Northern Virginia trolleys
The earliest electric railway, or streetcar line, in Northern Virginia opened in 1892. At their peak, when merged into a single interurban system, the successors of this and several other lines ran between downtown Washington, D.C., Rosslyn and Arlington Junction - in present-day Crystal City - and out to Mount Vernon, Fairfax City and Nauck.
Electric trolleys also went west from Georgetown and Rosslyn on the Washington and Old Dominion Railway's Bluemont Division, traveling through Herndon and Leesburg to reach the town of Bluemont at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Those on the W&OD's Great Falls Division traveled from Georgetown and Rosslyn via Cherrydale and McLean to Great Falls.
Despite early success, the trolleys were unable to compete with the automobile and with each other. Plagued with management and financial problems, the last ended their operations in the 1930s and early 1940s during the Great Depression.
Northern Virginia's trolleys were originally operated by three different companies that all planned to operate within the District of Columbia and were never integrated into the Washington streetcar network. Their tracks were laid when most of Northern Virginia was undeveloped and had few streets and roads.
As a result, the trolleys mostly operated on private right-of-ways that their companies leased or owned. After they began operating, a number of communities developed along their routes.
The major lines of the Washington-Virginia Railway converged at Arlington Junction, which was located in the northwest corner of the present-day Crystal City south of The Pentagon. The Railway's trolleys then crossed the Potomac River near the site of the present 14th Street bridges over the Long Bridge and, beginning in 1906, the Highway Bridge.
The trolleys then traveled to a terminal in downtown Washington located along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, and D Street, NW, between 12th and 13 1/2 Streets, NW, on a site that is now near the Federal Triangle Metro station and the Old Post Office building within the Federal Triangle. The W&OD Railway terminated in Georgetown at a station on the west side of the Georgetown Car Barn after crossing the Potomac River from Rosslyn over the Aqueduct Bridge.
The Washington-Virginia Railway and the W&OD Railway had adjacent stations in Rosslyn near the present location of the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel, permitting travelers to transfer between the two trolley systems. After the Francis Scott Key Bridge replaced the Aqueduct Bridge in 1923, none of the Virginia lines terminated in Georgetown. Instead, Washington streetcars crossed the river on the new bridge and entered a turnaround loop within Rosslyn. There, passengers could transfer between trolleys whose lines separately served Washington and Northern Virginia.
Washington-Virginia Railway
Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway
Washington-Mount Vernon line
The Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway began operating between Alexandria and Mount Vernon in 1892. On August 23, 1894, it was given permission to enter the District of Columbia using a boat or barge. However, the railroad never actually used any such watercraft.The railroad completed its tracks in 1896 and began serving a waiting station at 14th Street NW and B Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. From the waiting station it used the Belt Line Street Railway Company's tracks on 14th Street NW to reach the Long Bridge, a combined road and rail crossing of the Potomac River.
In 1902, the railroad moved its station, as the Belt Line's tracks were circling the block containing the site of a planned new District Building. The new station extended along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, and D Street, NW, from 12th Street, NW, to 13 1/2 Street, NW, near the site of the present Federal Triangle Metro station and on the opposite side of 12th Street from the Old Post Office building.
In 1906, the Long Bridge's streetcar tracks and road were relocated to a new truss bridge, immediately west of the older bridge. This span was removed in 1967.
After crossing the Potomac River, the trolleys entered Arlington County to run southward near and along the present route of Interstate 395. They then reached Arlington Junction, whose site is now in the northwest corner of Crystal City west of Richmond Highway and south of The Pentagon and I-395. At the Junction, the line's route diverged from that of a line that traveled west to Fairfax City and which connected to others that served Arlington National Cemetery, Rosslyn and Nauck.
After leaving Arlington Junction, trolleys on the Washington-Mount Vernon line continued south along the present route of S. Eads Street while travelling largely on the grade of a towpath on the west side of the defunct Alexandria Canal. Near Arlington's present southern border at Four Mile Run, the railroad and its affiliates constructed an amusement park and a rail yard containing a car barn and a power plant.
After crossing Four Mile Run into present-day Alexandria, the trolleys continued to travel south along the present route of Commonwealth Avenue. The Mount Vernon line then passed under a bridge at St. Elmo that carried the Bluemont branch of the Southern Railway and later the branch's successor, the Bluemont Division of the W&OD Railway. The lines' St. Elmo stations, located in Alexandria's present Del Ray neighborhood, gave travelers an opportunity to transfer between the railroads.
