Planned for wheelchair riders
Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines at the south edge of Capitol Hill. The Library of Congress and the Capitol Visitor Center are a trip outside, plus security lines.
Written for riders heading to the Library of Congress Jefferson Building and the Capitol Visitor Center.
Station D05
Two Capitol Hill destinations
Library of Congress · or Capitol Visitor Center
Same station. Different routes outside and different security screening.
Disability & mobility
Capitol South is the practical Blue, Orange, and Silver Line stop for the Jefferson Building and the Capitol grounds. Check the elevators first. Then plan for security and the building elevators separately.
Library
Capitol Hill sidewalks lead to the Library buildings. Decide which building and entrance you need. Library of Congress accessibility is separate from Metro elevator status.
Accessibility page for Library of Congress
Best for the Library of Congress
Capitol
The approach includes security screening. Tours and accommodations are on visitthecapitol.gov. Metro only gets you to the edge of Capitol Hill.
Accessibility page for U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Best for the Visitor Center and Capitol grounds
A working Metro elevator does not get you through Capitol security or into the Library. Those have their own access rules.
If the Capitol South elevators are out, Eastern Market or Federal Center SW may still get you to Capitol Hill. Compare the slopes outside and the security lines before you switch stations. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) elevator-outage shuttle: 202-962-1825 · TTY 202-638-3780.
On the ground
Three steps: up to the street, the Library, the Capitol.
01
Two elevators go up to the street. With sidewalks and screening still ahead, an outage here is not a small delay.
02
Jefferson Building access, reading rooms, and visitor rules are on loc.gov. Metro only gets you to the neighborhood.
03
Visitor Center accommodations are listed separately. Leave time for security before you plan the rest of your day.
Why this stop feels different
Capitol South is plain but useful. It’s close to the Library of Congress, but Metro doesn’t finish the visit for you.
The station sits on the south edge of Capitol Hill. That is why it fits trips to the Library and the Visitor Center better than a scenic stop on the Mall.
Keep the parts separate: Metro for the elevator, Capitol Hill sidewalks for the trip outside, and each institution for screening and elevators inside.
On the street
Capitol South station
1st St & C St SE
Washington, District of Columbia
1st & C SE · Library or Capitol on foot
Blue · Orange · Silver
Nearby: Library of Congress, Capitol Visitor Center. When elevators are out: Eastern Market may still work. Compare the minutes outside and the security lines.
Open Capitol South on the live mapLive elevator status at Capitol SouthAfter the elevator
Sorted shortest first. Times are hand-set for a chair or stroller pace on Capitol Hill sidewalks — not live routing.
At the venue
We copied these by hand from each venue’s own pages. They may be out of date or wrong, so confirm on the venue’s page before you go.
Source: Library of Congress
Source: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Last look
Four things to check before you go.
Make sure both elevators are working before you count on Capitol South.
The Jefferson Building and the Visitor Center have different routes and different security, from the same station.
If waiting in screening lines is not realistic today, working elevators won’t help.
The Library of Congress and Capitol accessibility pages cover the inside of the buildings. Metro elevator status is on our map.
About this guide. We put these guides together by hand. Travel times are our own estimates, and venue details are copied from their websites, so either can be wrong or out of date. Check the venue’s page before you go. For elevators, trust the live map and the transit agency.