About West Falls Church Station
West Falls Church is an Orange Line station located at the major interchange of I-66 and Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in Falls Church, Virginia. It opened on June 7, 1986, as part of the Orange Line's western extension, and is designated as a major Park & Ride hub serving commuters from the I-66 corridor west of Washington DC.
The station was formerly signed West Falls Church–VT/UVA: the initials were moved to a subtitle in November 2011 and the University of Virginia reference was dropped in September 2022, after UVA left the Northern Virginia Center in June 2020. The center next to the station is now operated by Virginia Tech alone, and the station's official name is simply West Falls Church.
The station has 2,009 WMATA park-and-ride spaces, reached from the platform and mezzanine by an elevated walkway. Because Metrorail charges by distance, fares to downtown DC from here are lower than from Vienna or Dunn Loring, the two stations further west.
Lines & Service
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Nearby Destinations
Rider Tips
- Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center sits next to the station and is walkable from the mezzanine. The University of Virginia left the center in June 2020, and its initials were removed from the station name in 2022.
- The station has 2,009 park-and-ride spaces, which stay available longer than Vienna's much busier lots. A daily fee applies on weekdays (around $5; check wmata.com for the current rate) and parking is free at weekends and on federal holidays.
- Accessible from I-66 East at Exit 66 (Haycock Road/Falls Church). The entrance is just off the highway — one of the most convenient station access points from the highway in Northern Virginia.
- Metrobus route F20 (Leesburg Pike Line), Fairfax Connector route 703 and the intercity Virginia Breeze coach serve the station, connecting to Falls Church and the Route 7 corridor.
- Metrorail fares are charged by distance, so trips from West Falls Church cost less than the same trips from Vienna or Dunn Loring. On a weekday between 5:00 AM and 9:30 PM the fare rises with distance towards the $6.75 maximum; after 9:30 PM and all weekend a flat $2.25–$2.50 applies.
Adjacent Stations
Frequently Asked Questions
Does West Falls Church have parking?
Yes. West Falls Church has WMATA park-and-ride parking with 2,009 spaces, reached from the station by an elevated walkway. It fills more slowly than the much larger and busier lots at Vienna. A daily fee applies on weekdays (around $5; check wmata.com for the current rate), and parking is free on weekends and federal holidays.
How is West Falls Church different from East Falls Church?
West Falls Church is Orange Line only, located at I-66 and Route 7. East Falls Church (the next stop east) is served by both the Orange and Silver lines: the Silver Line tracks join the Orange Line at a flying junction just east of West Falls Church, so Silver Line trains pass the station without stopping. East Falls Church is closer to Arlington, and because fares are charged by distance it is slightly cheaper to downtown DC.
How long is the ride from West Falls Church to downtown DC?
From West Falls Church to Metro Center takes approximately 30–35 minutes on the Orange Line. To Farragut West is about 28 minutes. Fares are charged by distance, so the trip costs less than the same journey from Vienna or Dunn Loring: expect a weekday fare within the $2.25–$6.75 range, or a flat $2.25–$2.50 after 9:30 PM and at weekends.