The Mount Vernon line's trolleys then continued southward along Commonwealth Avenue until reaching King Street near Alexandria's Union Station. The line's trolleys then turned to travel east on King Street until they reached a station at Royal Street, in the center of Old Town Alexandria next to Market Square. They then turned again, traveled south on S. Royal Street and crossed Hunting Creek to enter Fairfax County on a -long bridge containing a concrete and steel center span and trestle.
After traveling through New Alexandria, where the line had originated, the trolleys continued south through Fairfax County at speeds of up to per hour while traveling partially along the present routes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, East Boulevard Drive and Wittington Boulevard. After crossing Little Hunting Creek, they reached a turnaround loop on which they traveled to a terminal constructed near the entrance to the grounds of George Washington's home in Mount Vernon.
At Mount Vernon, when the electric railway began service, the estate's proprietors insisted that only a modest terminal be constructed next to the trolley turnaround. They were afraid that the dignity of the site would be marred by unrestricted commercial development and persuaded financier Jay Gould to purchase and donate thirty-three acres outside the main gate for protection.
By 1906, the railway had transported 1,743,734 passengers along its routes with 92 daily runs. Passengers and others could read a 122-page Hand-book for the Tourist Over the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Electric Railway that described in detail the railway's routes and stations as well as the landmarks, history and geography of the area through which the railway traveled.
In 1913, the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway merged with the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway to form the Washington-Virginia Railway. During World War I, the railroad company extended the Washington-Mount Vernon line to Camp Humphreys. As the company received only partial compensation for constructing the extension, the action placed a financial burden on the company. The company went into receivership in 1923 when buses became the dominant form of local public transportation.
In 1927, the two railways were separated and sold at auction, the Washington-Mount Vernon line becoming the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway. The last trolleys of the line ran on January 18, 1932. Later that year the tracks were removed when some of the right-of-way was used for the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The path of the trolley turnaround at Mount Vernon remains as a traffic circle at the south end of the Parkway, while the former rail yard in southern Arlington now serves as a Metrobus yard.
Stations
The stations on the Washington-Mount Vernon Line of the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway were :| Station | Location | Jurisdiction | Miles from Washington Terminal | Notes | Coordinates | Image |
| Camp Humphreys | Fort Belvoir | Fairfax County | ||||
| Mount Vernon | South side of traffic circle at Mount Vernon Estate | Fairfax County | 15.8 | |||
| Oakwood | George Washington Memorial Parkway | Fairfax County | ||||
| Miller | Near west bank of Little Hunting Creek | Fairfax County | ||||
| Riverside | Wittington Boulevard and Bluedale Street | Fairfax County | 14.7 | |||
| Hunter | Wittington Boulevard and Elkin Street | Fairfax County | 14.2 | |||
| North Mount Vernon | Fort Hunt Road, south of Old Stage Road | Fairfax County | ||||
| Grassymead | East of Fort Hunt Road, north of Waynewood Boulevard | Fairfax County | 13.1 | |||
| Snowden | West Boulevard Drive and Collingwood Road | Fairfax County | 13.1 | Named for Isaac, William and Stacey Snowden | ||
| Herbert Springs | East Boulevard Drive and Herbert Springs Road | Fairfax County | 12.9 | |||
| Arcturus | East Boulevard Drive and Arcturus Lane | Fairfax County | 12.8 | |||
| Wellington | East Boulevard Drive, southwest of Wellington House at River Farm | Fairfax County | 12.5 | |||
| Bellmont | George Washington Memorial Parkway and Alexandria Avenue | Fairfax County | 12.1 | |||
| Happy Home | Fairfax County | |||||
| Warwick | George Washington Memorial Parkway and Morningside Lane | Fairfax County | ||||
| Dyke | George Washington Memorial Parkway | Fairfax County | 11.3 | |||
| Oaks | George Washington Memorial Parkway | Fairfax County | ||||
| New Alexandria | Potomac Avenue and Belle Haven Road | Fairfax County | 9.6 | |||
| Unnamed | Near S. Royal Street and Hunting Creek | City of Alexandria | ||||
| Alexandria | King and Royal Streets | City of Alexandria | 7.7 | |||
| Spring Park | King Street and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | 6.7 | |||
