Memorial for the Mall area.

Metrobuses are also available, running the length of 16^th Street NW, 14^th Street NW, Georgia, and New Hampshire Avenue from the Maryland border into the City and downtown.

Northeast: The Red Line follows a right of way that tracks within close proximity of Blair Road and North Capitol Street through Northeast. Metrorail stations are available at Takoma, Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Avenue, and New York - Florida, prior to downtown's Union Station. Red Line trains towards the National Mall from this branch of the rail will flash "Shady Grove."

Riders will exit at Judiciary Square, Gallery Place, or Metro Center and walk south to the National Mall. Judiciary Square at 4^th and E streets NW is the closest station to the U.S. Capitol from this direction on the Red Line. D.C. veterans may also elect to transfer at Metro Center onto the Blue or Orange Line for the direct link to the Smithsonian.

The Northeast quadrant west of the Anacostia River does feature Metrobus service into downtown at North Capitol, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Bladensburg Road. Cross-Town routes along South Dakota, Michigan, and Florida do provide access to Metrorail stations at Fort Totten, Brookland, and New York - Florida, respectively.

The Orange and Blue Lines converge upon Capitol Hill from an alignment that follows DC 295 - Anacostia Freeway, East Capitol Street, and Benning Road NE. The Orange Line stops at Deanwood (Minnesota and 48^th NE) and Minnesota and Grant Place NE, before running concurrently with the Blue Line across the Anacostia.

Orange and Blue Line riders from Northeast board trains flashing "Vienna" or "Franconia-Springfield" and will exit at the Smithsonian station for the National Mall.

Metro buses operate at Kenilworth, Minnesota, Sherriff Road, and East Capitol within this corner of Northeast. All buses picked up along these major thoroughfares meet Orange and Blue Line Metrorail stations, where riders may transfer and take the Metro into the National Mall.

Southeast and Southwest: The Green Line stops at Southern Avenue on the Maryland border, Congress Heights (13^th and Alabama SE), and Anacostia (MLK and Howard Road), before trekking M St. SE / SW into downtown Washington. Green Line trains into downtown will highlight the "Greenbelt" banner.

Southside riders will exit at L'Enfant Plaza and walk 2 blocks north along 7^th Street to meet the National Mall at Independence Avenue SW.

The Blue Line does stop at Capitol Heights, which is East Capitol and Southern on the Maryland border. The Blue and Orange Line share track following the Benning Road crossing to stop at Stadium - Armory (19^th and C SE), Potomac (Penna. and 14^th SE), and Eastern Market (Penna. and 8^th SE), before Capitol South.

Blue and Orange Line trains into the city flash "Vienna" or "Franconia" and tourists will exit these trains at the Smithsonian stop for the National Mall.

Southeast Washington is stacked with Metrobus routes to accommodate the quadrant in exchange for an abject lack of rail service. Buses are available at East Capitol, Pennsylvania Avenue, Good Hope Road, Stanton Road, Martin Luther King, and South Capitol into downtown.

Bus riders may also take public transportation at Southern, Alabama, and Minnesota Avenue, which funnels commuters towards Metrorail stations.

Taking Public Transportation to get to the National Mall from Maryland

Montgomery County: The "U" shaped Red Line dips into the District from the critical I-270 / Rockville Pike Technology Corridor, reverses course at Union Station, and emerges across the county along MD 97 - Georgia Avenue. Red Line trains from Maryland towards the National Mall will read "Glenmont" or "Shady Grove" termini that are located at the opposing Montgomery County reference point.

The most important Maryland Red Line stops are at Rockville, Bethesda, and Silver Spring. These platforms are all located amidst the corporate office city centers of these regional anchors. Ride On and Metrobus service facilitates access to both branches of the Red Line in Montgomery County.

Bus Routes are readily available along all principal routes, such as MD 650 - New Hampshire Avenue, MD 193 - University Boulevard, MD 355 - Rockville Pike, MD 187 - Old Georgetown Road, MD 586 - Veirs Mill Road, Randolph Road, and U.S. 29 - Colesville Road (Old Columbia Pike). The purpose of these bus routes is to direct Marylanders to the various Red Line stops in Montgomery County, or just within the D.C. border.

Red Line riders from Montgomery County will primarily exit the Metro system at Metro Center and descend upon the National Mall area by walking south along 12^th Street NW.

Prince Georges County: The Green, Orange, and Blue Lines radiated into Prince Georges County from the District. These lines all terminate within close proximity of the I-95 / 495 - Capital Beltway, making them the perfect options for Park and Ride service.

The Green Line tracks a right of way that roughly corresponds to U.S. 1 and Queens Chapel Road into the District from Greenbelt. These trains pick up at Greenbelt (Beltway), University of Maryland, PG Plaza, and West Hyattsville (Queens Chapel - Ager), before crossing the border into Washington. The Metro into the city from this branch of the Green Line will flash "Branch Avenue."

