Cleveland Park station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | December 5, 1981 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
| Products | Rapid transit service on the Red Line of the Washington Metro |
Cleveland Park station is a subterranean rapid transit facility on the Red Line within the Washington Metro, situated in Washington, D.C.'s Cleveland Park area. It commenced operations on December 5, 1981.
Station layout
Positioned on either side of Connecticut Avenue between Ordway Street NW and Porter Street NW, the station offers two separate entrances. Each entrance includes both an escalator and stairs leading up to a shared mezzanine level that links both sides below ground. From this mezzanine, three escalators descend to the fare control concourse, where ticket vending machines are located.
Access from the fare gates to the island platform is provided via an escalator and stairway. Elevators ensure full accessibility, connecting street level at Connecticut Avenue NW and Ordway Street NW with the concourse, and continuing from there to the platform beyond the fare gates.
Just north of the station lies a pair of track crossovers. Architecturally, Cleveland Park resembles other underground stations along the Red Line between Woodley Park and Medical Center. Its distinctive four-coffer ceiling design was created using pre-cast concrete segments due to the station’s depth and construction expenses.
History
Although originally planned in the 1959 system blueprint, Cleveland Park station opened on December 5, 1981—five years after the initial segment of the Metro began service. This opening coincided with the extension of 2.1 miles of track northwest from Dupont Circle and marked the inauguration of Van Ness–UDC and Woodley Park stations.
On June 21, 2016, intense rainfall led to flash flooding at the north-facing Porter Street entrance, with water streaming down stairs and escalators for more than eleven minutes. Remarkably, despite escalators operating while submerged at their bases, no injuries were reported.
Between June 2017 and February 2019, all five escalators connecting the surface with the faregate mezzanine were replaced. The station experienced a temporary closure from March 26 to June 28, 2020, as part of measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.