Contents

Pentagon station

Pentagon
Pentagon station upper level platform in February 2009
General information
Location	2 South Rotary Road Arlington, Virginia
Coordinates	38°52′09″N 77°03′14″W / 38.86917°N 77.05389°W / 38.86917; -77.05389
Owned by	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms	2split platforms
Tracks	1 on each level
Train operators	Washington Metro
Bus stands	Upper: 1 to 13, Lower: 1 to 11[1]
Bus operators	Arlington Transit DASH Fairfax Connector Metrobus Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley
Construction
Structure type	Metro station: Underground Bus stands: Underground/At-grade
Platform levels	2
Bicycle facilities	6 racks
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	C07
History
Opened	July 1, 1977; 47 years ago (July 1, 1977)
Rebuilt	2002[2]
Passengers
2023	4,850 daily[3]
Rank	17 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Pentagon City toward Franconia–Springfield Blue Line Arlington Cemetery toward Downtown Largo Pentagon City toward Huntington Yellow Line L'Enfant Plaza toward Mount Vernon Square
Location

Pentagon station is a split platform station on the Washington Metro located adjacent to The PentagoninArlington, Virginia. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, the station is where the two lines diverge and thus acts as a transfer point. Northbound, both lines rise above ground, with the Blue Line serving the Arlington Cemetery station, and the Yellow Line crossing the Potomac River into the District of Columbia.

The station opened on July 1, 1977^[4] with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)^[5] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.

Photography is not allowed anywhere on the station grounds.^[6]

Bus service[edit]

Pentagon station is also a major bus hub^[7][1] in northern Virginia. The current bus facility opened in 2001^[8] as part of the Pentagon Renovation Program.^[2]

• Arlington Transit: 42, 87, 87A, 87P, 87X
• DASH: 35, 103, 104
• Fairfax Connector: 306, 393, 394, 395, 599, 698, 834, 835
• Metrobus: 7A, 7M, 8W, 10A, 16A, 16C, 16E, 17B, 17G, 17K, 17M, 18G, 18J, 18P, 21C, 22A, 22F, 28F, 29G
• Loudoun County Transit: 282, 482, 682, 882
• PRTC OmniRide: 543, 602, 612, 942, D-100, D-200, D-300, L-100, L-200, MC-100, MC-200, RS
• Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley: DC Motorcoach (From Front Royal to D.C.)

Station layout[edit]

The station is located underground, adjacent to The Pentagon, and formerly had a direct (but secure) entrance to the Pentagon and its underground shopping center. This entrance was closed in 2001 as part of the Pentagon Renovation Program.^[9] Access to the Pentagon is now gained via a new secured entrance facility above ground near the bus depot and the entrances to the subway station. The new exit features signage displayed at Gallery Place-Chinatown and newer stations.

Pentagon is one of two stations (the other being the Rosslyn station) at which trains going one direction are boarded on a different station level than trains going the other direction, as a way to prevent an at-grade crossing. This is because the Blue and Yellow lines split apart an extremely short distance from the station.

An indicator sign at the north end of the station flashes to inform passengers of the arriving train's destination, showing Blue for Downtown Largo, and Yellow for Mount Vernon Square. This feature is only used at final transfer stations; another example being L'Enfant Plaza.

South of the station, two empty tunnels diverge from the tracks towards Columbia Pike for future extension, but the plans were later dropped.^[10]

S	Upper level	Pentagon, Pentagon Memorial, upper level bus bays
1	Lower level	Lower level bus bays
M	Mezzanine	Fare gates, ticket machines, station manager
	Side platform
	Northbound	→ toward Mount Vernon Square (L'Enfant Plaza) → → toward Downtown Largo (Arlington Cemetery) →
T	Southbound	← toward Huntington (Pentagon City) ← toward Franconia–Springfield (Pentagon City)
	Side platform

Incidents[edit]

2010[edit]

On March 4, 2010, a gunman, identified as John Patrick Bedell, who espoused anti-government views, shot and wounded two Pentagon police officers at a security checkpoint in the Pentagon station. The officers returned fire, striking him in the head. Bedell died the next day, on March 5, 2010.^[11]

2021[edit]

At 10:40 a.m. EST, on August 3, 2021, a stabbing occurred, killing officer George Gonzalez and leading to a lockdown of the Pentagon that was later lifted. The perpetrator, 27-year-old Austin William Lanz shot and killed himself using Gonzalez's service weapon. In an apology issued by Lanz's family, they stated that in his final few months, he suffered from "many mental health challenges". There was a warrant out for Lanz's arrest due to an incident months earlier, in which Lanz broke into a Georgia home with a crowbar.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Notable places nearby[edit]

• Pentagon Memorial
• United States Air Force Memorial

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to Pentagon (WMATA station) at Wikimedia Commons

• WMATA Pentagon station page

• Archived The Schumin Web Transit Center: Pentagon Station