| Rosemont | Rosemont Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | ||||
| North Rosemont | Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | ||||
| Braddock | Braddock Road and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | 6.0 | |||
| North Braddock | Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | ||||
| Lloyd | Windsor Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | 5.7 | |||
| Del Ray | Del Ray Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | 5.6 | |||
| Mount Ida | Mount Ida Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | Historical marker near site of station: The Electric Railway | |||
| St. Asaph | Commonwealth Avenue, between Forrest Street and Ancell Street | City of Alexandria | 5.6 | Served St. Asaph Racetrack. Historical marker near site of station: St. Asaph Racetrack | ||
| Hume | Intersection of Hume Avenue, Mount Vernon Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue | City of Alexandria | Historical marker near site of station: Mount Vernon Avenue | |||
| St. Elmo | Commonwealth Avenue near Ashby Street | City of Alexandria | 4.8 | Crossing of W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division Historical marker near site of station: The Bluemont Line | ||
| Four Mile Run | Near present intersection of S. Glebe Road and S. Eads Street | Arlington County | 4.1 | Historical marker near site of station: Transportation | ||
| Car Barn | In bus yard east of S. Eads Street | Arlington County | Formerly in rail yard | |||
| Luna Park | West side of S. Eads Street | Arlington County | Adjacent to amusement park in present site of sewage treatment plant | |||
| Aurora Hills | 26th Street S. and S. Eads Street | Arlington County | ||||
| Virginia Highlands | 23rd Street S. and S. Eads Street | Arlington County | ||||
| Addison | 18th Street S. and S. Eads Street | Arlington County | 3.2 | |||
| Arlington Junction | Between Army-Navy Drive and 12th Street S and between S. Eads Street and Richmond Highway | Arlington County | 2.7 | Junction with the East Arlington branch of the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Railway and later with the South Arlington branch of the Washington—Virginia Railway | ||
| South Washington | Near I-395 | Arlington County | ||||
| Alexander Island | Near I-395 between Boundary Channel Drive and George Washington Memorial Parkway | Arlington County | 2.1 | |||
| Washington Terminal | 1204 N. Pennsylvania Avenue West side of 12th Street, NW, between Federal Triangle Metro Station and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW | District of Columbia | 0 | At corner of 13 & 1/2 Street, NW, and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in 1902. |
Remnants of the Washington-Mount Vernon line
- Roads
- * Wittington Boulevard, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- * East Boulevard Drive, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- * Potomac Avenue, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- * Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria. Coordinates:
- * South Eads Street, Arlington. Coordinates:
- Metrobus yard
- * Former rail yard at S. Eads Street and S. Glebe Road, Arlington. Coordinates:
- Traffic circle
- * Former trolley turnaround at Mount Vernon estate, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- Tracks - In May of 2020, during repair of a water main on King Street, a work crew of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services discovered old tracks buried under the pavement.
East Arlington branch
After leaving Mt. Vernon Junction, the East Arlington branch crossed the southern boundary of the federally-owned "Arlington Reservation". The site of the crossing was at that time near the southeast corner of Arlington National Cemetery, which was within the Reservation. After entering the Reservation, the branch turned to travel north along the eastern side of Arlington Ridge Road, which was outside of the Cemetery near the Cemetery's eastern wall.
While traveling next to Arlington Ridge Road, the branch passed the Cemetery's McClellan and Sheridan Gates. An expansion of the Cemetery later encompassed this portion of the Road, whose route no longer exists within the Cemetery.
Construction of the branch permitted visitors from Washington, D.C., to reach the Cemetery by rail for the first time. However, after leaving the trolleys outside of the Sheridan Gate at the branch's Arlington station, visitors needed to ascend a steep hill to reach most of the Cemetery's well-known features and burial sites.
After passing its Arlington station, the branch crossed the north boundary of the Reservation and turned to travel northwest until it met Rosslyn's Chadwick Avenue, on which it traveled north. The branch ended near the Aqueduct Bridge at the railway's Rosslyn terminal.
