Huntington–Pentagon Line
| Company type | Public transit route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Alexandria–Pentagon Line, Hunting Towers–Pentagon Line, Hunting Point–Pentagon Line |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Fairfax County, Alexandria, Arlington County, Washington metropolitan area |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
Huntington–Pentagon Line (Route A11)
The Huntington–Pentagon Line, designated as Route A11, is a daily transit route managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It links Huntington station on the Yellow Line with Pentagon station, served by both the Yellow and Blue Line. This route facilitates commuter travel through prominent residential and commercial zones in Fairfax County, Alexandria, and Arlington County, providing vital connections to workplaces, shopping centers, and business hubs within these regions.
Route description and service
Operating out of the Four Mile Run Division, Route A11 follows a schedule that includes stops from Huntington station to Pentagon station. Its path traverses Mount Vernon Avenue, Washington Street, and Pentagon Row, serving key corridors along the way.
History
Initially launched in 1960 as part of the Mount Vernon Avenue Line by the Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company, the Alexandria–Pentagon Line holds the distinction of being the sole route jointly operated with the Washington Virginia & Maryland Coach Company. WMATA assumed control in 1973 after acquiring services from both AB&W and WV&M. Since then, the Alexandria–Pentagon Line has encompassed all ten routes within its network, delivering consistent transit coverage throughout Fairfax County, Alexandria, and Arlington County. Over time, this line has experienced multiple changes in both its name and routing configuration while maintaining its role in connecting communities, commercial districts, landmarks, and workplaces.
First Incarnation of the Alexandria–Pentagon Line
At its inception under WMATA’s Metrobus system, the Alexandria–Pentagon Line consisted of seven merged routes: 12A, 12E, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, and 15D. These were collectively known as the Alexandria–Washington Line. Routes 12A and 12E originated as the Braddock Heights Line; 14A and 14B previously operated as the Arlington Ridge Road Line; while 15A, 15B, and 15D were part of the Russell Road Line—all initially run by AB&W prior to their consolidation in 1973. The line was rebranded as the Alexandria–Pentagon Line in 1983 but was discontinued on March 11, 1984. Following this change, routes 12A and 12E were reassigned to the Centreville South Line service, whereas routes 14A and 14B became components of the Montgomery–Tysons Beltway Express.
Alexandria–Arlington–Pentagon Line
The introduction of the ten line occurred within the Alexandria–Arlington–Pentagon corridor featuring routes 10B, 10E, 10S, and 10T. This period marked a significant evolution for transit in Alexandria alongside route 10A and coincided with the launch of Alexandria Transit Company’s DASH system in March 1984. Despite ceasing operation of routes 10S and 10T during this time, adjustments throughout the late 1980s into the early 1990s saw all ten line routes realigned to serve various Washington Metro stations better aligned with system growth.
Hunting Towers–Pentagon Line
After separating from the ten line grouping, routes 10A and 10E were renamed as part of the Hunting Towers–Pentagon Line from the late 1980s through early 1990s. Concurrently, route 10B was designated as the Hunting Towers–Ballston Line. The route 10A connected Hunting Towers directly to Pentagon station with select late-night trips extending into Old Town Alexandria near Braddock Road Station. Meanwhile, route 10E operated between Del Ray in Alexandria and Pentagon station during peak directional travel periods.
Hunting Point–Pentagon Line
On September 30, 2012, the route was renamed Hunting Point–Pentagon Line to correspond with the updated southern endpoint for the 10A. Service was expanded when the 10E extended its route to Rosslyn station. In 2014, WMATA introduced routes 10R and 10S to boost capacity by replacing the northern portion of the 10E and reinstating its original path. The 10S made a comeback after last running in 1984. All three routes operate during peak directional periods; notably, only the 10S travels along Jefferson Davis Highway (currently Richmond Highway), while the others use Mount Vernon Avenue.
Second Incarnation of the Alexandria–Pentagon Line
Also on September 30, 2012, as part of efforts to simplify bus services, the line was renamed Alexandria–Pentagon Line, marking its first revival since 1984. Service adjustments were minimal until June 25, 2017, when route 10N was introduced but later discontinued in 2021 alongside route 10E. The 10A remained operational until June 29, 2025, when the Better Bus Network redesign took effect, renaming it A11 and rebranding the line as Huntington–Pentagon.
Service Changes
On March 11, 1984, routes 10S and 10T were discontinued and replaced by route 10A; alternative service was provided by routes 10B, 10E, and DASH operated by Alexandria Transit Company.
On June 29, 2008, route 10E was extended beyond Del Ray to Braddock Road station while continuing to serve Del Ray via Mount Vernon Avenue alongside route 10A.
On September 30, 2012, route 10E was further extended to Rosslyn station, adding stops through Crystal City VRE station but not including Crystal City Metro station.
In 2013, WMATA proposed two alternatives for routes 10A and 10E. The first option shortened route 10E to terminate at Pentagon station and extended route 10A as route 10R to Rosslyn via Jefferson Davis Highway. The second option included peak-period extensions of route 10A (renamed as route 10Y) into Downtown Washington D.C., ending at Farragut Square. Off-peak and weekend service remained unchanged. These modifications aimed to enhance connectivity from Hunting Point and Alexandria to Rosslyn and D.C., reduce congestion on Blue and Orange Lines during rush hours, and improve overall reliability.
On March 30, 2014, routes 10R and 10S were launched to replace both the former route 9E and the Rosslyn extension of route 10E. Both operated during peak times; notably, route 10S provided express service between Pentagon and Rosslyn by bypassing Crystal City.
Significant changes took place on June 26, 2016: route 10A was rerouted between Old Town Alexandria and Huntington Station to replace route 9A. Routes 10R and 10S were discontinued due to overlap with services offered by route 10E and Metroway. The Rosslyn extension was reassigned back to route 10E.
On June 25, 2017, WMATA introduced route 10N to replace late-night service previously provided by route13Y between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Pentagon station via Crystal City and Pentagon City. Route 10N operated only on Friday and Saturday late nights plus early Sunday mornings without extending into Washington D.C., aligning with adjusted Metro operating hours.
On June 24, 2018, the portion of route 10E running between Rosslyn and Pentagon was eliminated due to redundancy with the Blue Line; however, it continued peak-hour service between Pentagon and Hunting Point.
In response to a summer shutdown affecting six Yellow and Blue Line stations from May through September 2019 for platform reconstruction, WMATA increased peak-hour frequency on route 10A and served both sides of Huntington station.
Beginning March 16, 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all service on route 10E was suspended; routes 10A and 10N operated on reduced schedules before further cuts led to weekend suspensions. Weekend service for route 10A resumed August 23 while routes 10E and 10N remained inactive.
As part of its FY2022 budget proposal announced September 10, 2020, WMATA recommended eliminating routes 10E and 10N due to funding constraints amid reduced federal support.
By September 5, 2021 all service on route 10A had returned to pre-pandemic levels; however routes 10E and 10N were not reinstated.
Due to rising cases of the Omicron variant in late 2021, weekday service on route A11 (formerly route 10A) was temporarily scaled back to Saturday schedules before full weekday operations resumed February 7, 2022.
Under WMATA’s Better Bus Redesign effective June 29, 2025, route 10A was renamed A11.