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 or Capital Bikeshare. 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 permitted on cemetery grounds as riders may impact a funeral service or disrupt families visiting their loved ones. For help planning your route to the cemetery, refer to BikeArlington's Bike Comfort Map.
Personal bike parking can be found at the Welcome Center's rack. Commercial bicycles should be parked before entering Arlington National Cemetery grounds.
Capital Bikeshare
Capital Bikeshare is a fun way to travel around Arlington County and Washington, DC. Users can rent a bike and dock at any available station around the DC Metro region. There are over 700 stations and more than 5,000 bikes in the system. To find stations and unlock bikes from your phone, download the Capital Bikeshare app.
Recently, Capital Bikeshare has installed a new station near Arlington National Cemetery. Located off Memorial Avenue, the station is near the main entrance and only a few hundred feet from the Metro Station and the Welcome Center.
If you choose to travel to the cemetery using Capital Bikeshare, you must dock the bike at the station and enter the grounds on foot. For a scenic bike ride around the cemetery and nearby memorials, you can remain on the public bike trails that surround the area.
Download the Guide
With any of these options, you have managed to avoid parking fees and traffic that come 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.
Photo Credit: Sam Kittner/Kittner.com for Arlington Transportation Partners
Editor's Note: This blog was updated on May 9, 2023 with new information written by Ellie Heil.