Van Dorn Street station

Van Dorn Street
A Blue Line train arriving into the station in February 2026
General information
Location5690 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia
Coordinates38°47′58″N 77°07′43″W / 38.79944°N 77.12861°W / 38.79944; -77.12861
OwnerWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure type
Embankment
Parking361 spaces
Cycle facilities
Capital Bikeshare, 30 racks, 6 lockers
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeJ02
History
OpenedJune 15, 1991 (June 15, 1991)
Rebuilt2019
Passengers
20251,343 daily[1]
Rank84 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Franconia–Springfield
Terminus
 Blue Line King Street–Old Town
toward Downtown Largo
Former services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Franconia–Springfield
Terminus
 Yellow Line King Street–Old Town
toward Greenbelt
Location

Van Dorn Street station is a Washington Metro station located on the boundary between Fairfax County and the independent city of Alexandria in Virginia, United States, on the Blue Line. The station's island platform lies in unincorporated Rose Hill in Fairfax County, while the station's entrance and parking facilities are in Alexandria. The station opened on June 15, 1991. The station is located at South Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue, next to the Capital Beltway.

History

Construction

An 83-station, 97.2-mile Adopted Regional System plan for Metrorail was approved by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on March 1, 1968.[2] Van Dorn Street station was included as part of the Adopted Regional System.[3]

In June 1977, the City of Alexandria, Southern Railway, and UPS reached an agreement allowing WMATA to retain the air rights for the construction of Van Dorn Street station when funding became available.[4] After years of planning, Metro awarded a $32.3 million ($76.3 million in 2024[5]) contract Dillingham Construction in March 1987 for them to complete the station by 1991.[6] Originally slated to be part of the Yellow Line, in early 1990 it was decided that Van Dorn Street station would be served by the Blue Line, with the Yellow Line being redirected to Huntington station.[7]

The station opened on June 15, 1991 as a one-stop extension of the Blue Line 3.9 miles (6.3 km) southwest of the King Street–Old Town station.[8][9] Van Dorn Street would remain as the southern terminus of the Blue Line from its completion until the opening of the Franconia–Springfield station on June 29, 1997.[10]

Opening to present day

Some Yellow Line trains to/from Greenbelt station began to serve Van Dorn Street during weekday rush hours on June 18, 2012, as part of Metrorail's Rush+ service.[11] On June 25, 2017, Yellow Line trains stopped serving the station due to the elimination of Rush+ as part of major changes to the Metrorail system.[12]

In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at twenty stations across the system. The Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station, including the Van Dorn Street station, would be closed from May to September 2019. The platform at Van Dorn Street was rebuilt starting in September 2019, necessitating single-track operations on the Blue Line for several weeks. A nearby rail bridge was also rebuilt during the reconstruction.[13][14] From March 26, 2020, until June 28, 2020, this station was closed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[15][16]

View of the station from Eisenhower Avenue in January 2022

Between September 10, 2022, and November 5, 2022, Van Dorn Street was closed due to construction related to the new Potomac Yard station, which impacted all stations south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station. Temporary shuttle buses were provided throughout the shutdown.[17]

Station layout

Pylon to Van Dorn Street station at the station's bus bay, with station platform in background

The station is the last Metrorail station to be built with a "Gull I" outdoor canopy design, named for the canopy's resemblance to a flying seagull.[18] It has an island platform situated between Eisenhower Avenue and the RF&P Subdivision tracks, which carry Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak trains.

P
Platform level		 Southbound ← toward Franconia–Springfield (Terminus)
Island platform
Northbound toward Downtown Largo (King Street–Old Town) →
Track 3 ←           Fredericksburg Line and Amtrak do not stop
Track 2           Fredericksburg Line and Amtrak do not stop →
G Street level Exit/entrance, buses, parking, fare control, ticket machines, station agent

Exits

The station has two accessible exits on both sides of Eisenhower Avenue. The exit on the south side of Eisenhower Avenue connects with a bus bay loop serving DASH, Fairfax Connector, and Metrobus routes. The exit on the north side of Eisenhower Avenue, accessed via a tunnel underneath the road, leads to a 361-space parking lot.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". WMATA. November 18, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Subway System for Washington And Its Suburbs Wins Approval" (PDF). The New York Times. March 2, 1968. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  3. ↑ "THIS IS YOUR METRO Owner's Manual" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 27, 1976.
  4. ↑ Feaver, Douglas B. (June 30, 1977). "Alexandria agreement saves Metro station site". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  5. ↑ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  6. ↑ Henderson, Nell (March 13, 1987). "METRO AWARDS CONTRACT TO BUILD VAN DORN STATION". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ Henderson, Nell (April 6, 1990). "BOARD EYES FARE RISE FOR METRO". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ reports, From news services and staff (June 15, 1991). "VAN DORN STATION TO OPEN". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). WMATA. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  10. ↑ Tousignant, Marylou (June 27, 1997). "AT LAST, METRO REACHES END OF THE BLUE LINE". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ Thomson, Robert (June 9, 2012). "Rush Plus user's guide: New Metro service begins June 18". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ "BE READY FOR METRO CHANGES" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions". Washington Post. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Metro plans 'summer shutdown' on Blue, Yellow lines next year". WTOP. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  15. ↑ George, Justin; Shaver, Katherine (March 24, 2020). "Metro to close 19 stations indefinitely to limit employees' exposure to coronavirus". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ Lake, Sydney (June 22, 2020). "15 Metro stations to reopen this weekend". Virginia Business. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Metro announces travel alternatives for major Blue and Yellow Line construction this fall | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  18. ↑ Johnson42, ArchitectureBy Matt. "Metro has eleven types of station architecture. Learn them all with this one interactive map". ggwash.org. Retrieved June 1, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "Station Info | WMATA Rider Tools". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
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