Wikipedia

Stadium–Armory station

Stadium–Armory station is a Washington Metro station in the Hill East neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The station opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Stadium–Armory serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. The station was named for its proximity to the former RFK Stadium and the D.C. Armory. Stadium–Armory is a transfer station, as this is the last station shared by the three lines before they diverge going east.

Stadium–Armory
Station platform facing east
General information
Location192 19th Street SE
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°53′18″N 76°58′38″W / 38.8883°N 76.9771°W / 38.8883; -76.9771
Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Cycle facilitiesCapital Bikeshare, 20 racks
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeD08
History
OpenedJuly 1, 1977 (1977-07-01)
Passengers
20252,033 daily[1]
Rank72 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Potomac Avenue
toward Vienna
 Orange Line Minnesota Avenue
toward New Carrollton
Potomac Avenue
toward Ashburn
 Silver Line
Benning Road
toward Downtown Largo
Potomac Avenue
toward Franconia–Springfield
 Blue Line
Location
Map

Station layout

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Northern entrance near the D.C. Armory

Stadium–Armory station serves the Hill East and Kingman Park neighborhoods. It is named for the adjacent RFK Stadium and D.C. Armory. It has a single island platform with two tracks. Track D1 is for eastbound trains to New Carrollton or Largo and track D2 is for westbound trains to Vienna, Franconia–Springfield, or Ashburn. An indicator sign at the north end of the station flashes to inform passengers of the arriving train's destination, showing Orange and/or Silver for New Carrollton, and Blue and/or Silver for Largo. This feature is only used at final transfer stations; another example being Rosslyn. The station has two entrances along 19th Street SE; the north entrance at Independence Avenue and the south entrance between C & Burke Streets SE. Elevator access is at the south entrance.

Stadium-Armory is the last underground station for eastbound trains en route to New Carrollton.[2] North of the station, the tracks rise onto an elevated structure above the RFK Stadium parking lots and continue east across the Anacostia River. Beyond an elevated pocket track, the lines diverge at D&G Junction. The D Route, used by the Orange Line and some Silver Line service, continues northeast to New Carrolton. The G Route, used by the Blue Line and some Silver Line service, continues east to Downtown Largo entering a tunnel.[2][3]

History

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20th century

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The station opened on July 1, 1977.[4] Its opening coincided with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)[5] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.[6] Orange Line service to the station began upon the line's opening on November 20, 1978.[7]

In 1979, the D.C. Armory requested that the station name be changed to "Starplex" for the Stadium Armory Complex, but that request was ignored by the Metro Board.[8] Stadium–Armory would also serve as the eastern terminus of the Blue Line from its opening through the opening of its extension to Addison Road on November 22, 1980.[9]

21st century

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The station was supposed to be the Silver Line's eastern terminus, but in December 2012, due to safety concerns regarding a pocket track between this station and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road, Metro officials decided to extend the line into nearby Prince George's County, Maryland to Largo, which is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line.[10] Silver Line service at Stadium-Armory began on July 26, 2014.[11]

Between May 28 and September 5, 2022, all Orange Line trains were terminating at Stadium–Armory station due to the Platform Improvement Project which closed stations north of Stadium–Armory station. On weekends, all Blue and Silver Line trains were terminating Stadium–Armory while Orange Line trains were cut back to Ballston–MU due to aerial structure repairs along the D route.[12]

On September 21, 2015, a transformer caught fire near the station, causing severe delays. The reduced power as a result of the loss of the transformer caused WMATA to implement strategies to combat congestion in the system.[13] This included having Orange and Silver line trains skip the Stadium–Armory station during rush hours, but service had been restored as of November.[14]

In May 2026, WMATA plans to improve Stadium-Armory for the opening of New Stadium at RFK Campus in 2030. More escalators, elevators, and wider station entrances are planned.[15][16]

References

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  1. ↑ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". WMATA. November 18, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Sementelli, Land UseAnalysisBy Nick. "Whether or not it gets a stadium, RFK needs a second Metro station". ggwash.org. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  3. ↑ Metrorail Silver Line Corridor Junction Feasibility Study and Conceptual Design: Technical Memorandum (PDF) (Report). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. February 2016. pp. 19–23.
  4. ↑ Feaver, Douglas B. (July 1, 1977), "Today, Metro could be U.S. model", The Washington Post, p. A1
  5. ↑ "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). WMATA. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  6. ↑ Staff Reporters (June 24, 1977), "Metro's newest stations: Where they are, what's nearby", The Washington Post
  7. ↑ Eisen, Jack; Feinstein, John (November 18, 1978), "City–County fanfare opens Orange Line; Ceremonies open new Orange Line", The Washington Post, p. D1
  8. ↑ Eisen, Jack (August 7, 1979). "Zoological Park Subway Stop Name, 9 Others Changed by Metro Board". The Washington Post.
  9. ↑ Cooke, Janet (November 23, 1980), "Three new Metro stations have a festive first day", The Washington Post, p. D1
  10. ↑ Aratani, Lori (December 5, 2012). "Metro details Silver Line service changes". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  11. ↑ Halsey, Ashley (July 26, 2014). "All aboard! Metro's new Silver Line rolls down the tracks for the first time". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Final phase of Metro's multi-year Platform Improvement Project begins this weekend, closing five Orange Line stations | WMATA". wmata.com. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Metro: Changes to Orange, Silver lines to ease delays". WUSA9.com. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Metro plans additional service change at Stadium-Armory Station to further ease rush-hour congestion, delays on Orange, Blue & Silver lines" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. September 27, 2015. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  15. ↑ Murillo, Mike (May 12, 2026). "No new Metro station planned for RFK Stadium site, but new Gold Line bus service proposed to handle crowds". WTOP News. Retrieved May 13, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ↑ Golden, Lianna (May 15, 2026). "Take a ride on the 'Gold Line?' Metro leaders discuss new RFK transit proposals". WJLA. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
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