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Coverage of the DC Metro system is split up into individual pages for each line:
the Blue Line
the Green Line
the Orange Line
the Red Line
the Silver Line
the Yellow Line

This page covers the DC Metro's Blue Line.  On the south side, the line starts at Franconia/Springfield VA, runs along with the Yellow line from King St to the Pentagon station, then runs along the west side of the river to join up with the Orange and Silver lines prior to Rosslyn.  The three lines then go under the Potomac River, snake their way through the downtown area, and then split after the Stadium-Amory station, with the Blue line continuing to Largo with the Silver line.

From Wikipedia: The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington VA; the District of Columbia; and Prince George's County MD. The Blue Line runs from Franconia– Springfield to Largo Town Center. The line shares tracks with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for six. Only three stations are exclusive to the Blue Line. end Wiki

Stations without an aerial picture do not have any discernable features from the air.

Acknowledgements:
Open Street Map
Ben Shuman
EmilyHaHa
Google Maps
Bing Maps
Wikipedia

Websites and other additional information sources of interest for the area:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Line_(Washington_Metro)


Maps



Station by Station

Largo Town Center Morgan Blvd
Addison Rd
Capitol Heights
Benning Rd
Stadium / Armory
Potomac Ave
Eastern Market
Capitol South
Federal Center SW
L'Enfant Plaza
Smithsonian
Federal Triangle
Metro Center
McPherson Square
Farragut West
Foggy Bottom / George Washington Univ
Rosslyn
Arlington Cemetery
Pentagon
Pentagon City
Crystal City
Reagan / National Airport
Potomac Yard
Braddock Rd
King St
Yard & Maintenance Facility
Van Dorn St
Franconia / Springfield


Downtown Largo

GPS Coordinates: 38.900485,-76.84443
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Largo_station
Station is above ground/elevated.  Area so-so for railfans.
Huge parking garage available (and it fills up!)
Station serves the Blue and Silver lines.  Current end of the line.
Easy to get to off of I-495/I-95, and MD214, Central Avenue.
It is the first and so far the only station in Prince George's County outside the Capital Beltway
This station is the only terminus that has two lines terminating at it.
Station opened on 18DEC2004.










Morgan Blvd

GPS Coordinates: 38.893655,-76.868312
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Boulevard_station
Station is at ground level in an open cut.
Not a great area for railfans.
Good size parking lot available.
Station serves the Blue and Silver lines.
The line is in tunnels about half the way to both Largo and Addison stations.
Morgan Blvd. is one of the few stations not served by Metrobus, however, PG County's "TheBus" serves the station.
Station opened on 18DEC2004.






Addison Rd

GPS Coordinates: 38.886223, -76.896486
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addison_Road_station
Station is (kinda) at ground level.
Not a good area for railfans.  However, it has a huge parking garage available.
Station serves the Blue and Silver lines.
Station opened on 22NOV1980.
Addison was the end of the Blue Line until 2004, when the Morgan and Largo stations opened.








-- Capitol Heights

GPS Coordinates: 38.88953,-76.913438
133 Central Avenue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Heights_station
Station is underground, under East Capitol Street NE.
Not a good area for railfans.
Station serves the Blue and Silver lines.
The station opened on November 22, 1980, and coincided with the completion of 3.52 miles (5.66 km) of rail east of the Stadium–Armory station and the opening of the Addison Road and Benning Road stations.
This is the first station on the two lines in Maryland going east.
Silver Line service at Capitol Heights began on July 26, 2014.






-- Benning Rd

GPS Coordinates: 38.890379,-76.937752
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benning_Road_station
Station is underground, between Benning Road and East Capitol St SE.
Not a good area for railfans.
Station serves the Blue and Silver lines.
This is the last station on the two lines in DC going east.
The station opened on November 22, 1980, and coincided with the completion of 3.52 miles (5.66 km) of rail east of the Stadium–Armory station and the opening of the Addison Road and Capitol Heights stations.




-- "Benning Rd" Split

GPS Coordinates: 38.89619, -76.95237
Under Benning Road NE and DC295.







Blue Line train crosses the D Route bridge east of Stadium-Armory station in Washington DC
Picture from Wikipedia, taken by Ben Schumin, 25OCT2005
Map below shows where the above picture was taken.




-- Stadium / Amory

GPS Coordinates: 38.885901, -76.977167
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadium%E2%80%93Armory_station
Station is underground, under 19th Street SE.
So-so area for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The Orange Line splits off after this station (going east), once on the other side of the Anacostia River.
Station serves RFK Stadium.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.
This was the end of the line until the extension opened on November 22, 1980.








