Washington Union Station: Gateway to a City Worth Using

Union Station opened in 1907 as the main railway terminal for Washington D.C., designed by Daniel Burnham in the Beaux-Arts style that dominated American civic architecture of the era. The main hall, 96 metres long, barrel-vaulted ceiling 29 metres high, was modelled partly on the Baths of Diocletian in Rome. It’s one of the best-looking train stations in the United States and also, practically speaking, the best way to arrive in Washington.

Amtrak’s Northeast Regional and Acela services connect New York Penn Station to Union Station in 3.5 hours (Regional) or 2.5 hours (Acela, around $80-180 depending on timing). From Baltimore: 35 minutes, around $20. This is meaningfully faster than driving from those cities and deposits you on the Metro at the Capitol Hill end of the National Mall.

The Building

The exterior facing Massachusetts Avenue has three arched entrances flanked by statues of Roman legionaries. The interior is worth five minutes regardless of whether you’re catching a train. The coffered barrel vault of the main waiting room, the original marble floors, and the scale of the concourse are the architectural main event.

The building was renovated in the 1980s (it had fallen into severe disrepair by the 1970s, the roof had partially collapsed) and converted to its current hybrid station-shopping mall format. The retail is nothing special but the structure is intact.

Practical Information for Arriving Visitors

Metro: The Red Line stops directly below the station at Union Station Metro stop. From here you can reach most major sites, the Mall museums are three to five stops west (Judiciary Square, Gallery Place, Archives). Journey time to the National Mall is around 10 minutes.

Amtrak: The main intercity rail option. Book at amtrak.com at least a week ahead for reasonable prices; last-minute Acela tickets can be $200+. The Acela is faster; the Regional is perfectly adequate.

MARC and VRE: Maryland Area Regional Commuter and Virginia Railway Express trains serve the suburbs. If you’re staying in Bethesda or Alexandria, these are relevant.

Eating and the Surrounding Area

The food court in the station’s lower level has the standard national chains plus a few local options. Ben’s Chili Bowl (a genuine D.C. institution since 1958 on U Street NW) has a satellite counter here, the half-smoke (a pork and beef smoked sausage) is the order.

More importantly: Columbus Circle in front of the station has direct sightlines to the Capitol Building 400 metres south. The east end of the National Mall begins here, and the walk from the station past the Capitol, down the Mall past the Air and Space Museum, past the Natural History Museum and the Art Galleries, to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial is about 4km and is the best free morning available in Washington. Do it before you do anything else.

Eastern Market (Metro: Eastern Market, Red/Orange/Silver/Blue lines, two stops from Union Station) is a weekend farmers market and indoor market in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood. Go on a Saturday for the best mix of produce, crafts, and lunch options.

What to Visit Nearby

The Supreme Court and the Library of Congress are both within 5 minutes’ walk of the station. The Library’s Jefferson Building (the ornate domed reading room) is free to visit and takes 45 minutes to do properly. The National Postal Museum is directly opposite the station, free, Smithsonian, and consistently undervisited. The postal history collection is genuinely interesting if you have an hour.