Metro Service From D.C. to Washington Dulles Airport Is Finally Here

Just in time to ease Thanksgiving travel crowds at D.C.’s busiest airport, the Metrorail announced this week that passengers will soon be able to travel from Dulles International Airport to downtown Washington, D.C. via public transit—a project that has taken 13 years to realize.

The east-west Silver Line extension, which currently has 28 stops between Downtown Largo and Wiehle-Reston East, is set to begin service on November 15. Following this, the train will serve six new suburban stations along the 11.5-mile expansion, including Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn. Until then, the nearest station to Dulles, Wiehle-Reston East, is just over eight miles away from the airport.

A one-way journey from the Metro Center station in downtown to Dulles will take about 52 minutes. In good traffic, driving from downtown takes a similar amount of time, but it can take much longer during rush hour (with daily parking rates at the airport ranging from $12 to $27). An underground tunnel connects the train to the airport’s baggage claim area, which is approximately a five-minute walk.

Dulles serves as a hub for United Airlines, but 35 other airlines operate from this major airport, including several international carriers. Flights from Dulles connect to 77 domestic destinations and 59 international ones (mainly in Europe, Africa, and Central America). Between August 2021 and August 2022 (the latest available figures), Dulles saw 20.3 million passengers, averaging over 55,600 travelers daily, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the other airport serving the capital, has long been integrated into the rail system, but this smaller hub, closer to the city center, primarily caters to shorter domestic flights.

These final 11.5 miles were part of a $3 billion, 23-mile extension project initiated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority in 2009. The extension was originally set to open in 2018 but faced delays due to construction challenges (both legitimate and controversial) and a shortage of train cars due to a federal safety investigation, which was resolved by restoring suspended rail cars.

On the opening day of the extension, customers will receive commemorative pennants from Metro employees, a tradition that began with the opening of the first Metrorail station in 1976.