DC Metro L'Enfant Plaza Station: 5-Line Hub, Smithsonian

DC Metro L'Enfant Plaza Station is served by five DC Metro lines: Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, and Yellow — making it the most connected station in the entire Metrorail system.  It is situated on 7th Street and D Street SW in Washington DC, next to the Smithsonian museums and the National Mall. It is also the only station, along with Metro Center, that offers four or more lines to riders.

L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station Overview

The final station of the southern Metro is L'Enfant Plaza. This station is the point where the Blue/Orange/Silver Line path crosses the Green/Yellow Line path underground, and is named after Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French engineer who was working on the street plan of Washington DC in the 1790s. L'Enfant Plaza is the strongest transfer station in the system for riders who have to travel between Virginia and the National Mall, all or between southern Maryland and downtown, in-town,inintown or between the airport and any point of Washington.

The station is also located beneath one of the major federal/commercial complexes of DC: above, L'Enfant Plaza development features offices of various government agencies, The Shops at L'Enfant Plaza retail and food court, and the headquarters of the U.S. Postal Service.

Which Metro Lines Stop at L'Enfant Plaza?

L'Enfant Plaza is served by five Metrorail lines:

• Blue Line — Franconia-Springfield ↔ Downtown Largo (lower level)
• Orange Line — Vienna/Fairfax-GMU ↔ New Carrollton (lower level)
• Silver Line — Ashburn ↔ Downtown Largo / New Carrollton (lower level)
• Green Line — Branch Avenue ↔ Greenbelt (upper level)
• Yellow Line — Huntington ↔ Greenbelt (upper level)

L'Enfant Plaza Station Layout

Similar to Metro Center and Gallery Place, L'Enfant Plaza is constructed over two levels of underground platforms:

• Upper Level: platforms (green and yellow lines) in the center island.
• Lower Level: Orange, Silver Line,, and Blue platforms (center island platform)

The two levels of the platforms are connected by a common mezzanine through escalators and stairs. Transfers between the Green/Yellow and the Blue/Orange/Silver platforms arebypassedg through the mezzanine - it is in the paid area. This transfer should take 3 to 5 minutes; during peak hours, it may take more time.

Why Is L'Enfant Plaza Important?

The only station in the DC Metro where travelers can use five lines simultaneously is the L'Enfant Plaza - all the lines except the Red Line. This renders it the only non-Red Line transfer point in the system that is versatile. All journeys between Northern Virginia and southern Maryland (or the reverse) that do not pass through Metro Center will almost certainly pass L'Enfant Plaza.

L'Enfant Plaza Station Exits: Which Exit to Use

L'Enfant Plaza has multiple exits serving the complex above and surrounding streets.

For Smithsonian museums: Use the Maryland Ave & 7th St SW exit.

Transferring Between All 5 Lines at L'Enfant Plaza

The transfer process at L'Enfant Plaza:

Blue/Orange/Silver → Green/Yellow:

• Get out of your train on the lower platform.
• Take the escalators up to the main mezzanine
• Take directions to the Green/ Yellow Line.

Descend escalators to the level at the upper level of the station (which is the level above the lower level, which is counter-intuitive: the upper level is the Green/Yellow formation inside the station)

Board the ToGreen or Yellow Line train

• Green/Yellow → Blue/Orange/Silver:
• Repeat of the above, follow signs to Blue/Orange/Silver Line at the mezzanine.

Note: L'Enfant Plaza is not connected with the Red Line. In order to switch to the Red Line, take one stop north to Gallery Place (Green/Yellow) or Metro Centerthe the  (Blue/Orange/Silver).

L'Enfant Plaza Station Hours

During peak hours, combined train frequency on the lower platform (Blue + Orange + Silver) means trains arrive approximately every 2–4 minutes. On the Green/Yellow platform, combined frequency during peak hours is every 4–6 minutes.

Walking Guide: L'Enfant Plaza to the National Mall & Smithsonian

L'Enfant Plaza is the best Metro station for accessing the eastern half of the National Mall and several Smithsonian museums. Use the Maryland Ave & 7th St SW exit for all Smithsonian destinations.

Recommended route from Maryland Ave exit: Walk northeast on Maryland Ave SW toward Independence Ave SW, then north along 7th Street SW toward Jefferson Drive SW — the main Smithsonian Mall path. The Air and Space Museum will be on your right within 5 minutes.

L'Enfant Plaza Shopping and Dining (The Shops at L'Enfant Plaza)

The Shops at L'Enfant Plaza is an underground and above-ground commercial complex located above the Metro station, and has been a part of the L'Enfant Plaza development since the 1960s. The complex includes:

• A food court is a fast food restaurant with fast food that is popular among government employees.
• Retail stores such as a pharmacy, a dry cleaning shop, and a convenience store.
• U.S. PPostal Serviceheadquarters building (we can enter it through the exit on D Street).
• Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department headquarters.
• Regional offices of the Department of Energy.

Weekday lunchtime is busiest, tand he shopping complex is targeted at the thousands of federal workers who work in the L'Enfant Plaza development and other agencies located in the surrounding area.

Accessibility at L'Enfant Plaza Station

L'Enfant Plaza is fully ADA-accessible:

• Elevators on all entrances between street level and mezzanine, as well as between platform levels.
• Both platform levels will have tactile warning strips.
• Sound adverts in stations and trains.
• Priority seating of all rail cars.
• Accessible restrooms within the station complex

Given the two-level platform transfer, riders relying on elevators should allow extra time — both platform levels require elevator access from the mezzanine, and elevator waits can be longer than average at this busy station.

FAQ: L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station

Q: What lines stop at L'Enfant Plaza? A: Five DC Metro lines serve L'Enfant Plaza: Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, and Yellow. The Red Line does not stop here.

Q: Is L'Enfant Plaza the most connected Metro station? 
A: L'Enfant Plaza has the most Metro lines (5) of any single station in the Metrorail system. Metro Center serves 4 lines (Red, Blue, Orange, Silver), making L'Enfant Plaza technically the system's most connected hub.

Q: Which exit at L'Enfant Plaza goes to the Smithsonian? 
A: For the National Mall and Smithsonian museums, use the Maryland Ave & 7th St SW exit. The National Air and Space Museum is approximately 6 minutes (0.3 miles) east; the Hirshhorn is 4 minutes northeast.

Q: How do I transfer between the Green Line and Blue Line at L'Enfant Plaza? 
A: Both platforms are accessible via the shared mezzanine. Take escalators up from your current platform, follow signs to your target line, and take escalators back down. Allow 3–5 minutes for the transfer. No need to tap out and re-enter.

Q: Is the Smithsonian station or L'Enfant Plaza better for the National Mall? 
A: It depends on which museum you're visiting. The Smithsonian station (Blue/Orange/Silver) is better for the western Mall (Lincoln Memorial area, Washington Monument, Natural History, American History). L'Enfant Plaza is better for the eastern Mall (Air and Space Museum, Hirshhorn, Holocaust Museum). Both are roughly equidistant from the Washington Monument.