East Arlington branch stations
The stations of the East Arlington branch were :| Station | Location | Jurisdiction | Notes | Coordinates |
| Rosslyn | N. Lynn Street near Key Bridge Marriott Hotel | Arlington County | East of W&OD Railway station. 1925 photo | |
| Arlington | Arlington National Cemetery | Arlington County | Outside of the now-demolished Sheridan Gate of Arlington National Cemetery | |
| Queen City | Near present crossing of Columbia Pike and South Joyce Street | Arlington County | Outside of the south boundary of Arlington National Cemetery | |
| Mount Vernon Junction | Near present east crossing of Columbia Pike and Washington Boulevard | Arlington County | Junction with South Arlington branch of Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway | |
| Relee | I-395 between S. Fern Street and S. Eads Street, south of The Pentagon | Arlington County | Named for Robert E. Lee | |
| Arlington Junction | Between Army-Navy Drive and 12th Street S and between S. Eads Street and Richmond Highway | Arlington County | Junction with Washington-Mount Vernon line |
Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway
During its forty years of life, this interurban trolley company operated under a variety of names, as it repeatedly expanded, reorganized or contracted.Washington & Arlington — 1892–1896
On February 28, 1891, the United States Congress enacted a statute that incorporated the Washington and Arlington Railway Company in the District of Columbia, with authorization to reach Fort Myer and the northwest entrance of Arlington National Cemetery by crossing the Potomac River on a new bridge that the company would construct at or near the "Three Sisters" islets. The system started in 1892, as a horsecar line with tracks from Rosslyn up the hill to the Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate - this would later become the Nauck Line. In late 1895, the system was electrified. The company never constructed its planned "Three Sisters" bridge.
Washington, Arlington & Falls Church — 1896–1913
In 1896, track was laid from Rosslyn through Clarendon and Ballston to Falls Church, constituting the North Arlington Branch and part of the Fairfax Line, and the name was changed to the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church. The track though Fort Myer was extended past the northwest entrance to Arlington National Cemetery to reach Penrose in 1900 and Nauck, just north of Four Mile Run, in 1901. That same year saw the opening of about a mile of additional track, extending from East Falls Church to West Falls Church. Work on a far more ambitious extension began at West Falls Church in 1903, bringing the line through Dunn Loring and Vienna in 1904 to reach the Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax City. Between 1900 and 1904, the W.A & F.C. built the South Arlington branch from Clarendon to Mount Vernon Junction, where it met the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Railway's East Arlington branch, which traveled between Rosslyn and Arlington Junction.
Washington - Virginia — 1913–1927
In 1913, the WA&FC and Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon were merged to form the Washington - Virginia Railway, whereupon the WA&FC became the W-V's Falls Church Division. The company fell upon hard times and in 1924 declared bankruptcy. In 1927, the two companies were split and sold at auction.
Arlington & Fairfax — 1927–1936
The Arlington & Fairfax was organized by local governments to take control of the WA&FC line after the W-V went bankrupt. The South Arlington Branch was shut down, the tracks pulled up in 1931 and the right of way used to build part of Washington Boulevard. In 1932, the company lost the right to travel into D.C., and, on January 17, 1932, the last Arlington & Fairfax streetcar departed from 12th & D Streets, NW, abandoning all service in Washington, D.C.
Arlington & Fairfax Auto Railroad — 1936–1939
In 1936, the company was sold to Detroit's Evans Products Company, an innovative railway and automotive industry supplier that had developed the first version of the present hy-rail system called auto-railers, small buses that can run on rails on flanged wheels or on roads with rubber. In 1937, Evans replaced the trolleys with auto-railers. On rail, they went to Rosslyn where they were intended to switch to tires and cross the Key Bridge into Georgetown, eliminating the change in Rosslyn, but Capital Transit prevented that service by objecting that its franchise gave it exclusive service across the bridge. The auto-railers last ran in September 1939.
Nauck line (Fort Myer line)
Originally constructed by the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railroad, the Nauck line of the Washington—Virginia Railway ran south from Rosslyn through Fort Myer to an initially lightly developed area in South Arlington near Four Mile Run. After leaving the railroad's Rosslyn terminal near the Aqueduct Bridge, the line travelled south through Fort Myer Junction along the present routes of N. Lynn Street and N. Meade Street.The line then turned to the southwest and crossed the northern boundary of the Arlington Reservation and Fort Myer near today’s Wright Gate. Within the Fort, trolleys on the line climbed a hill along the present route of McNair Road near the western wall of Arlington National Cemetery to reach a station located within the Fort at the present intersection of McNair Road and Lee Avenue, near the Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate.
