Metro Center (Washington Metro)

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This article is about the station on the Washington Metro. For the MetroCentre shopping centre, see MetroCentre.

Washington Metro station
Metro Center

Opened

March 27, 1976

Platform style

Side platforms (upper level)
Center platform (lower level)

RTU number

A01 (upper level)
C01 (lower level)

Next station		Next station
Farragut North	Red	Gallery Pl- Chinatown
McPherson Square	Blue	Federal Triangle
	Orange
	Silver (planned)

Metro Center is the central hub station of the Washington Metro in the District of Columbia.

Metro Center is on the Blue, Orange, and Red Lines, and is a transfer station between the Red Line and the other two lines. It is also scheduled to be on the Silver Line route, which is scheduled to start operations in 2011. Metro Center, by far the busiest station in terms of ridership, is located in downtown Washington, under an area roughly extending east-west from 11th to 13th Streets Northwest, and north-south from G to H Streets Northwest. Its entrances are on G Street at 11th, 12th and 13th Streets, and at the corner of 12th and F Streets. A Metro sales office is located near the 12th and F Street entrance. The Grand Hyatt Washington is connected to Metro Center, as is downtown's only remaining department store, Macy's. During the mid-20th Century, the area was the commercial heart of Washington, housing many department stores, theaters, and offices. Due to a combination of the 1968 racial disturbances, the opening of new suburban malls, and concentration of new commercial building near K Street - Farragut Square, the Metro Center area declined, then later successfully revived. The Shops at National Place is an adjacent two-level dining/shopping complex.

The station is located so close to the Gallery Place-Chinatown station that the lights of each station are visible to the other through the tunnel. Metro's Capital Improvement Plan dated September 12, 2002 includes a pedestrian tunnel to be built between the two stations, connected at the mezzanine levels. Metro Center was one of the original Metro stations, and service began on March 27, 1976.