Blue Line (Washington Metro)
| Company type | Rapid transit route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | July 1, 1977 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Fairfax County, Virginia; Alexandria, Virginia; Arlington County, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Products | Rapid transit service |
| Website | www |
The Blue Line is a rapid transit route within the Washington Metro system, featuring 28 stops spanning Fairfax County, Virginia, Alexandria, Arlington County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland. It extends from to , sharing tracks with the Orange Line (13 stations), Silver Line (18 stations), and Yellow Line (6 stations on the shared segment, 7 overall). Only three stations—Franconia–Springfield, , and —are served solely by the Blue Line.
Train intervals are set at every 10 minutes during weekday peak periods, every 12 minutes during off-peak hours and weekends, and every 15 minutes after 9:30pm.
History
Planning for the Metro began with the 1955 Mass Transportation Survey, which projected transit systems for 1980. The 1959 report proposed two rapid transit lines anticipating subway routes in downtown Washington. Initial designs followed railroad corridors in Virginia but did not include Prince George's County. After WMATA’s establishment in 1966—a regional agency representing DC, Maryland, and Virginia—planning emphasized routing that served all jurisdictions to facilitate bond approval.
The Virginia portion predominantly traces the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad corridor up to Colchester. A surface-level segment runs alongside Virginia State Route 110 near Arlington National Cemetery, replacing the former Rosslyn Connecting Railroad line.
In March 1968, WMATA endorsed its Adopted Regional System (ARS), incorporating the Blue Line running from Huntington to Addison Road with a possible extension toward Largo. A proposed Oklahoma Avenue station was eliminated due to local opposition against a large commuter parking facility; this remains the sole WMATA station canceled because of neighborhood resistance. The Smithsonian station received an added exit to accommodate tourists, while federal funding supported design modifications including those for Arlington Cemetery station.
Blue Line operations commenced on July 1, 1977, initially linking Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Stadium–Armory—the first Metro connection into Virginia. Subsequent expansions extended service to Addison Road in 1980; Van Dorn Street in 1991; Franconia–Springfield in 1997; and Morgan Boulevard plus Largo Town Center (now Downtown Largo) in Maryland by 2004.
Between November 1978 and December 1979, the Orange Line shared tracks with the Blue Line from National Airport to Stadium-Armory before branching westward at Rosslyn. The Blue and Orange Lines continue to run together between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory; this segment is also shared with the Silver Line.
Initially, Blue Line trains were intended to serve Huntington while Yellow Line trains would serve Franconia–Springfield; however, these assignments were reversed due to a shortage of railcars at Huntington. From 1999 through 2008, special Blue Line service operated to Huntington on July 4th each year.
The ARS originally designated Addison Road as the Blue Line terminus. Nevertheless, sports enthusiasts pushed for a three-mile extension to reach the Capital Centre arena in Largo. This extension was approved in 1997 and opened in 2004 at a cost of $456 million; it now provides access to FedExField despite professional teams relocating elsewhere.
In 1998, Congress renamed Washington National Airport station to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport but initially prevented WMATA from implementing the change due to opposition from local authorities; it became a funding requirement only in 2001.
Between May and September 2019, renovations took place on platforms at twenty stations—the longest shutdown in Metro history—with Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Airport closed during this period.
During the COVID-19 pandemic from March through June 2020, several stations were skipped; all except Arlington Cemetery resumed service by June, with Arlington Cemetery reopening in August 2020.
From November 2020 until March 2021, most weekend Blue Line trains served Huntington and Eisenhower Avenue due to Alexandria Rail Yard upgrades; a complete closure occurred from December 2020 through January 2021 for expedited work that finished three weeks ahead of schedule.
Between February and May 2021, Blue Line service was halted between Arlington Cemetery and Addison Road for platform reconstruction; alternate service was provided by Yellow and Silver Lines.
In June 2022, WMATA launched Blue Plus service connecting Huntington and New Carrollton during the Yellow Line closure caused by the 14th Street Bridge project; Yellow Line operations resumed in May 2023 but terminated early at Mount Vernon Square.
The Potomac Yard station, funded by a private developer following environmental reviews coordinated among WMATA, federal agencies, and Alexandria officials, opened on May 19, 2023.
Automatic train operation on both Blue and Orange Lines recommenced in June 2025 after being suspended since a collision in 2009.
Route
The southwestern endpoint of the Blue Line is at Franconia–Springfield station, situated at the intersection of Frontier Drive and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (Virginia Route 289). From there, it proceeds above ground following the CSX rail corridor, merging with the Yellow Line just south of King Street in Old Town Alexandria. Together, these lines continue northward along the CSX tracks before curving eastward on an elevated structure near National Airport. Both the Blue and Yellow Lines then enter an underground tunnel in Crystal City, traveling beneath Hayes Street and the parking lots of The Pentagon. At this point, the Blue Line diverges from the Yellow Line, surfacing onto tracks adjacent to Virginia Route 110 to serve , then descends into a tunnel south of Rosslyn where it converges with the Orange and Silver Lines.
