This is a list of bus routes operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), branded as Metrobus in Northern Virginia. Most routes operated under Northern Virginia trolleys, the Alexandria, Barcroft, and Washington Transit Company (AB&W), and the Washington Virginia & Maryland Coach Company (WV&M) before the 1960s.
Numbering Most Metrobus routes in Northern Virginia were formerly with a single or double-digit number followed by a letter. They are now corresponded with an A (for Arlington County and Alexandria City routes) or F (for Fairfax County routes) route designation.
History
Many current routes operate under former streetcar routes. The streetcars provided the main transportation in the Northern Virginia area from the 1800s to the 1940s. At Google Books. The Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company (AB&W) and the Washington Virginia & Maryland Coach Company (WV&M) operated some of the routes prior to 1973. In 1973, WMATA acquired the two bus companies along with other bus companies to form its current Metrobus system. At one point, most VA routes would enter into Downtown before Metro was built in which all buses would terminate at stations in various locations. Today, the main Northern VA hub is at Pentagon station which connects to Arlington Transit, DASH, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, PRTC OmniRide, and Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley lines.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, service was mostly reduced to Sunday service schedules during the weekdays with select routes both added and suspended from March 18 until August 22, 2020. Routes 16C, 28A, 29K, 29N, and REX were the only routes that ran during the weekends with the rest of the routes suspended. On August 23, 2020, more routes came back during the weekdays and weekends returning Metrobus service to 75%. Most service and routes resumed on September 5, 2021.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved its Better Bus Network Redesign plan, which began development in 2022. Under the plan, all routes would be renamed with easier-to-understand route designations, and would modify most of its existing routes to make the bus system easier to use, faster, and more reliable. The Better Bus Network was implemented on June 29, 2025, with all Virginia routes being renamed with an A (for Arlington County and Alexandria City routes) or F (for Fairfax County routes) route designation.
Routes Most Virginia Metrobus routes operate inside Northern Virginia. However, a few routes will go into Downtown DC under former streetcar routings and demand.
Alexandria City and Arlington County routes RouteTerminals Streets traveled Service notes DivisionsA11Pentagon–Huntington Huntington ↔ Pentagon Mount Vernon Av Washington St Four Mile RunA12Ballston–Hunting PointHunting Point ↔ Ballston Glebe Road Mount Vernon Av Washington St Four Mile RunA1XPentagon City–Potomac Yard Pentagon City ↔ Braddock Road Clark St Crystal Dr Richmond Hwy Part of 20-minute frequent service network Four Mile RunA25Brookville–S Fairlington Pentagon ↔Landmark Transit Center Interstate 395 Weekday peak-hour service only Four Mile RunA27Landmark–N Fairlington Pentagon ↔ Van Dorn Street Interstate 395 Van Dorn St Does not serve Pentagon City in the weekday peak direction Four Mile RunA28Landmark–Holmes Run Pkwy Pentagon ↔Landmark Transit Center Interstate 395 Holmes Run Pkwy Weekday peak service only (AM to Pentagon, PM to Landmark) Four Mile RunA29Metro Center–Alexandria W Metro Center ↔ Van Dorn Street Interstate 395 Weekday peak service only (AM to Metro Center, PM to Van Dorn) Four Mile RunA40Columbia Pike–National LandingSkyline City(Seminary Rd & Magnolia Ln) ↔ Crystal City L'Enfant Plaza (late nights) Columbia Pike Part of 12-minute frequent service network Late night service is extended to L’Enfant Plaza Four Mile RunA49Columbia Pike–Metro CenterCulmore(Glen Carlyn Dr & Vista Dr) ↔ Metro