Washington DC Union Train Station: Trains, Metro and Walks

Step 1: Know what Washington DC Union Train Station has

Union Station is a train station, a Metro stop and a shopping hall in one building. It sits at 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, a few blocks north-east of the Capitol. Union Station says it is open 24 hours to ticketed passengers, while store hours vary.

Three train services use it. Amtrak runs the long-distance and Northeast trains. The station's own rail page does not name the routes, but the Amtrak services here include the Acela and Northeast Regional on the Northeast corridor, the Vermonter toward Vermont, and the Palmetto, Carolinian, Crescent, Cardinal, Silver Meteor and Floridian toward the South and Midwest. Check amtrak.com for the route and times for your trip. MARC runs commuter trains to Maryland. Virginia Railway Express runs commuter trains to Northern Virginia. All three are on the street level.

Coming from Baltimore's airport, the train is quick. BWI Airport lists about 30 minutes by Amtrak and about 35 minutes by MARC from the BWI rail station to Union Station.

MARC has the Brunswick, Penn and Camden lines. Its weekly tickets are not valid on Saturday or Sunday, so buy a single ticket at the weekend.

Thinking of renting a car here? Compare car rental Washington DC DCA airport choices with the Metro first. Downtown parking is scarce and the Metro reaches most sights. The six rental desks (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Enterprise and National) are on the mezzanine level near the garage entrance.

Key Takeaway One address, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, holds Amtrak, MARC, Virginia Railway Express, the Red Line, taxis and six rental car desks.

Step 2: Get to your Amtrak train on time

Amtrak says boarding gates are posted about 15 minutes before departure. The gates close 3 minutes before the train leaves. Amtrak's station page gives no earlier arrival time and only asks you to allow plenty of time to get to the station.

So the safe rule is simple. Be in the main hall before your gate is posted. Then you can walk straight to it.

Have your ticket ready on your phone. Check the departures board when you walk in.

If you carry large bags and want your hands free for a few hours, the station has a parcel check at Gate A. It costs $10 per bag with a ticket and $20 without, and it is open from 6:30 am to 9:45 pm every day.

Amtrak also runs a Metropolitan Lounge for some ticket types. A single visit pass costs $35, and it is open weekdays from 4:45 am to 8:00 pm and weekends from 5:00 am to 9:30 pm.

Pro Tip Drop your bags at the Gate A parcel check ($10 per bag with a ticket) before you walk to the Capitol, so you do not carry them through security lines. Bag storage is listed at the station only, not at the Mall.

Eating is easy before a train. The station lists 33 places to eat and drink, from Shake Shack and Chipotle to coffee shops. Opening hours differ, so look at the sign on the door.

Step 3: Find the Metro and take a taxi

The Metro is inside the station. The station's rail page says the entrances are on the west and First Street sides of the street level, and on the west side of the lower level. Union Station is on the Red Line, with trains toward Glenmont and Shady Grove. WMATA says all Metro stations and rail cars are accessible and every station has elevators. The Red Line is the only Metro line at this station, and you reach other lines by changing trains. No official page says which Metro entrance is closest to the Capitol; the Capitol Visitor Center only lists Union Station, at First Street and Massachusetts Avenue, as a Metro stop within walking distance, so the First Street side is the one that matches that address.

WMATA, the Metro operator, lists these times for Shady Grove trains. On Monday to Thursday and Sunday the first train leaves at 5:23 am and the last at 11:59 pm. On Friday and Saturday the last train is at 1:59 am. On Saturday the first train is at 6:23 am.

A Metrorail ride costs $2.25 to $6.75 at peak times, which run from 5 am to 9:30 pm on weekdays. After that, and on weekends, it costs $2.25 to $2.50, according to WMATA's fare page. A one-day Metrorail and Metrobus pass costs $13.50. A SmarTrip card is Metro's reloadable fare card. WMATA says you can get one in a phone's mobile wallet, where new digital cards cost $2, or through the Smart Trip app. A contactless bank card also works at the faregate. Use the same method to exit.