After disembarking at the Arlington Fort Myer station, visitors could enter the Cemetery near its highest elevation. This permitted visitors to avoid the ascent required when entering the Cemetery through the Sheridan Gate after traveling on the East Arlington branch to that branch's Arlington station. After the East Arlington branch closed in 1921, the Nauck line provided the only rail service that visitors could use to reach the Cemetery.
After leaving the Arlington Fort Myer station, the line traveled south through Fort Myer before turning southwest to cross the South Arlington branch of the railroad's Fairfax line at Hatfield Junction. Passengers could transfer between the two lines at the railroad's adjacent Hatfield station.
Soon after leaving Hatfield Junction and continuing to travel southwest, the Nauck line crossed the west boundary of the Reservation and the Fort, a short distance north of the Fort's Hatfield Gate. The line then crossed the present path of Washington Boulevard, south of the Boulevard's crossing of Arlington Boulevard
The Nauck line then traveled southwest and south while partially following the present routes of S. Uhle Street and Walter Reed Drive. After crossing S. Glebe Road, the line traveled downhill near the west side of S. Kenmore Street to end at a railway turntable near the intersection of 24th Road S. and S. Kenmore Street. The line terminated a short distance north of the Cowdon station of the Southern Railway, and later, of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division.
Nauck line stations
The stations of the Nauck line were :| Station | Location | Jurisdiction | Notes | Coordinates | Image |
| Rosslyn | N. Lynn Street near Key Bridge Marriott Hotel | Arlington County | East of W&OD Railway station | ||
| Fort Myer Junction | East of intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Lynn Street | Arlington County | Junction with North Arlington branch of the Fairfax line | ||
| Grinder | Arlington County | ||||
| Mount Washington | Arlington County | ||||
| Radnor Heights | N. Meade Street and 14th Street N. | Arlington County | |||
| Signal Corps | N. Meade Street immediately west of the Netherlands Carillon | Arlington County | |||
| Fort Myer Steps | Marshall Drive and Stewart Road, Fort Myer | Arlington County | |||
| Arlington Fort Myer | McNair Road and Lee Avenue, Fort Myer | Arlington County | Near Fort Myer Gate of Arlington National Cemetery | ||
| Hatfield | In Fort Myer, southwest of the intersection of Pershing Drive and Sheridan Avenue; east of Washington Boulevard and southeast of Arlington Boulevard | Arlington County | Crossing of South Arlington branch of the Fairfax line | ||
| Hunter | S. Uhle Street and S. Walter Reed Drive, near S. Courthouse Road | Arlington County | |||
| Penrose | S. Barton Street, between 2nd Street S. and 5th Street S. | Arlington County | |||
| Fulcher | Near S. Barton Street and 3rd Street S. | Arlington County | |||
| Munson | Near S. Cleveland Street and 5th Street S. | Arlington County | Named for Miles C. Munson | ||
| Bradbury | Near S. Walter Reed Drive and 6th Street S. | Arlington County | Named for Bertha E. Bradbury | ||
| Arlington Columbia | S. Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike | Arlington County | |||
| Petty | S. Walter Reed Drive and 12th Street S. | Arlington County | Named for Henry S. Petty | ||
| Fox | S. Walter Reed Dr. and 16th Road S. | Arlington County | |||
| Fort Berry | 19th Street S., west of S. Kenmore Street | Arlington County | |||
| Corbett | Between 19th Street S. and 22nd Street S., west of S. Kenmore Street | Arlington County | Named for S.B. Corbett Historical marker near site of station: Nauck: A Neighborhood History | ||
| Peyton | 22 Street S., west of S. Kenmore Street | Arlington County | |||
| Nauck | 24th Street S., west of S. Kenmore Street | Arlington County | |||
| Green Valley | 24th Road S., west of S. Kenmore Street | Arlington County |
Remnants of the Nauck line
- Station
- *2312 2nd Street S., Arlington, the former Penrose Station now a private residence. Coordinates:
- Roads
- * S. Uhle Street between S. Courthouse Road and 2nd Street S., Arlington. Coordinates:
- * S. Walter Reed Drive between Columbia Pike and 13th Street S., Arlington. Coordinates:
Fairfax line
Trolleys of the Fairfax line began their trips at the old Courthouse, located at the southwest corner of Chain Bridge Road and Main Street. The cars first ran westward along Main Street and then turned north at the site of the Fairfax Electric Depot onto the present route of Railroad Avenue.
