Crystal City station is an underground Washington Metro station in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia. The station opened on July 1, 1977, and serves the Blue Line and Yellow Line services, with a Metroway bus rapid transit stop on the surface.

Station layout

thumb|left|The station entrance in 2016

The station has two side platforms in a cylindrical vault, which runs east–west under plazas on the north side of 18th Street South between Jefferson Davis Highway and Crystal Drive. The fare mezzanine is located above the center of the platforms. The single station entrance is on the northwest corner of 18th Street South and South Bell Street, with a bank of escalators leading to an upper mezzanine.

Virginia Railway Express began service in June 1992, with its Crystal City station about northeast of the Metro entrance. Metroway bus rapid transit service began on August 24, 2014, with a stop on Bell Street adjacent to the Metro entrance.

Second entrance

An east entrance to the station was proposed in a 2002 WMATA study. Planning for the second entrance began in 2011.

In May 2019, property developer JBG Smith sent an unsolicited proposal, proposing that Arlington County pay the company to act as design-build contractor for the entrance on company-owned property. The county and company signed a preliminary agreement in June 2020. Design of the second entrance reached 30% in March 2021.

In March 2022, plans were changed from an underground to a surface-level fare lobby to reduce costs. In July 2023, the Arlington County Board awarded a $117 million design-build contract for the entrance to a joint venture of JBG Smith and Clark Construction. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 12, 2024, one month after construction started. The new entrance is expected to open in 2027.

References

  • 18th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
  • City of Arlington - Crystal City Metro Station Second Entrance