Center Columbia Pike Arlington Blvd Roosevelt Bridge Weekday peak service only Four Mile RunA58Wilson Bl–Farragut Sq Ballston (short turns) Seven Corners Transit Center ↔Farragut Square Clarendon/Wilson Blvds Key Bridge M St NW Pennsylvania Av NW I/K St NW Part of 20-minute frequent service network Trips alternate ending at Ballston or Seven Corners Four Mile RunA66Culmore–Shirlington Pentagon ↔Culmore(Glen Carlyn Dr & Vista Dr) Interstate 395 Leesburg Pike Does not serve Pentagon City in the weekday peak direction Four Mile RunA70Glebe Rd Tysons Corner Center Ballston (short turns) ↔ Potomac Yard Old Dominion Dr Glebe Rd Part of 20-minute frequent service network Trips alternate ending at Ballston or Tysons Corner Center Four Mile RunA71Ballston–King St Ballston ↔ King Street George Mason Dr S Four Mile Run Dr King St Four Mile RunA76Carlin Springs Rd Rosslyn Ballston ↔Mark Center Arlington Bl Carlin Springs Rd Additional trips run every 15 minutes in the peak direction (AM to Ballston, PM to Mark Center) Four Mile RunA90Mark Center–Pentagon Pentagon ↔Mark Center Interstate 395 Weekday service only Four Mile Run
Route history Route HistoryA11Existing routing of the former Route 10A.A12Existing routing of the former Route 10B.A1XExisting routing of the former Metroway.A25Combination of the former Route 8W and 22F with an extension to Landmark.A27Existing routing of the former Route 7A.A28Existing routing of the former Route 21C with an extension to Landmark Mall.A29Created on December 14, 2025.A40Existing routing of the former Route 16M and a modified routing of Route 16E.A49Combination of the former Route 16C and a modified routing of the former Route 16Y.A58Combination of the former Routes 1A and 1B between Seven Corners and Ballston, and the former Route 38B route.A66Combination of the former Route 16C in Culmore, and former Route 22A between Pentagon and Shirlington.A70Existing routing of the former 23A, 23B, and 23T between Tysons Corner and South Kenmore Street, then a modified routing to Potomac Yard station.A71Existing routing of the former 22A between Ballston and Shirlington, then a reroute to King Street station via King Street.A76Existing routing of the former Route 25B with an extension to Rosslyn via North Arlington Boulevard and 10th Street. Additional weekday peak period trips operate every 15 minutes (AM to Ballston, PM to Mark Center) as of June 21, 2026.A90Existing routing of the former Route 7M.
Fairfax County routes RouteTerminals Streets traveled Service notes DivisionsF19Mt VernonMount Vernon(Mt Vernon Hwy & Grist Mill Woods Way) ↔Potomac Park(19th St & Virginia Av NW) (AM)(18th & C Sts NW) (PM) GW Parkway Washington St 14th St Bridge Weekday peak service only (AM to Potomac Park, PM to Mount Vernon) Cinder BedF1XRichmond Hwy Fort Belvoir Post Exchange & Commissaryvia Gunston Rd ↔ King Street Richmond Hwy Part of 20-minute frequent service network Weekend service ends at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Select trips operate along Tully Gate Cinder BedF20Leesburg Pike Tysons(south side) ↔ King Street Leesburg Pike Part of 12-minute frequent service network Cinder BedF23Little River Tpk–GMUGeorge Mason University ↔ King Street Little River Tpk Part of 20-minute frequent service network alongside Route F24 Cinder BedF24Little River Tpk–Vienna Vienna ↔ King Street Little River Tpk Part of 20-minute frequent service network alongside Route F23 Cinder BedF26Annandale–Seven Corners East Falls Church ↔NVCC–Annandale Columbia Pike Little River Tpk Cinder BedF28Kings Park West Pentagon ↔Kings Park West(Twinbrook Dr & Twinbrook Run Dr) Braddock Rd Capital Beltway Shirley Hwy Weekday peak service only (AM to Pentagon, PM to Kings Park West) Four Mile RunF29Braddock Rd Pentagon ↔George Mason University Braddock Rd Capital Beltway Shirley Hwy Weekday peak service only (AM to Pentagon, PM to GMU) Cinder BedF44Columbia Pike–Pentagon Pentagon ↔Annandale(Patriot Dr & Americana Dr) Columbia Pike