The tunnel extends beneath North Lynn Street, crosses under the Potomac River, and veers eastward below I Street NW. A non-revenue connection links westbound Blue Line tracks to the Red Line between Farragut West and McPherson Square stations. Continuing, the tunnel passes beneath 12th Street NW, crossing under the Red Line at , then shifts eastward beneath D Street SW, passing underneath both Green and Yellow Lines at . Moving further east beneath Pennsylvania Avenue SE, G Street SE, and Potomac Avenue SE, the Blue Line—alongside Orange and Silver Lines—curves northward under 19th Street SE before emerging onto an elevated section near the parking area for Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
The route crosses the Anacostia River via a bridge adjacent to Benning Road NE close to RFK Stadium. At this juncture, the Blue and Silver Lines split from the Orange Line, entering a tunnel beneath Benning Road and East Capitol Street. From extending to its eastern terminus at Largo Town Center, both Blue and Silver Lines operate on surface or elevated tracks interspersed with short tunnels running parallel to Central Avenue, concluding near parking lots for "The Blvd" shopping center.
Within WMATA's internal system, the Blue Line comprises all of J Route (from Franconia-Springfield to the C & J junction south of King Street), a segment of C Route (from C & J junction to Metro Center), part of D Route (from Metro Center to D & G junction east of Stadium-Armory), and all of G Route (from D & G junction beyond Stadium-Armory to Largo Town Center). Peak period operations deploy 23 six-car trains totaling 138 rail cars.
Rush Plus
On June 18, 2012, Metro introduced its "Rush+" service initiative designed to alleviate congestion at Rosslyn, where Blue and Orange lines intersect, while also preparing infrastructure for the forthcoming Silver Line. Under this strategy, Blue Line trains continued their standard routing; however, select Yellow Line trains began originating from Franconia–Springfield and were rerouted over the Fenwick Bridge to . This modification created new direct travel options without transfers for passengers commuting between Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, and stations spanning from L'Enfant Plaza to Greenbelt.
During peak periods, service frequency on Blue Line trains was reduced, which could result in longer wait times for typical Blue Line riders. Additionally, some Orange Line trains were extended as far as Largo Town Center until the Silver Line commenced operations in July 2014. The Rush+ program aimed to decrease crowding while enhancing travel efficiency across Orange, Blue, Green, and Yellow lines in support of future system growth.
Future Developments
One proposed improvement involves constructing a pedestrian passageway connecting Gallery Place and Metro Center stations. This initiative aims to minimize the need for Red Line transfers among the Yellow, Blue, and Orange lines. A feasibility study conducted in 2005 recommended linking the eastern mezzanine of Metro Center with the western mezzanine of Gallery Place, which are located one block apart. However, as of 2011, funding for this project had not been secured.
Furthermore, a transportation organization has suggested extending the Blue Line to reach Potomac Mills in Prince William County, Virginia.
Stations
The stations along the line, arranged from southwest to east, are as follows:
Federal Triangle station#Federal Triangle || D01 Template:Wmata || D02 Template:Wmata || D03 Template:Wmata || D04 Template:Wmata || D05 Template:Wmata || D06 Template:Wmata || D07 Template:Wmata || D08 Template:Wmata || G01 || rowspan="3" | November 22, 1980 Template:Wmata || G02 Template:Wmata || G03 Template:Wmata || G04 || rowspan="2" | December 18, 2004 Template:Wmata || G05| Station | Code | Opened | Image | Other Metro Line(s) |
Connections/notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Wmata | J03 | June 29, 1997 | Template:Rint Southern endpoint | ||
| Template:Wmata | J02 | June 15, 1991 | |||
| Template:Wmata | C13 | December 17, 1983 | Template:WMATA icon | Template:Rint Template:Rint at Alexandria Union Station Southern Yellow Line transfer point | |
| Template:Wmata | C12 | ||||
| Template:Wmata | C11 | May 19, 2023 | Infill station | ||
| Template:Wmata | C10 | July 1, 1977 | |||
| Template:Wmata | C09 | Template:Rint Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line | |||
| Template:Wmata | C08 | ||||
| Template:Wmata | C07 | Multi-level station accommodating Yellow (toward Huntington) and Blue (toward Franconia–Springfield) Lines on lower level; upper level serves northbound Yellow and Blue Lines. | |||
| Template:Wmata | C06 | ||||
| Template:Wmata | C05 | Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | Multi-level interchange for Orange and Silver Lines sharing tracks | ||
| Template:Wmata | C04 | ||||
| Template:Wmata | C03 | Out-of-station transfer with Red Line's Farragut North located one block away; planned underground connection remains without funding. | |||
| Template:Wmata | C02 | ||||
| Template:Wmata | C01 | Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | Key transfer hub for the Red Line | ||
| rowspan="2" |Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | |||||
| Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | Template:Rint at L'Enfant; interchange for Green and Yellow Lines | ||||
| rowspan="5" |Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | |||||
| Transfer point for Orange and Silver Lines heading toward New Carrollton | |||||
| rowspan="5" |Template:WMATA icon | |||||
| Eastern terminus |