For the Mall, change at Metro Center for Federal Triangle. The National Park Service lists Federal Center SW, L'Enfant Plaza, Archives-Navy Memorial, Smithsonian and Federal Triangle for the east Mall, and Farragut West and Foggy Bottom for the west end. Smithsonian is at 12th Street on the Mall. For the White House, the National Park Service names Federal Triangle and Metro Center as the closest stations.

Taxis wait on the front portico just outside the main hall. The dispatch runs from 8:00 am to 1:00 am every day. You cannot reserve a taxi ahead of time. The station page does not describe where rideshare cars pick up. Amtrak says its pick-up and drop-off spot is by the Massachusetts Avenue exit.

The DC Streetcar ended on 31 March 2026, so do not plan a trip around it. The city's transport department points riders to Metrobus route D20.

The best first stop in a new city is the one you can reach without a map.

Step 4: Walk from the station to the Capitol and the Mall

The station says it is "just blocks" from the U.S. Capitol. No official page gives a walking time. A pedestrian route on OpenStreetMap data (via OSRM) from the station to the Capitol Visitor Center area at First Street is about 1.4 km (0.9 mile), which is roughly a 15 to 20 minute walk at a normal pace. That time is our estimate from the distance, not an official figure. Most visitors reach the Capitol on foot.

Tours of the Capitol start at the Capitol Visitor Center. The Capitol Visitor Center is under the East Front plaza, at First Street and East Capitol Street. It names Union Station as one of three Metro stops within walking distance. The other two are Capitol South and Federal Center SW.

Tours are free. Reservations are recommended, and the visitor center is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. It is closed on Sundays. For a capitol building tour, book a slot before you leave home.

You can also do the walk with a guide. The Capitol Hill and Library of Congress tour runs about 3 hours with a licensed guide. It has a 4.7 rating from 1,678 reviews and is from €58 per person. The tour includes the Capitol entry ticket and a guided visit inside the Library of Congress. It starts at 1 Constitution Ave NE. It is not suitable for wheelchair users, and all visitors queue for security.

Prefer wheels? The Capitol Hill bike tour takes 2 hours and is from €49 per person, with a 4.7 rating from 76 reviews. The listing describes a ride from Union Station to the Lincoln Memorial, yet it names 701 D St NW as the meeting point. Check the booking page before you go.

WMATA says all Metro stations have elevators. Neither Amtrak's station page nor the station's own pages say whether the route from the Amtrak platforms to the street is step-free, so ask Amtrak before you travel. We checked the station, Amtrak and WMATA pages and a second public source, and none describes a step-free route from the platforms to the street.

The National Mall lies to the west of the Capitol. No official page gives the walking distance from Union Station to the Mall. The same OpenStreetMap route to the Washington Monument end is about 3.4 km (2.1 miles), roughly 40 to 45 minutes on foot at a normal pace (our estimate). Plan for a long walk, and use the Metro if your feet are tired. For what stands along the Mall, see the National Mall and monuments.

Here is a short picture of the day:

Step 5: Choose a hop-on bus, a tour or a bed nearby

A hop-on hop-off ride is the easy option if you want to see the Mall without long walks. The Old Town Trolley lists Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, as its meeting point. It is from €49 per person, with a 4.2 rating from 735 reviews. The listing offers unlimited on and off at 25 popular stops. It is run by Historic Tours of America. See all of the options on the page for washington dc hop on off tours.

Is a tour worth it, or should you go alone? The sights near the station are free. The Capitol tour costs nothing, and you can ride the Metro yourself. A tour makes sense when you want a guide, a ticket handled for you, or less walking. If your time is short, it saves planning. On your own, a Metro ride costs $2.25 to $6.75 and the Capitol walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes (our estimate), so a tour is a convenience rather than a necessity.

One honest limit. This guide cannot give a train timetable. Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express change their times, so check each carrier on the day. We also found no official walking time to the Mall.

If you need a bed, two hotels in our list sit close to the station. Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill is about 1,600 feet from Union Station. Capitol Hill Hotel is a few blocks from the Capitol. Both are rated 8.6 or higher on Booking.com. For other areas, see our where to stay guide.

Things to Do in Washington DC's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 9 tours with Capitol Hill in the title, out of 207 bookable DC-area experiences.