How much is the Metro from Dulles Airport to downtown DC?

A weekday trip from Washington Dulles (IAD) to downtown DC costs $6.75, the maximum Metrorail fare, because Dulles is near the western end of the Silver Line. After 9:30 PM on weekdays, and all day on weekends and federal holidays, the same trip is capped at $2.50.

Which Metro line serves Dulles Airport?

The Silver Line serves Washington Dulles International Airport. The station sits at the airport, connected to the main terminal by a covered walkway, and trains run east toward Downtown Largo through Reston, Tysons, Rosslyn and downtown DC.

When is the Metro from Dulles cheapest?

Tap in after 9:30 PM on a weekday, or at any time on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday. The fare drops from the $6.75 weekday maximum to the $2.50 cap, a saving of $4.25 on the same ride. The cutoff is measured when you tap in, not when you tap out.

How do you pay for the Metro at Dulles Airport?

Tap a Smart Trip card or a contactless credit card, debit card or phone wallet at the faregate. Both are charged the same fare. Fare vending machines in the station sell Smart Trip cards for $2.00. On Metrorail you tap the same card again to exit, and the exit tap sets your fare.

Fares · Silver Line · IAD

DC Metro fare from Dulles Airport

A weekday Metro trip from Washington Dulles (IAD) to downtown DC costs $6.75, the highest fare Metrorail charges, because Dulles sits near the western end of the Silver Line. Tap in after 9:30 PM, or any time on a weekend or federal holiday, and the same trip is capped at $2.50.

Weekday, to downtown $6.75 Opening to 9:30 PM. This is the distance maximum.

Night & weekend $2.50 After 9:30 PM, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays.

Figures are for Dulles to Metro Center and are pulled from the WMATA API. Your exact fare depends on where you get off.

What does Metro cost from Dulles to popular destinations?

Metro fare and ride time to popular destinations
Destination	Weekday	Night / weekend	Ride time
Metro Center	$6.75	$2.50	--
Smithsonian (National Mall)	$6.75	$2.50	--
Gallery Pl-Chinatown	$6.75	$2.50	--
DCA National Airport	$6.75	$2.50	--
Wiehle-Reston East	--	$2.50	--

Fares and ride times come from the WMATA API for each station pair. Any trip past about 13 composite miles reaches the $6.75 weekday maximum, which is why every downtown stop costs the same from Dulles.

How do you calculate the exact fare from Dulles?

Heading somewhere that is not listed above? Run your origin and destination through the fare calculator for the exact price, the ride time, and the senior, disability and Metro Lift rate.

The calculator uses the same WMATA data as the table above, for all 98 Metrorail stations.

Open the fare calculator

When is the fare from Dulles cheapest?

A trip from Dulles is the strongest case on the whole system for riding late. You go from the $6.75 maximum down to the $2.50 cap, a $4.25 saving on exactly the same ride. The cutoff is measured when you tap in, so entering at 9:28 PM charges the weekday fare even if you exit at 10:15.

See the cheapest time to ride the DC Metro for the full picture.

Good to know before you tap in

Line

Silver Line, toward Downtown Largo

Station

Washington Dulles International Airport, walkway from the main terminal

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.