Historic 4th of July on the National Mall: Free Fares & Extra Metro Service! 🇺🇸🎆
Washington D.C. is pulling out all the stops for the historic 250th United States Milestone. With massive crowds heading to the National Mall for the “Salute to America” and the “Great American State Fair,” Metro is your ultimate ticket to avoid gridlock.
🎫 FREE FARES After 5:00 PM
Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess are completely fare-free from 5:00 PM until the rail system closes at 2:00 AM! No smart card tap is required after 5:00 PM. Parking at all Metro-owned facilities is also free all day.
🚊 Metrorail Increased Frequencies (After 5:00 PM)
Metro is ramping up frequencies to rush-hour levels in the evening. Downtown, lines merge to bring a train every 3 to 4 minutes!
Red Line: Every 5 mins
Green & Yellow Lines: Every 6 mins
Orange, Blue, & Silver Lines: Every 10 mins
📍 Best Stations for National Mall Event Entrances
To minimize transfers and station crowding, pick the line that matches your origin:
Salute to America Security Entrance (14th St): Use Federal Triangle or Smithsonian (Orange/Blue/Silver). Red Line Riders: Exit at Metro Center and walk a few blocks to avoid transferring!
Great American State Fair Entrances (7th & 12th St): Use L’Enfant Plaza (Orange/Blue/Silver/Green/Yellow) or Archives (Green/Yellow).
Crowd Alert: Smithsonian Station will be extremely busy. After 5:00 PM it may become exit-only, and after 9:00 PM it will shift to entry-only. Consider walking to nearby alternate stations like Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, Union Station, or Foggy Bottom to beat the lines!
🚌 Metrobus Detours
Metrobus will run on a Sunday schedule. Due to sweeping security and parade closures around the National Mall, expect heavy delays and truncations on routes including: A27, A58, C53, C55, D1X, D4X, D6X, D10, D30, D32, D40, D44, D50, D60, D74, D94, F23, M22, P12, and P21.
👉 Be sure to check the Moovit app for real-time arrivals and live holiday detour mapping before you head out!