Visitor Information: Getting Around
Washington, DC is an easy city to get around by public transportation or just on foot, so you will not need to rent a car. Public transportation options include subway, buses and taxis.
The subway system is called MetroRail and is managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It is relatively clean and safe, efficient and easy to master. It opens at 5:00am on weekdays and 7:00am weekends, and it closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday, while it stays open until 3:00am on Friday and Saturday nights. To find a Metro station, look for the tall brown columns with the large "M". Fares range in price from $1.35 to $4.50 based on distance and time of travel. A 10-cent per trip fare increase will be effective on March 1, 2010. Farecards can be bought from ticket machines at MetroRail stations, which will give back change for $5, $10 or $20 dollar bills, but only in coins. If you plan to use it a lot in one day, you can buy a One Day Metrorail Pass, which is valid for one day of unlimited Metrorail travel on weekdays after 9:30 a.m. or all day on Saturdays, Sundays or federal holidays. For maps and other information, click here.
The bus system in Washington, DC is also managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. There are two types of bus: MetroBus and Circulator. MetroBus stops have red, white and blue signs, and sometimes a system map and timetables too. Fares are $1.35 and are paid when boarding the bus, with no change given back. A 10-cent per trip fare increase will be effective on March 1, 2010. A system map in PDF format is available here. The Circulator provides a more frequent service (every 10 minutes) between downtown locations through its five lines for only $1.00 a trip. More information can be found here.
Taxi service is realtively plentiful and economical in DC. Basic fares are $3.00 for the first 1/6 mile and $0.25 for each additional 1/6 mile with $1.50 surcharge for each additional passenger age 6 or older. Detailed fare charts as provided by the Distric of Columbia Taxicab Commission are available here, and fares can be calculated here.