How to get around DC

A huge part of your planning process will be figuring out where to stay for your Nats Park experience. But before you do that, you need to understand how you will get to/from the ballpark. In many ways, your transit strategy may dictate your lodging strategy. 

As we mentioned in the Travel chapter, the best way to get around town, and especially to/from Nationals Park, will be either the DC transit system or a combination of taxis and rideshares. The subway is inexpensive, convenient, safe, and easy to navigate, and it’s DEFINITELY how the locals do it. But taking taxis or rideshares are perfectly legit options as well if you feel more comfortable doing so. And we won’t forget about the DC Circulator bus, which runs directly to Nats Park from certain locations.

Getting to Nationals Park by subway

Let’s start off by giving you an idea of what to expect on the DC Metro system:

We promise – getting to Nats Park via the DC metro system is a pretty easy thing to do. The ballpark is located one (long) block away from the Navy Yard/Ballpark station on the metro system’s Green Line. As you come up the escalators from the station, you’ll literally walk out onto the pedestrian street that leads right past bars and restaurants to the centerfield entrance of the ballpark. It is one of the easiest public transit stadiums in the entire country, which is why we’re so enthusiastic about it.

Having said all of that, there’s only two downsides to the subway system:

1)  The Green Line, which stops at the Navy Yard/Ballpark station, doesn’t run directly to many of the stations that you’re likely to be staying near (but we’ve identified the Green Line stations with appropriate hotel options in the Lodging chapter). This is NOT a big deal: it just means you’ll have to transfer from one subway line to another. This should not change your decision. It’s a basic subway system issue, and not one that should concern you. Transferring from one line to another in DC is easy – you just need to pay attention to the signs. Google Maps will also be able to help you as you go.

2)  On some extremely rare occasions the subway system can close before the end of a game. From Sunday to Thursday, the system stops running at midnight, and on Fridays and Saturdays it stops running at 1am. There are no Nats games that have a start time of later than 7:05pm, which means the only way you could experience a problem with this is either because A) your game goes into extended extra innings (which is rare given the updated rules for extended MLB play), or B) the weather causes a delay which pushes the completion of the game past midnight or 1am. But honestly, this is so incredibly rare that it’s not something we would worry about. You should plan on the metro being available to you after the completion of your game, and if it isn’t, you could order a rideshare or find a taxi from one of the nearby hotels.

Notes on using the subway system in Washington DC

DC’s metro subway system works on both a rate system based on distance traveled and time of day, and also a flat charge at other times, such as weekends. It can be a little complicated, but we’ll try to break it all down.

Pay-as-you-go

If you’re traveling on the subway system during the week, your fare will be based on how far you are traveling (station to station), and what time of day it is. The farther you go, the more expensive the fare, and if you’re traveling during peak hours (M-F, 5am–9:30am, 3pm-7pm), then you’ll be paying a higher fare (from $2.25-$6.00 per ride).

For off-peak times during the week, (M-F 9:30am-3:00pm, 7:00pm-9:30pm), you’ll be paying $2.00-$3.85. Which means if you’re traveling to the ballpark on the subway system during the week for a typical 7pm start, you’ll likely be riding during peak times and will be paying that higher fare. However, after 9:30pm on weeknights, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the fare is only $2.00 per ride, regardless of distance, and discounted to $1.00 for seniors or disabled riders. So after weeknight games, or on the weekends, you’ll be paying a great discounted rate.

Multi-day pass

The other option you have is purchasing a multi-day pass. A one-day pass is $13, and a three-day pass is $28, and both will exempt you from any variable pricing costs.

So what does this all mean to you? Well, it’s sort of simple: if you’re visiting Nats Park for a weekend series, you’re probably best off purchasing a metro card, loading it with stored value, and paying as you go. If you’re going to Nats Park during the week, then it may make sense to purchase a multi-day pass. (Note: you can’t use the same pass for multiple people. Each person riding the system needs their own pass, whether that’s a stored value card or a multi-day pass. The turnstiles won’t allow you to swipe the same pass more than once at a station at a time).

The best thing to do may be to plan your trip out a bit, figure out where you’re staying, what sightseeing you’ll be doing, and how frequently you’ll be taking the subway or bus system to get there and base your purchase decision off of a little quick math.

Is the DC metro system safe?

It is. While every mass transit system has its issues, the crime statistics make it clear that DC metro stations are extremely safe, and the majority of crimes that happen on Metro trains are non-violent theft-related (like pickpocketing). So if you’re aware of your surroundings and have secured your wallet or purse properly, then you should have little trouble. The Stadium Insiders feel very comfortable recommending the Metro system to visitors who are going to Nationals Park.

Taking the bus to Nationals Park

The bus, you say? Is that safe? YES!!! The bus that runs to Navy Yard is the DC Circulator. It’s different from a standard city bus, and we could waste your time explaining that to you, but let’s not bother. Let’s just tell you that it’s clean, safe, convenient, and picks up and drops off right at the Navy Yard Metro station, one block from the ballpark, and runs until midnight as well. So if it’s going to/from your hotel location, it’s a great option. And even better, it only costs $1 to ride each way! The chapter on hotels will let you know which DC hotels are close to a bus stop.

Driving to and parking at/near Nationals Park

Team lots

If you’re going to drive to Nats Park, then you’ll have to contend with parking. The easiest parking will be the lots and garages that are operated by the team. Here’s the parking map:

Private lots

There are a number of other privately owned lots as well in the immediate vicinity of the ballpark. 

If you want to look for street parking, and are prepared to arrive at Nationals Park several hours early, you may be able to find a spot. On Sundays, some of that street parking may even be free. And if you’re going to go this way, we would recommend limiting your street parking to the areas to the north, east, and northwest of the ballpark. It’s better to avoid parking directly to the west of the stadium, as the neighborhood isn’t as well lit, and safety (particularly of your car) could be an issue.

Having said that, if you’re not going to be at the ballpark way in advance, street parking is going to be unlikely to find and a waste of time.

Taking a taxi/rideshare to Nationals Park

There is a designated taxi stand at Nats Park (see below), but, unfortunately, there is no designated rideshare pickup location. But that’s fine – if you walk to the bars/restaurants on Tingey Street, to the east of the stadium, you can order a car to that location. It’s a quieter street without much thru traffic, and thus a better spot to be picked up. And if you have to wait for your car to arrive, you’ll have some bars where you can pass the time while you wait.

Bottom Line

Nats Park is an easy park to get to. Whether you’re driving or using whatever means of public/shared transportation, it shouldn’t be too difficult to navigate. Just follow our advice and you should be in great shape!