After crossing the present route of Fairfax Boulevard, the line crossed a branch of Accotink Creek and Chain Bridge Road. The line then traveled northeast through Fairfax County a short distance east of Chain Bridge Road, crossed another branch of Accotink Creek, passed through Oakton, and reached the town of Vienna.
The line continued northeast in Vienna about a block southeast of Maple Avenue W.. After crossing Center Avenue S, the line's trolleys turned to the northwest on one of three legs of a triangular wye and crossed Maple Avenue E. After leaving the wye, the trolleys stopped at the line's Vienna station.
The Fairfax line's Vienna station was located in the center of town on the southeast side of Church Street NE, a short distance southeast of the tracks of the Southern Railway's Bluemont Branch, which became the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division in 1912. The Southern's Vienna station was a block northwest of the Fairfax line's station.
As the Fairfax line's tracks ended near Church Street, trolleys left their station by reversing direction. They then recrossed Maple Avenue E and traveled southeast on a second leg of the wye that paralleled the Southern's tracks, with which there was an interchange. Freight and work cars usually bypassed the station and avoided reversing by turning from the northeast direction to the southeast on the third leg of the wye.
After leaving the wye, the line continued east in Vienna on Ninovan Road, paralleling the Southern's route. The line then crossed the Southern's tracks on a bridge built near Franklin in 1904. After the crossing, the line traveled east in Fairfax County along the present routes of Electric Avenue and Railroad Street and within a railroad cut that is now in South Railway Street Park. The line then crossed the present route of the Capital Beltway, travelled along the present route of Helena Drive, crossed the present route of Interstate 66 and continued to travel within Fairfax County until it reached the City of Falls Church.
The line continued eastward through Falls Church until it crossed W. Broad Street. The line then travelled near the north side of the Southern Railway's tracks, following the present route of Lincoln Avenue until it reached Arlington County. After crossing Four Mile Run and Lee Highway, the line continued to travel eastward north of the Run and the Southern Railway while traveling near and along the present route of Fairfax Drive, which Interstate 66 and the Washington Metro's Orange and Silver lines have partially replaced.
The Fairfax line then left the Southern's route, which continued southwest to Alexandria. Further along, the line left that of the present route of I-66, which travels northeast to Rosslyn.
The Fairfax line then traveled along the present paths of Fairfax Drive and the underground tracks of the Washington Metro. Between 1912 and its closing, the line traveled under a plate girder bridge at Waycroft that the W&OD Railway had constructed near the west end of Ballston for its Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line, which I-66 later replaced north and northeast of Ballston.
After entering Ballston, the line passed a complex containing a car barn, rail yard, workshops, electrical substation and general office that the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway had built in 1910 at Lacey near the present intersection of North Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive. Continuing eastward through Ballston on the present route of Fairfax Drive, the line reached Clarendon, where it branched.
The North Arlington branch continued to follow the route of Fairfax Drive through and past Clarendon. The branch then traveled downhill on the present route of Fairfax Drive along the north side of Rocky Run, which U.S. Route 50 now covers.
Approaching Rosslyn, the North Arlington branch turned to the north at Fort Myer Junction and joined the Nauck line. The combined lines then continued north along the present route of N. Lynn Street, joined the East Arlington branch, and ended near the Aqueduct Bridge at the railroad's Rosslyn terminal.
Beginning in 1906, travelers on the North and East Arlington branches and the Nauck line could transfer at the Rosslyn terminal to the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad, which crossed the Potomac River into Georgetown on the Aqueduct Bridge. After the East Arlington branch closed in 1921 and the Aqueduct Bridge closed in 1923, travelers on the North Arlington Branch and the Nauck line could transfer in Rosslyn to the electric streetcars of the Capital Traction and Capital Transit Companies, which crossed the Potomac on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
After leaving Clarendon, trolleys on the South Arlington branch largely followed the future routes of Washington Boulevard and Southgate Drive. The branch crossed the Nauck line at Hatfield Junction and joined the East Arlington branch at Mount Vernon Junction. After leaving Mount Vernon Junction, the branch's trolleys traveled on the East Arlington branch's tracks until they reached Arlington Junction, where they joined the Washington-Mount Vernon line.