-- Potomac Avenue

GPS Coordinates: 38.880844,-76.98545
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potomac_Avenue_station
Station is underground, under Potomac Avenue.
Not a good area for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.





-- Eastern Market

GPS Coordinates: 38.884118, -76.994966
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Market_station
Station is underground, under Pennsylvania Ave SE.
Not a good area for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.





-- Capitol South

GPS Coordinates: 38.885713, -77.005942
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_South_station
Station is underground.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
Orange Line service to the station began upon the line's opening on November 20, 1978.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.





-- Federal Center SW

GPS Coordinates: 38.885008, -77.01556
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Center_SW_station
Station is underground, under D Street SW.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.






-- L'enfant Plaza

GPS Coordinates: 38.885008, -77.01556
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Enfant_Plaza_station
Station is underground.  Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  Transfer to the Green and Yellow Lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.
Block away from the VRE/Amtrak L'Enfant Station and CSX freight line going to Virginia.
The FAA, FCC, Federal Transit Administration, and NTSB HQ's are nearby.
McDonalds and Holiday Inn nearby.

From Wikipedia: L'Enfant Plaza station is an Intermodal transit station complex located at L'Enfant Plaza in the Southwest Federal Center neighborhood of Washington D.C. It consists of an underground Washington Metro rapid transit station and an elevated Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail station.

The Metro station, which opened on July 1, 1977, is one of four major interchange stations on the Metro system. It is the only station to serve five of the six Metro lines: the Green and Yellow lines with two side platforms on the upper level, and the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines with one island platform on the lower level. It was the seventh-busiest Metro stop in 2023, with an average of 7,506 daily passenger entries.

The VRE station, which has a single side platform serving the northernmost of the three tracks of the RF&P Subdivision, is served by the Manassas Line and Fredericksburg Line. end wiki











Smithsonian

GPS Coordinates: 38.887676, -77.028258
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_station
Station is underground, under Jefferson Drive SW.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
Area OK for railfans.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.
This station is near:
-- Washington Monument
-- Smithsonian Museum
-- The Mall
-- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
-- Museum of Natural History
-- Museum of American History
-- National Gallery of Art
-- National Air and Space Museum
-- And much more!






Federal Triangle

GPS Coordinates: 38.893839, -77.028043
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Triangle_station
Station is underground, under 12th Street NW.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.






Metro Center

GPS Coordinates: 38.898348, -77.028043
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Center_station
Station is underground, under 12th Street NW.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  Transfer to the Red Line.
The Red Line portion of Metro Center station opened on 27MAR1976, as part of the first section of the Metro system.






McPherson Square

GPS Coordinates: 38.901462, -77.03227
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McPherson_Square_station
Station is underground. Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.








Farragut West

GPS Coordinates: 38.901349, -77.039555
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farragut_West_station
Station is underground, under I street NW.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
NO transfer to the Red Line at Farragut North - transfers to the Red Line can be made two stops away (towards downtown DC) at the Metro Center station.

The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.




Foggy Bottom - George Washington University

GPS Coordinates: 38.900706,-77.050166
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foggy_Bottom%E2%80%93GWU_station
Station is underground, under I street NW.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.




Rosslyn

GPS Coordinates: 38.895482,-77.072064
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosslyn_station
Station is underground, under North Lynn Street.
Area OK for railfans.
Station serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
Hyatt Hotel, Courtyard Hotel near, and Metro Mall here.
McDonalds, Quizno's, and Starbucks all nearby.
The Orange and Silver lines split off south of here.
On the north side of the station, the line goes under the Potomac River to enter DC.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.




Arlington Cemetery

GPS Coordinates: 38.884523, -77.063228
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Cemetery_station
Station is at ground level in an open cut.
Area OK for railfans.
The station is one of three stations to be exclusively serviced by the Blue Line.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.

NOTE: There is no public parking near the station except at the cemetery, which is reserved for cemetery visitors.

NOTE: It is the only station that closes earlier than the rest of the system, closing at 7 PM from October to March, and 10 PM from April to September.




-- (the) Pentagon

GPS Coordinates: 38.869464,-77.053825
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_station
Station is underground.  Area probably NOT OK for railfans due to DOD security concerns.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines, the lines split just north of the station.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.








