DC Metro fare from DCA National Airport
DCA National Airport has its own Metro station a short ride south of the city centre on the Blue and Yellow lines, which makes it the cheap airport transfer in the Washington region. A weekday ride into downtown is a short distance-based fare, well below the $6.75 the longest trips cost. After 9:30 PM and all weekend, every trip from DCA is capped at $2.50.
Figures are for DCA National Airport to Metro Center. Your exact fare depends on where you get off, so check the table below or the calculator.
What does Metro cost from DCA National Airport to popular destinations?
| Destination | Weekday | Night / weekend | Ride time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Center | -- | $2.50 | -- |
| L’Enfant Plaza | -- | $2.50 | -- |
| Smithsonian (National Mall) | -- | $2.50 | -- |
| Gallery Pl-Chinatown | -- | $2.50 | -- |
| Union Station | -- | $2.50 | -- |
Weekday fares and ride times are pulled from the WMATA API for each station pair, because DCA is close enough to the centre that the distance charge, not the maximum, sets the price. The night and weekend cap of $2.50 applies to every trip past about three and a half composite miles.
How do you calculate the exact fare from DCA?
Staying outside the centre, in Alexandria, or out along the Blue Line? The calculator gives the exact price, the ride time, and the senior, disability and Metro Lift rate for any pair of stations.
Pick DCA National Airport as your origin and your hotel or meeting stop as the destination.
Open the fare calculatorWhen is the fare from DCA National Airport cheapest?
Because DCA trips are already short, the saving from riding late is smaller here than from Dulles, and a very short hop can cost the same at any hour. The cap still applies: tap in after 9:30 PM, or on any weekend or federal holiday, and the trip cannot cost more than $2.50.
See the cheapest time to ride the DC Metro for how the cap works.
Good to know before you tap in
Lines
Blue Line and Yellow Line
Station
DCA National Airport, covered bridge to Terminal 2
Payment
Smart Trip card or contactless tap, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. How to pay
Children
Up to two children age 4 and under ride free with each fare-paying adult
Older cards still printed with the "SmarTrip" spelling work exactly the same as the rebranded Smart Trip cards.
Related fare guides
WMATA Transit information provided on this site is subject to change without notice. Fares shown are sourced from the WMATA API and may not reflect temporary promotions or fare changes. For the most current fare information, visit wmata.com/fares. NextMetro is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to WMATA.