After entering the tracks of the Washington-Mount Vernon line, the South Arlington branch's trolleys crossed the Potomac River on the Long Bridge and, later, on the Highway Bridge. Their trips ended at the downtown Washington station.
I-66 and the Custis Trail now travel from Lee Highway in East Falls Church to Ballston on or near the Fairfax line's right of way along the former route of Fairfax Drive. Washington Metro's Orange and Silver Lines now follow the route of the Fairfax line and its North Arlington branch from Lee Highway in East Falls Church to N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn.
Fairfax line stations
The stations of the Fairfax line were :| Station | Location | Jurisdiction | Notes | Coordinates | Images | - |
| Fairfax Courthouse | Main Street and Chain Bridge Road | City of Fairfax | After 1907 | - | ||
| Fairfax Electric Depot | Main Street and Railroad Avenue | City of Fairfax | 1904–1907 Replaced by freight depot. Historical marker at site: Arlington-Fairfax Electric Railway | - | ||
| Cedar Avenue | Cedar Avenue | City of Fairfax | - | |||
| Wiley | - | |||||
| Martinique | - | - | ||||
| Blake | Blake Lane | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Sanger | Fairfax County | - | ||||
| Oakton | 2923 Gray Street | Fairfax County | Contained a post office and general store. Built in 1905. Preserved by Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. Station listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1995. | | - | |
| Edgelea | Edgelea Road and Courthouse Road | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Shockey | Hidden Road | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Five Oaks | Sutton Road | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Bothwell | Fairfax County | - | ||||
| Lewis Street | Wade Hampton Drive SW and Millwood Court SW | Town of Vienna | - | |||
| Library | Library Lane SW | Town of Vienna | - | |||
| Courthouse Road | Courthouse Road SW | Town of Vienna | - | |||
| Vienna | Near Dominion Road NE and Church Street NE | Town of Vienna | - | |||
| Park Street | Park Street SE and Ninovan Road SE | Town of Vienna | - | |||
| Tydidi | Name uncertain | - | - | |||
| Franklin | Intersection of Electric Avenue and Follin Lane SE | Town of Vienna | Northeast of crossing of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division | - | ||
| Woodford | Electric Avenue and Woodford Road | Fairfax County | - | |||
| East Woodford | Electric Avenue | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Wedderburn Heights | Electric Avenue | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Enola | Electric Avenue and Cedar Lane | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Dunn Loring | Railroad Street and Gallows Road | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Robey | Fairfax County | - | ||||
| Idlewood | Idlewood Road and Helena Drive | Fairfax County | - | |||
| Burr | Fairfax County | - | ||||
| Antrum | - | |||||
| West Falls Church | 1101 West Broad Street near Falls Avenue | City of Falls Church | Station at stationmaster's residence. | - | ||
| East Falls Church | Lee Highway and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | Ticket depot and post office in grocery store. . | - | ||
| Ashdale | I-66 near N. Roosevelt Street | Arlington County | - | |||
| Hyson | I-66 near N. Quesada Street | Arlington County | Named for I.S. Hyson | - | ||
| Heights | I-66 between N. Quantico and N. Potomac Street | Arlington County | - | |||
| Highland Park | I-66 near N. Powhattan Street | Arlington County | - | |||
| Upton | N. Ohio Street and I-66 | Arlington County | Near Fostoria Station of W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division | - | ||
| Kearney | N. Kennesaw Street and I-66 | Arlington County | Named for Blanche Kearney | - | ||
| Torreyson | I-66, east of Patrick Henry Drive | Arlington County | Named for A. Duke Torryson | - | ||
| Veitch Summit | N. Jefferson Street and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | Named for George A. Veitch | - | ||
| Mulhall | N. Harrison Street and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | Named for Bertha A. Mulhall | Fairfax Drive, east of N. George Mason Drive | ||
| Sunnyside | N. Edison Street and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | - | |||
| Burch | Fairfax Drive, east of N. George Mason Drive | Arlington County | Named for Mary S. Burch | - | ||
| Waycroft | N. Buchanan Street and I-66 | Arlington County | West of crossing of the Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line of the W&OD Railway’s Bluemont Division. | - | ||
| Lacey Car Barn | 907 N. Glebe Road | Arlington County | In rail yard east of crossing of the Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line of the W&OD Railway’s Bluemont Division. Historical marker at site: Lacey Car Barn Present site of Marymount University Ballston Center | - | ||
| Lacey | N. Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | Named for Robert S. Lacey | - | ||
| Ballston | N. Stuart Street and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | Opposite side of Fairfax Drive from Ballston-MU Metrorail station entrance. Historical marker near site: Ballston | - | ||
| Bolivar | N. Pollard Street and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | - | |||
| Farlee | N. Nelson Street and Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | Near Virginia Square-GMU Metrorail station | - | ||
| Belaire | Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | - | |||
| Clarendon | N. Washington Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard | Arlington County | Junction with North Arlington branch and South Arlington branch Near Clarendon Metrorail station | - |
Remnants of the Fairfax line
- Station
- * Oakton Station, 2923 Gray Street, Fairfax County. Now a private residence. Includes rail and a raised trolley roadbed.
