Population (people): 681,170
Number of stations: 91
Length (km): 188
Riders per annum: 261,435,200
Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 91 stations, and 117 miles (188 km) of route. Due to subway track depths in the swampy area of Washington, Metro’s Wheaton station has the longest, single-tier escalator in the Western Hemisphere, spanning 230 feet (70 m).
Metro is the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States in number of passenger trips, after the Chicago “L” and New York City Subway. There were 215.3 million trips on Metro in fiscal year 2015, or 712,843 trips per weekday. In June 2008, Metro set a monthly ridership record with 19,729,641 trips, or 798,456 per weekday. Fares vary based on the distance traveled, the time of day, and the type of card used by the passenger. Riders enter and exit the system using a proximity card called SmarTrip.