Airport transfer · DCA → Washington, DC

Reagan National (DCA) to Washington, DC

In short

The cheapest way from Reagan National (DCA) to Washington, DC is Metrorail Blue or Yellow Line: $2.25–$6.75.

A licensed taxi costs $18–$23 per vehicle, before extras.

Fares and times are from the operators’ own pages, checked 23 October 2026.

Data updated October 23, 2026

Every way from Reagan National (DCA) to Washington, DC

Journey times are to Downtown Washington, DC (Metro Center / Union Station area). Fares are standard adult fares as each operator publishes them.

Cheapest

Metrorail Blue or Yellow Line

$2.25–$6.75 · Not stated

Late at night

No option here states night service. Check the last departure in the table.

Reagan National (DCA) to Washington, DC: every option compared
Option	Journey time	Fare (USD)	Hours
Metrorail Blue or Yellow LineMetro / subway	Not stated	$2.25–$6.75	05:00–00:00; to 02:00 Fri–Sat
Metered taxi (airport taxi stand)Taxi	Not stated	$18–$23 per vehicle	Not stated
Ride-app pickup (Uber, Lyft)Rideshare	Not stated	Varies	Not stated

Travelling as a group: train or taxi?

Per-person fares add up; a taxi fare is shared. The table shows the total for one to four travellers.

Total cost for a group, Reagan National (DCA) to Washington, DC
Option	1 traveller	2 travellers	3 travellers	4 travellers
Metrorail Blue or Yellow Line	$2.25	$4.50	$6.75	$9
Metered taxi (airport taxi stand) *	$18	$18	$18	$18

Lowest published adult fare × travellers; a per-vehicle fare is shared (up to the vehicle’s seats). * Plus the extras listed for that option (tolls, surcharges or tip). Children’s fares and passes can be lower.

Which Washington airport is easiest for Washington, DC?

The same comparison from each airport, so you can weigh the ground trip when you pick flights.

Into Washington, DC from each Washington airport
Airport	Cheapest	Fastest
Reagan National (DCA) (this page)	$2.25–$6.75 · Not statedMetrorail Blue or Yellow Line	—
Dulles (IAD)	$2.25–$6.75 · 53 minMetrorail Silver Line	53 min · $2.25–$6.75Metrorail Silver Line
BWI Marshall (BWI)	$8 · 34–50 minMARC Penn Line commuter train (+ free BWI rail shuttle)	30 min · VariesAmtrak Northeast Regional / Acela (+ free BWI rail shuttle)

The options in detail

Metro / subway · WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority)

Metrorail Blue or Yellow Line

Route: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station (elevated, connected to the Terminal 2 concourse level) -> Blue Line toward Downtown Largo (via Rosslyn, Metro Center) or Yellow Line toward Mt Vernon Sq (via L'Enfant Plaza, Gallery Place). Union Station is on the Red Line (transfer downtown). Terminal 1 passengers take the free 'Airport Shuttle' bus from the street-side curb to the Terminal 2 stop, then the enclosed bridge to the station.
How the time is measured: No airport-to-downtown travel time is stated on any official page fetched (flyreagan.com, wmata.com station/line pages); WMATA directs riders to its Trip Planner.
Fare: $2.25–$6.75
Fare details: System-wide Metrorail full-fare range published by the airport and WMATA, not a DCA-specific quote: weekdays 5am-9:30pm $2.25-$6.75 (distance-based); after 9:30pm on weekdays and all day weekends $2.25-$2.50. The exact DCA-to-downtown fare lies inside this range but is not published on a fetchable official page. Pay by tapping a contactless credit/debit card or mobile wallet, or a SmarTrip card. Senior/reduced fare $1.10-$3.35. WMATA's FY2027 budget page says fares are held at FY2026 levels.
Hours: Metrorail general hours: Mon-Thu 5:00am-12:00am; Fri 5:00am-2:00am; Sat 6:00am-2:00am; Sun 6:00am-12:00am (first/last trains vary by station; check WMATA).
Frequency: Yellow Line: every 6 min weekdays (every 7-8 min after 9:30pm), every 8 min Sat/Sun. Blue Line: every 9-10 min weekday rush (7-9am, 4-6pm), every 12 min other daytime and weekends, every 15 min after 9:30pm.
Accessibility: Station is fully accessible via elevators; the elevator is at the center of the train platform (flyreagan.com).
Good to know: The free on-airport shuttle bus (connecting Terminal 1 to the Metro) runs 24 hours a day. Check WMATA alerts for weekend track work, which has at times replaced trains with shuttle buses near the airport.

Verified on: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (flyreagan.com) · Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (flyreagan.com) · WMATA · WMATA · WMATA · WMATA · WMATA · WMATA · WMATA

Taxi · Airport-permitted taxicabs (dispatched by DCA Taxi Dispatcher)

Metered taxi (airport taxi stand)

Route: Taxi stand: Terminal 1 - exit baggage claim, turn right, curb closest to the terminal; Terminal 2 - baggage claim level (level one), Doors 5 or 6, then curbside dispatch point -> downtown Washington, DC
How the time is measured: No travel time stated on official airport pages.
Fare: $18–$23 per vehicle
Fare details: Airport's APPROXIMATE metered fares (not flat rates) from its 2024 fare map: Capitol Hilton Hotel 4.5 mi $18; US Capitol 5 mi $19; Washington Convention Ctr 6 mi $22; Union Station 5.5 mi $23. These EXCLUDE the $3.00 airport fee and other applicable charges. DC-licensed cab meter: $5.39 first mile, $2.16 each additional mile, extra passenger $1.00 max, no bag charge (rates 'in effect as of 05-10-24'). Fares to the airport: consult your taxi operator. All cabs accept cash or credit card.
Luggage: DC-licensed cabs: $0.00 per bag and $0.00 for trunk/luggage over 3 cu ft (other jurisdictions' cabs may charge; see rate table).
Accessibility: Uniformed dispatchers help passengers get a wheelchair-accessible taxi and will request one if none is in line; passengers with disabilities are encouraged to call the taxi dispatch office 24 hours ahead at 703-417-4333.
Good to know: All taxicabs dispatched at DCA must have and use meters; ask for a receipt. Note the Airport Taxi Operator's Permit number.

Verified on: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (flyreagan.com) · Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (flyreagan.com)

Rideshare · App-based ride services

Ride-app pickup (Uber, Lyft)

Route: Green-flagged pickup zones on the outer curb: Terminal 1 third (outer) curb; Terminal 2 baggage claim (arrivals) level, outer curb, Zones 1-4 -> downtown Washington, DC
How the time is measured: No travel time stated on official airport pages.
Fare details: No official price published; fare is set in the app.
Good to know: Airport warns not to accept rides from drivers offering service outside a pre-arranged reservation or ride app.

Verified on: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (flyreagan.com) · Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (flyreagan.com)

Search flights to DCA

Not verified yet

Metrorail travel time DCA -> Metro Center / Union Station (not stated on any fetchable WMATA or airport page; WMATA Trip Planner not fetchable). · Exact station-to-station Metrorail fare DCA -> Metro Center / Union Station (only the system-wide range is published on fetchable pages). · Taxi and rideshare travel times to downtown. · Rideshare prices (no official source). · Whether the 2024 DCA taxi fare map is still current in Oct 2026 (it is the version the airport links, labelled 2024; rates 'in effect as of 05-10-24'). · No Metrobus route from DCA to downtown DC was found on official pages; none included. · Last-train times from DCA were not used: the WMATA station schedule returned line/destination pairings that looked inconsistent (e.g. Blue to Huntington, Yellow to Greenbelt).. We only publish a figure once an official source states it.