Yellow Line (Washington Metro)
| Company type | Rapid transit line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | April 30, 1983 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Fairfax County, Alexandria, Arlington County, Washington, D.C. |
| Products | Rapid transit service |
| Website | www |
The Yellow Line is a rapid transit route within the Washington Metro network, extending from in Virginia to in Washington, D.C. It serves a total of 13 stations spanning Fairfax County, Alexandria, Arlington County in Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. Notably, it is the system's shortest line and, following its reduction to Mount Vernon Square, stands as the sole line that does not reach into Maryland.
This line shares its tracks with the Blue Line between and , and with the Green Line from to Mount Vernon Square. Only two stations—Huntington and —along with two track sections south of King Street–Old Town and the stretch crossing the Potomac River between and , are dedicated exclusively to the Yellow Line.
On weekdays, trains run every 6 minutes up until 9:30 PM, after which service intervals extend to every 7.5 minutes. Weekend operations maintain an 8-minute frequency.
History
The initial planning for Metro originated with the 1955 Mass Transportation Survey, which projected freeway and transit networks for the year 1980. The subsequent 1959 report proposed two rapid transit lines that anticipated subway routes beneath downtown Washington. Concerns over widespread freeway construction led to federal legislation establishing a regional transportation authority and imposing a building moratorium on freeways until 1962. The National Capital Transportation Administration's 1962 report did not include the Yellow Line; it was only incorporated in 1967 to provide service for the "inner city." In March 1968, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) ratified its Adopted Regional System (ARS), covering 98 miles and featuring the Yellow Line running from Springfield to Greenbelt.
Construction of a cut-and-fill tunnel for the Yellow Line took place beneath 7th and U Streets but caused significant disruptions to street traffic and pedestrian pathways, which negatively impacted retail businesses along this corridor. The downtown section was initially slated for opening in September 1977. However, delays in approval from both D.C. and Prince George's County concerning the Yellow Line’s alignment north of U Street—particularly following the cancellation of the North Central Freeway—resulted in costly postponements.
Yellow Line operations commenced on April 30, 1983, connecting station and providing a link between and via a bridge over the Potomac River. By December 17, 1983, service extended beyond to , marking the first station located outside the Capital Beltway. When the Green Line reached in May 1991, Yellow Line trains temporarily continued service there until the southern branch of the Green Line became operational. Subsequently, Yellow Line service terminated at , where a pocket track supports train turnarounds.
The original plan had designated Franconia–Springfield in Virginia as a Yellow Line terminus, while Blue Line trains would serve Huntington. This arrangement was altered due to a shortage of rail cars at Huntington’s line completion; switching these line assignments reduced the number of rail cars needed because of the Yellow Line’s shorter route length. From 1999 through 2008, special July 4 holiday service saw Yellow Line trains running all the way to Franconia–Springfield.
On November 16, 1995, WMATA collaborated with a developer to construct Potomac Yard station, situated between Braddock Road and National Airport in Alexandria, Virginia.
21st century
In 2006, Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Metro board member Jim Graham suggested extending the Yellow Line service to or . Although suburban board members initially opposed this plan, a compromise was reached on April 20, 2006, which increased Red Line frequency and authorized a Yellow Line extension to Fort Totten during off-peak hours. An 18-month trial period started on December 31, 2006, with a cost of $5.75 million borne by D.C. Due to positive results, the Yellow Line extension to Fort Totten became permanent outside of peak travel times beginning June 26, 2008.
Under the Rush Plus program, extra Yellow Line trains operated between Greenbelt and Franconia-Springfield from June 18, 2012, until budget cuts led to discontinuation on June 25, 2017. To accommodate platform renovation projects, the Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were closed from May 25 through September 8, 2019—marking the longest closure in Metro’s history. During this period, the Yellow Line was extended to Greenbelt and maintained this extension afterward. On May 7, 2023, Yellow Line service was truncated to terminate at Mount Vernon Square at all times, with supplementary Green Line trains introduced to compensate.
Between March 26 and June 28, 2020, several stations were bypassed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic; all stations reopened by late June. From February 13 to May 13, 2021, additional Yellow Line trains operated between Mount Vernon Square and , covering for the suspended Blue Line during platform upgrades at and . Subsequently, from May 29 until September 6, 2021, Yellow Line trains ended their routes at Mount Vernon Square due to a platform improvement project that led to station closures north of .