-- Pentagon City

GPS Coordinates: 38.862969,-77.059243
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_City_station
Station is underground. Area OK for railfans.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.






Crystal City

GPS Coordinates: 38.857973,-77.050853
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_City_station_(Washington_Metro)
Station is underground. Area OK for railfans.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines.
You catch the VRE from here.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.




South Tunnel Portal

GPS Coordinates: 38.85769, -77.04632
Tunnel portal is about 1,300ft north of the Reagan/National Airport station.




Ronald Reagan / Washington National Airport

GPS Coordinates: 38.853077, -77.043879
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan_Washington_National_Airport_station
Station is above ground/elevated.  Area OK for railfans.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines.
The station opened on 1JUL1977, coinciding with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km) of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.

photo by Ben Shumin, 9FEB2005.






Potomac Yard

GPS Coordinates: 38.83402, -77.04644
Address: 3001 Potomac Avenue (South Pavilion), 3201 University Drive (North Pavilion), Alexandria VA 22314
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potomac_Yard_station
https://metrowire.net/resources/potomac-yard-metrorail-station-alexandria-virginia/
https://www.alxnow.com/2023/04/06/metro-potomac-yard-station-still-on-track-to-open-in-may/
Station is at ground level, but elevated enough to go over Braddock Rd. Area OK for railfans.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines.
Newest station on the system having opened on May 19, 2023!





WMATA picture

from Metro Wire & Cable page



Prior to almost everything that is here now, the RF&P (Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac RR) operated a classification yard here from 1906 to 1989.  They actually closed the yard two years before CSX absorbed the RF&P.

photo: Carol M. Highsmith/1980


North Tunnel Portal

GPS Coordinates: 38.82517, -77.046402
Tunnel portal is about 2,600ft south of the Potomac Yard station.




South Tunnel Portal

GPS Coordinates: 38.81907, -77.05008
Tunnel portal is about 2,100ft north of the Braddock Rd station.




Braddock Road

GPS Coordinates: 38.813998,-77.053728
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braddock_Road_station
Station is above ground/elevated.  Area OK for railfans.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines.
The station opened on 17DEC1983.  Its opening coincided with the completion of 4.2 miles (6.8 km) extension between National Airport and Huntington.








King Street - Oldtown

GPS Coordinates: 38.806373,-77.061324
1900 King St, Alexandria VA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Street%E2%80%93Old_Town_station
The station is at ground level.  The area is -kinda- OK for railfans.
Station serves both the BLUE and YELLOW lines.  The Yellow and Blue lines split just south of the station.
The Amtrak and VRE Alexandria station are co-located here.
The station opened on 17DEC1983.  Its opening coincided with the completion of 4.2 miles (6.8 km) extension between National Airport and Huntington.








Split / Interchange / Wye

GPS Coordinates: 38.803867, -77.06754 (center of, at the tennis courts)
This is where the Yellow and Blue lines split. The wye portion is so trains have an easy way to get to/from the shops, which are on the Blue Line, to the end of the Yellow line, which is where trains typically start or finish their "day".  PS: technically, it IS a wye, but is not used in the traditional roll of turning trains around.








Yard and Maintenance Facility

GPS Coordinates: 38.803347, -77.086666
Tracks run adjacent to the Norfolk Southern.






Van Dorn St

GPS Coordinates: 38.799283,-77.128723
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Dorn_Street_station
Station is on the surface.
Area is OK for railfans.
Station services the Blue Line ONLY.
Van Dorn is the only Washington Metro station to be named after a Confederate general.
Norfolk Southern tracks run parallel to the Metro here, after the Metro crosses over the NS just north of here.
The station opened on 15JUN1991, with the completion of 3.9 miles (6.3 km) of track west of the King Street/Old Town station.






Franconia / Springfield

GPS Coordinates: 38.766114,-77.168806
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franconia%E2%80%93Springfield_station
Station is on the surface, and shares the land with a VRE station by the same name.
Station services the Blue Line ONLY.
Only station on the south end that is outside the DC Beltway.
Exit off the Franconia Expy just for the station, however, there doesn't appear to be a northbound exit for the station from I-95?
Very large parking garage here.
CSX's RF&P Sub-Division's tracks run parallel to the Metro here.
Area OK for railfans, but you need to watch yourself :-).
Station opened on 29JUN1997, its opening coincided with the completion of 3.3 miles (5.3 km) of rail west of the Van Dorn Street station.



Ben Schumin via Wikipedia






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