Four Mile RunF50Washington Bl Ballston ↔ Vienna (short turns) George Mason University Langston Bl Washington St Washington Bl Blenheim Bl Weekday evening and weekend service operates between Ballston and Vienna Cinder BedF60Arlington Bl–Fair Oaks Ballston ↔Fair Oaks Mall Monument Drive Transit Center (short turns) Wilson Bl Arlington Bl Fairfax Bl Part of 20-minute frequent service network alongside Route F61 Early morning and evening service operates between Monument Drive Transit Center and Ballston only Four Mile RunF61Arlington Bl–Jermantown Rd Ballston ↔Fair Oaks Mall Monument Drive Transit Center (short turns) Vienna (late nights) Wilson Bl Arlington Bl Jermantown Rd Part of 20-minute frequent service network alongside Route F60 Early morning and evening service operates between Monument Drive and Ballston only Late night service operates between Ballston and Vienna only Four Mile RunF62Pershing Dr–Arlington Bl Rosslyn ↔Seven Corners Transit Center (short turns) Dunn Loring Arlington Bl Pershing Dr On weekends, trips alternate ending at Seven Corners Transit Center or Dunn Loring Four Mile RunF81Burke CentreBurke Centre(Oak Leather Dr & Oakenshaw Ct) ↔ Pentagon Old Keene Mill Rd Shirley Hwy Weekday peak service only (AM to Pentagon, PM to Burke Centre) Cinder Bed Four Mile RunF83Cardinal Forest Orange Hunt(Huntsman Bl & Fairfax County Pkwy) ↔ Pentagon Old Keene Mill Rd Shirley Hwy Weekday peak service only (AM to Pentagon, PM to Orange Hunt) Cinder BedF85Little River Tpk–PentagonAnnandale(Americana Dr & Heritage Dr) ↔ Pentagon Little River Tpk Shirley Hwy Weekday peak service only (AM to Pentagon, PM to Annandale) Four Mile Run
Route history Route HistoryF19Existing routing of the former Route 11Y.F1XExisting routing of the former Richmond Highway Express.F20Existing routing of the former Route 28A.F23Existing routing of the former Routes 29K.F24Existing routing of the former Routes 29N.F26Existing routing of the former Route 26A with new weekend service.F28Existing routing of the former Route 17K.F29Combination routing of the former Routes 17B, 17G, and 17M.F44Existing routing of the former Route 16A.F50Combination routing of the former Route 2A between Ballston and Dunn Loring, and Route 2B from Dunn Loring and Vienna with an extension to George Mason University.F60Combination routing of the former Routes 1A, 1B, and 1C with service to Vienna station being replaced by Route F61.F61Combination routing of the former Routes Routes 1A, and 1B between Ballston and Vienna stations and Route 2B between Vienna station and Fair Oaks Mall with service to Dunn Loring station being eliminated. Route serves Vienna station via Nutley Street along the former Route 1A routing.F62Combination routing of the former 1B between Dunn Loring and Seven Corners, and existing Route 4B routing.F81Existing routing of the former Routes 18J and 18P.F83Existing routing of the former Route 18G.F85Existing routing of the former Route 29G.
Former routes Routes eliminated due to Bus Redesign All routes listed below were eliminated or renamed into an A or F designation on June 29, 2025. RouteTerminals Streets traveled Service notes1A, 1BWilson Boulevard–Vienna Line 1A Vienna station 1B Dunn Loring station ↔Ballston–MU station Arlington Boulevard Wilson Boulevard Modified and renamed into the F60 and F61.1CFair Oaks–Fairfax Boulevard LineFair Oaks Mall ↔Dunn Loring station Arlington Boulevard Fairfax Boulevard Combined with the 1A and renamed into the F60.2AWashington Blvd.–Dunn Loring LineDunn Loring station ↔Ballston–MU station Lee Highway Washington Street Washington Boulevard Combined with the 2B and renamed into the F50.2BFair Oaks–Jermantown Road LineFair Oaks Mall ↔Dunn Loring station Jermantown Road Lee Highway Combined with the 2A and renamed into the F50.3F, 3YLangston Boulevard-McPherson Square LineEast Falls Church station ↔ 3F Farragut Square 3Y McPherson Square station Constitution Avenue (3F) Lee Highway (3Y) Roosevelt Bridge