Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Headquarters at L'Enfant Plaza | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 20, 1967 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Type | interstate compact agency |
| Jurisdiction | Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland and Northern Virginia, U.S. |
| Headquarters | 300 7th Street SW, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Agency executive | |
| Key document | |
| Website | wmata |
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA /wəˈmɑːtə/ wə-MAH-tə), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit services in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA provides rapid transit service under the Metrorail name, fixed-route bus service under the Metrobus brand, and paratransit service under the MetroAccess brand. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 283,145,700, or about 933,600 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.
The agency participates in regional transportation planning and the execution of transit infrastructure projects. Recent projects include an infill station serving Potomac Yard and an extension of Metrorail to Dulles International Airport.
WMATA was created in the late 1960s by the United States Congress as an interstate compact between Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The authority's board of directors consists of two voting representatives each from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the U.S. federal government. Each jurisdiction also appoints two alternate representatives. WMATA has no independent taxation authority and depends on its member jurisdictions for capital investments and operating funding.
WMATA has its own police force, the Metro Transit Police Department.