# Leaving Washington Dulles (IAD): the Silver Line finally makes sense

> The Metro Silver Line extension reached Dulles in late 2022. It changed the game — but only for some trips. Here's when to use it.

- Published: 2026-07-22
- Updated: 2026-07-22
- Author: Airport Exit
- Canonical URL: https://www.airportexit.com/blog/leaving-washington-dulles-iad-silver-line

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Washington Dulles (IAD) is 42 km from downtown DC — historically a bad, expensive slog. The Metro Silver Line extension in November 2022 fixed that. Mostly.

## Metro Silver Line

$6–6.75 peak / $2 off-peak to Metro Center / L'Enfant Plaza in 55–70 minutes. Every 10–15 min. Follow the covered walkway from arrivals to the Dulles Metro station (about a 10-min walk with moving sidewalks). Use a SmarTrip card or contactless.

## Uber / Lyft

$50–90 to downtown DC in 35–60 minutes depending on traffic. Pickup at door 4 or 6 on arrivals level. Surge is brutal at rush hour.

## Silver Line Express Bus (5A)

Cheaper predecessor to the Silver Line, now less useful. Skip unless the Metro is single-tracking.

## Taxi

$65–90 metered to downtown. No reason to pick over rideshare.

## Washington Flyer Silver Line Bus

Gone — replaced by the Metro extension.

Live guide: [Dulles exit guide](/airports/iad-washington). Compare: [Metro vs Uber at IAD](/compare/metro-vs-uber-at-iad-washington).

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