Walking Routes Downtown on Inauguration Day

Whether you are attending the inauguration on the National Mall, taking in the parade along Pennsylvania Avenue or cheering the president's return at the White House, you can expect to do a lot of walking on Inauguration Day.

Between Metro station closures, parade route street closures and bus route changes, you will be using your own two feet to get where you want to be once you arrive downtown on Metro.

[Guide to Taking the Metro to the 2013 Presidential Inauguration]

To help, Metro has created a list of walking directions from various locations near to the National Mall area:

Arlington Cemetery (1.5 miles to Mall)
Walk 0.7 miles toward the Lincoln Memorial (away from Arlington Cemetery).
Go around the left side of the Lincoln Memorial and walk 0.3 miles to Constitution Avenue Northwest.

Farragut North (1 mile to Mall)
Walk south on Connecticut Avenue Northwest toward K Street Northwest.
Turn right at K Street Northwest.
Turn left at 18th Street Northwest. 
Continue to Constitution Avenue Northwest.

Farragut West (0.9 miles to Mall)
Head south on 17th Street Northwest toward Eye/I Street Northwest.
Turn right at Eye/I Street Northwest.
Turn left at 18th Street Northwest.
Continue to Constitution Avenue Northwest.

Foggy Bottom (0.9 miles to Mall)
Turn right onto 23rd Street Northwest and walk south 0.3 miles.
Turn left at Virginia Avenue Northwest and walk 0.6 miles to Constitution Avenue Northwest.

L'Enfant Plaza (0.2 miles to Mall)
Walk north on 7th Street Southwest to Independence Avenue Southwest.

McPherson Square (1.2 miles to Mall)
Walk west on Eye/I Street Northwest toward 15th Street Northwest and continue past the park.
Turn left at 18th Street Northwest.
Continue to Constitution Avenue Northwest.

Metro Center (1.7 miles to Mall)
Head west on F or G Street Northwest.
Turn right at 14th Street Northwest.
Turn left at Eye/I Street Northwest.
Turn left at 18th Street Northwest.
Continue to Constitution Avenue Northwest.

Waterfront (1 mile to Mall)
Walk north on 4th Street Southwest.
Turn left on Eye/I Street Southwest.
Turn right on 7th Street Southwest and walk 0.7 miles north to the Mall.

Additionally, Metro offers a walking map of downtown Washington on Inauguration Day, including street and Metro station closure information.

Because Pennsylvania Avenue is closed for the parade, you will need to walk to 18th Street Northwest at the western edge of the parade route or 1st Street Northeast at the eastern edge of the route to get to the Mall from north of the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route.

To leave the Mall after the inauguration, you can either take one of the Metro stations located south of the parade route or you can walk west to 18th Street Northwest or east to 1st Street Southeast/Northeast and walk north to the nearest Metro station.

Not sure which Metro station to take to get to your Inauguration Day destination? Use Metro's "What's My Best Route" tool here.