Orange Line | image = West Falls Church-VT-UVA Station.jpg | image_width = 325 | caption = Orange Line train at West Falls Church Station | type = Rapid transit | system = Washington Metro | status = | locale = Fairfax County and Arlington, VA
Washington, D.C.
Prince George's County, MD | start = Vienna/Fairfax-GMU (west) | end = New Carrollton (east) | stations = 26 | routes = | ridership = | open = November 20, 1978 | close = | owner = | operator = Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | character = At-grade, underground, and elevated | stock = | linelength = | tracklength = | notrack = | gauge = | el = Third rail | speed = | elevation = | map = }}

The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 rapid transit stations from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to New Carrollton. It has stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line.

Orange Line needs 31 trains (Seven 8 car trains and twenty-four 6 car trains) to run at peak capacity.

History

Service on the Orange Line began on November 20, 1978 between National Airport and New Carrollton, with five new stations being added to the existing network from Stadium-Armory. When the line from Rosslyn to Ballston–MU was completed on December 11, 1979, Orange Line trains began following this route rather than going to National Airport station. The line was completed on June 7, 1986 when it was extended by four stations to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU.

List of stations

The following stations are along the line, from west to east

• Vienna/Fairfax-GMU
• Dunn Loring-Merrifield
• West Falls Church-VT/UVA
• East Falls Church (future Silver Line joins on same track)
• Ballston–MU
• Virginia Square-GMU
• Clarendon
• Court House
• Rosslyn (Blue Line joins on same track)
• Foggy Bottom-GWU
• Farragut West
• McPherson Square
• Metro Center (Transfer station for Red Line)
• Federal Triangle
• Smithsonian
• L'Enfant Plaza (Transfer station for the Yellow and Green Lines)
• Federal Center SW
• Capitol South
• Eastern Market
• Potomac Ave
• Stadium-Armory (Blue Line splits, and future Silver Line ends)
• Minnesota Ave
• Deanwood
• Cheverly
• Landover
• New Carrollton

Silver Line

The Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project will build a 24-mile system extension west from East Falls Church, linking Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County to the system.

See also

• List of Washington Metro stations

External links

• world.nycsubway.org: Orange Line