How to Get to Arlington Memorials Using Public Transportation: Arlington National Cemetery

Maggie Awad November 20, 2014 Maggie Awad is the former Marketing Director at Arlington Transportation Partners. She says every commute to work is different with so many options in her neighborhood including bus, Metro and Capital Bikeshare.

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ATP TAKEAWAY: Avoid traffic and parking fees when you visit Arlington National Cemetery, use public transportation to get you there!

Located at the end of the Memorial Bridge on the Virginia side, Arlington National Cemetery is a truly humbling experience for both visitors and residents. Stop in to pay your respects, watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, or visit John F. Kennedy's grave site.

Traveling to Arlington National Cemetery doesn’t have to be a headache. In fact, it’s pretty easy when you use public transportation. Check out these great ways to get to Arlington National Cemetery.

Get There by Metrorail

Arlington National Cemetery has a dedicated Metro stop on the Blue Line. You can get on the Blue Line in Rosslyn (transferring from Orange or Silver Lines) or at Pentagon (transferring from the Yellow Line). From Rosslyn or Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery is only one stop away. Simply exit the Metro station and follow the signs to the entrance for Arlington National Cemetery.

Download WMATA's Metrorail map to find your best route based on where your trip begins.

Get There by Walking

If you’re planning to visit Arlington National Cemetery, there’s a good chance you’re already out exploring other memorials in DC.

Perhaps you’ve just visited the Lincoln Memorial and you see Arlington Cemetery across the bridge. Instead of walking 1.2 miles to Smithsonian Metro Station or L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station, you can use that time to walk to Arlington National Cemetery.

The walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Cemetery Visitors Center is exactly 1.1 miles and is shorter distance than the walk to a Metro station. View walking directions below:

Pro tip: If you’re up for more walking adventures, nearby is a Walkabout from WalkArlington that highlights the neighborhood of Radnor/Fort Myer Heights. Check out the details when you download the walking map.

Get There by Bike

Personal or rented bike

While biking is a great way to reach Arlington National Cemetery, bike parking is greatly limited. Additionally, bicycles are not allowed on cemetery grounds as riders may impact a funeral service or disrupt families visiting their loved ones.

Dockless bikes and e-scooters are also not allowed to be left near the cemetery or on any National Park grounds.

Capital Bikeshare

Capital Bikeshare is a fun way to get around Arlington County and Washington, DC. Visitors can use a bike and dock at any available station around the DC Metro region. There are over 500 stations and more than 4,300 bikes in the system. to find stations and unlock bikes from your phone, download the Capital Bikeshare app.

There are no bikeshare stations located near Arlington National Cemetery; the closest station is near the Iwo Jima Memorial. If you are traveling by Capital Bikeshare, you can dock your bike at Iwo Jima and walk 0.7 miles to the cemetery. View walking directions via Google Maps.

Download the Guide

With any of these options, you have managed to avoid parking fees and traffic that comes with driving. Download the full guide to have with you for easy reference.

For additional information on visitor services or activities in Arlington County, visit Stay Arlington, your ultimate resource for visiting Arlington County. For Rosslyn specific information and additional activities in this urban village, check out the Rosslyn BID.