How to get to the Lincoln Memorial
By Metro
Foggy Bottom–GWU is the closest station, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, and the Park Service puts the walk at about 0.8 miles. Smithsonian, on the same three lines, is about 1.2 miles out and drops you at the far end of the Mall, which is a longer walk but a better one: you come at the memorial along the Reflecting Pool, which is the way the building was designed to be approached. Neither station is close enough to be a five-minute hop, so wear the shoes you would wear for a mile.
By car, and the two-hour problem
Street parking is limited. There are metered spaces on Ohio Drive SW between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and lots south of the Jefferson Memorial. All of it carries a two-hour maximum, and the Park Service says plainly that it is enforced by ticketing and towing. Two hours is enough for the memorial and a walk along the pool. It is tight if you also have an undercroft slot, because the museum alone allows a stay of up to two hours. If you are driving with an accessible placard, there are seven accessible spaces on Daniel Chester French Drive just south of the memorial, with the same two-hour limit — details on step-free access.
Bikes and scooters
There are bike racks and scooter parking nearby, and Capital Bikeshare stations within reach. Riding a bike or a scooter inside the memorial is not allowed, so plan to lock up and walk the last stretch. A bike is a good way to do the Mall in general, which is why one of the best-evidenced tours in our catalogue is a bike tour rather than a bus.
Arriving in Washington
The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) and the nearest train station is Union Station. From either, the Metro does the rest. The postal address the Park Service uses for the memorial is 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20242, which is worth having in a taxi app, because “Lincoln Memorial” can drop you on the wrong side of a lot of grass.
Ways in
- Foggy Bottom–GWU, about 0.8 miles
- Smithsonian, about 1.2 miles, along the Reflecting Pool
- Bike racks, scooter parking and Capital Bikeshare nearby
- Seven accessible spaces on Daniel Chester French Drive
Not an option
- Any parking without a two-hour cap
- Riding bikes or scooters inside the memorial
- A Metro station at the door — both are a real walk
- A drop-off directly at the steps
Covering the monuments without the walking
If the distances are the problem rather than the memorial, the electric-cart tours carry you between the monuments and stop at each one. This is the small-group version, day or night, and it has one of the longest review histories in the catalogue.
Once you arrive: what to look at, how long to allow, and when everything is open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest Metro to the Lincoln Memorial?
Foggy Bottom–GWU on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, about 0.8 miles away. Smithsonian, on the same lines, is about 1.2 miles and brings you along the Reflecting Pool. Allow for a real walk either way, and see how long to allow for the visit itself.
Is there parking at the Lincoln Memorial?
Limited metered street parking on Ohio Drive SW and lots south of the Jefferson Memorial, all with a two-hour maximum that is enforced by ticketing and towing. Seven accessible spaces sit on Daniel Chester French Drive — see step-free access.
Can I cycle to the Lincoln Memorial?
Yes. There are bike racks, scooter parking and Capital Bikeshare stations nearby, but riding inside the memorial is not allowed. Several tours in our catalogue do the monuments by bike.