Meanwhile, Green Line trains on the other side of PG hug Branch Avenue and Suitland Parkway into the city. These commuters will board "Greenbelt" Metrorail towards downtown. All Prince Georges Green Line riders will exit at L'Enfant Plaza or National Archives, which are both located adjacent to the National Mall.

The Orange and Blue lines parallel U.S. 50 and MD 214 - Central Avenue (E. Capitol) from the Beltway, respectively. These trains will flash "Vienna" and "Franconia" Virginia banners into Washington. PG County Marylanders may conveniently exit these trains at the Smithsonian Institution amidst the National Mall.

Metrobus service is also available along all principal routes in Prince Georges to collect commuters and funnel them towards Metrorail stations. Buses may even be accessed from Laurel, Bowie, Fort Washington, and Indian Head.

MARC: The Maryland Area Rail Commuter operates three separate lines into Washington from Martinsburg, WV, Baltimore, and Perrysville. The MARC accommodates riders from MD 355, MD 450, U.S. 1, U.S. 40, I-95, and I-270 deep into exurbia. These routes are referred to as the Brunswick, Camden, and Penn; and serve the majority of Maryland counties applicable to the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

For the sake of convenience, MARC tourists will enter the Metrorail system at Union Station for the Red Line. Red Line trains flashing "Shady Grove" will let off visitors at Judiciary Square, Gallery Place, and Metro Center, which are all within walking distance of the National Mall.

Taking Public Transportation to get to the National Mall from Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is served by the Orange, Blue, and Yellow lines. These Metrorail tracks converge at downtown Washington from Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the City of Alexandria. Specifically, the Orange Line tracks I-66 and the Blue and Yellow lines follow U.S. 1 through Northern Virginia.

The Orange Line barrels past the I-66 median from Vienna to Arlington County. The Orange Line stops at Vienna (VA 243 - Nutley St.), Dunn Loring (VA 650 - Gallows Rd.), West Falls Church, and East Falls Church (Sycamore St.), prior to leaving the highway and following a Fairfax Drive - Wilson Avenue alignment. The Orange Line then stops at Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon, and Court House, before meeting and running concurrently with the Blue Line at Rosslyn.

The Blue Line arrives into the area from its beginnings at Franconia - Springfield. This stop is within close proximity to the Springfield Mall and is to the southeast of the I-95 / 395 / 495 mixing bowl interchange.

The Blue Line enters the City of Alexandria via Eisenhower Avenue and stops at Van Dorn Street. The Metrorail then cuts north within close proximity of Route 1 to stop at King Street (George Washington Masonic Memorial), Braddock Road, National Airport, Crystal City (18^th Street), Pentagon City (S. Hayes and 12^th), and the Pentagon. The Blue Line then makes its way past the Arlington National Cemetery per VA 110, before sharing Orange Line track into Washington at Rosslyn.

Blue and Orange Line trains into the District will flash Maryland "Largo" and "New Carrollton" headers. Tourists will exit these Metrorail trains at the Smithsonian to enjoy the Mall.

Of course, Blue Line visitors may elect to transfer onto the Yellow Line prior to the Arlington National Cemetery stop at the Pentagon. The Yellow Line begins at Huntington, VA and traces the back quarters of Telegraph Road into Alexandria. The Blue and Yellow lines share track at Alexandria and Arlington, before the Yellow Line branches off across the Potomac via the 14^th Street Bridge complex.

Yellow Line trains into Washington will flash "Fort Totten" and riders will de board the Metrorail at L'Enfant Plaza, before walking two short blocks north along 7^th Street SW to Independence Avenue and the National Mall.

Metrobus routes also operate along Virginia's major principal routes. These arteries effectively funnel suburbanites to the various Metrorail stations, where one may easily transfer and gain entry into downtown Washington. Although some Metrobus routes do take I-395 to span the Potomac at the 14^th Street Bridge, the majority of Northern Virginia's public transportation bus service terminates at The Pentagon. Blue and Yellow Line trains into the District are available from this building.

The Virginia Railway Express operates two separate lines into Northern Virginia. The Manassas Line begins at Manassas and cuts directly east across Fairfax County to the City of Alexandria and the Fredericksburg Line parallels U.S. 1 and I-95 into Alexandria.

These lines run concurrently from Alexandria and terminate at Union Station.

Still, Virginians will exit the VRE at L'Enfant for the National Mall. This L'Enfant station is at 7^th and C Street SW. Tourists will walk two short blocks north along 7^th Street to enter the National Mall area at Independence Avenue SW.

Now, don't forget to pick up my souvenir!

Taking Public Transportation to the National Mall, Sources:

The Official Web Site of Washington, D.C. Tourism, http://www.washington.org/

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), http://www.wmata.com/

The Official Web Site of the National Mall, http://www.nps.gov/NAMA/