Starting September 10, 2022, Yellow Line operations were halted for the integration of Potomac Yard station and repairs on the 14th Street bridges, with service substituted by increased Green and Blue Line trains. The line resumed service on May 7, 2023; however, its northeastern endpoint was shortened from Greenbelt back to Mount Vernon Square. Potomac Yard station officially opened on May 19, 2023. Automatic train operation on both the Yellow and Green Lines recommenced in May 2025 after being suspended following the Red Line collision in 2009. According to WMATA’s $4.957 billion FY2026 budget plan aimed at enhancing service without fare increases, half of the Yellow Line trains will be re-extended to Greenbelt starting December 2025.
Route
The southern endpoint of the Yellow Line is located near Kings Highway (Virginia State Route 241) in Fairfax County, Virginia. From there it travels northeast over Hunting Creek and crosses the Capital Beltway before arriving at a station situated south of Eisenhower Avenue that serves various government facilities including the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Yellow Line then joins with the Blue Line as it follows the RF&P Railroad corridor through Alexandria. It passes beneath U.S. Route 1, crosses Four Mile Run creek, and enters Arlington County via an elevated track above parking areas for National Airport.
At the northern end of National Airport, the line tunnels underneath both 18th Street South and South Hayes Street in Crystal City. This tunnel runs adjacent to the Pentagon, where a two-level station allows for divergence with the Blue Line. Emerging east of the Pentagon station, the Yellow Line crosses over the Charles R. Fenwick Bridge, spanning the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Potomac River, and Ohio Drive. It then passes through tunnels near the Jefferson Memorial and beneath the Washington Channel, merging with the Green Line tunnel under 7th Street Southwest close to L'Enfant Plaza.
The combined tunnel for Yellow and Green Lines continues northward beneath downtown Washington along 7th Street before turning west under Florida Avenue and U Street NW; it then proceeds north below 14th Street NW. The route curves northeast underneath Park Road and New Hampshire Avenue and then heads east beneath Rock Creek Cemetery and Fort Totten Park before surfacing just prior to entering Fort Totten station’s lower level. Until May 2019, Fort Totten served as the northern terminus for Yellow Line trains; since then—and projected again starting December 2025—the line extends further northward to Greenbelt.
Within WMATA’s internal designations, Virginia’s portion of the Yellow Line is known as the "Huntington Route" (C), while its segment through D.C. extending to Greenbelt is labeled "Greenbelt Route" (E). The bridge crossing over the Potomac River carries the designation L Route. As of March 2018, all Yellow Line trains operated with eight-car consists; however, six-car trains were reintroduced during summer 2019 and became standard by September 2022.
Stations
The stations listed below are arranged from south to north along the route.
| Station | Code | Opening Date | Image | Connecting Metro Line(s) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Wmata | C15 | December 17, 1983 | Southern endpoint of the line | ||
| Template:Wmata | C14 | ||||
| Template:Wmata | C13 | Template:WMATA icon | Interchange with Template:Rint Template:Rint at Alexandria Union Station Transfer point for the southern section of the Blue Line | ||
| 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 | Serves as a transfer hub for the northern segment of the Blue Line; spans the Potomac River via the Fenwick Bridge. Designed as a multi-level station with southbound Yellow Line trains to Template:Wmata and Blue Line trains to Template:Wmata on the lower level, and northbound Yellow Line trains to Template:Wmata and Blue Line trains to Template:Wmata on the upper level. | |||
| Template:Wmata | F03 | Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | Template:Rint Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line at L'Enfant Transfer point for Orange, Silver, Blue, and Green Lines. | ||
| Template:Wmata | F02 | April 30, 1983 | Template:WMATA icon | ||
| Template:Wmata | F01 | December 15, 1976 | Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | Interchange station for Green and Red Lines. | |
| Template:Wmata | E01 | May 11, 1991 | Template:WMATA icon | Northern terminus; Green Line transfer towards Template:Wmata |
Future
One proposed enhancement includes building an underground pedestrian passageway between Gallery Place and Metro Center stations. A study conducted in 2005 recommended linking the eastern mezzanine of Metro Center with the western mezzanine at Gallery Place, which are separated by just one city block. This connection aims to minimize Red Line transfers when traveling between the Yellow Line and the Blue and Orange lines at Metro Center. As of 2011, funding had not been secured for this initiative.
See also
Further reading
External links
- world.nycsubway.org: Yellow Line