- Roads
- * Railroad Avenue, Fairfax City. Coordinates:
- * Ninovan Road SE, Vienna. Coordinates:
- * Electric Avenue, Vienna and Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- * Railroad Street, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- * Helena Drive, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
- * Lincoln Avenue, Falls Church. Coordinates:
- * I-66 between N. Sycamore Street and N. Kennebec Street, Arlington. Coordinates:
- * I-66 between N. Harrison Street and N. Edison Street, Arlington. Coordinates:
- * Fairfax Drive, Arlington. Coordinates:
- Bridge remnants
- * Poured concrete railroad bridge abutment on north side of Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail between Electric Avenue and Ninovan Road, Vienna. Built in July 1904, according to engravings on its east side. Coordinates:
- * Stone railroad bridge abutment on south side of Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail between Electric Avenue and Ninovan Road, Vienna. Coordinates:
- * Abutments and wing walls of demolished railroad bridge over branch of Accotink Creek between Fairfax Village Drive and Ranger Road, Fairfax City. Coordinates:
- *Poured concrete railroad bridge over branch of Accotink Creek near the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Fairfax Boulevard, behind the 29 Diner in Fairfax City. Coordinates:
- Trails
- * Unpaved trails and trolley cut between Gallows Road and Morgan Lane in South Railroad Street Park, Dunn Loring, Fairfax County. Coordinates:
North Arlington branch
North Arlington branch stations
The stations of the North Arlington branch were :| Station | Location | Jurisdiction | Notes | Coordinates | - |
| Clarendon | N. Washington Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard | Arlington County | Junction with North Arlington branch and South Arlington branch Near Clarendon Metrorail station | - | |
| Spruce Street | Clarendon Boulevard and N. Fillmore Street | Arlington County | - | ||
| Oak Street | Clarendon Boulevard and N. Edgewood Street | Arlington County | - | ||
| Walnut Street | Fairfax Drive and N. Cleveland Street | Arlington County | - | ||
| Chestnut Street | Fairfax Drive an N. Barton Street | Arlington County | - | ||
| Courtlands | Arlington County | - | |||
| Court House | Fairfax Drive and N. Courthouse Road | Arlington County | - | ||
| Murphy | Fairfax Drive between N. Rhodes Street and N. Rolfe Street, Arlington | Arlington County | - | ||
| McCombs | Fairfax Drive | Arlington County | - | ||
| Baltimore Street | Fairfax Drive and N. Quinn Street | Arlington County | - | ||
| Wolz | Fairfax Drive and N. Queen Street | Arlington County | - | ||
| Military Road | Fairfax Drive, between the north end of N. Ode Street and the south end of Fort Myer Drive | Arlington County | - | ||
| Heights | Fairfax Drive, north of the north end of N. Nash Street | Arlington County | Named for Radnor Heights | - | |
| Fort Myer Junction | East of intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Lynn Street | Arlington County | Junction with Nauck line | ||
| Rosslyn | N. Lynn Street near Key Bridge Marriott Hotel | Arlington County | East of W&OD Railway station | - |
Remnants of North Arlington branch
- Roads
- * Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington. Coordinates:
- * Fairfax Drive, Arlington. Coordinates:
South Arlington branch
Eastbound trolleys using the branch while traveling to downtown Washington began their trips on the Fairfax line and entered the branch at Clarendon. The branch traveled from Clarendon southeast along the present route of Washington Boulevard and crossed the western boundary of the Arlington Reservation and Fort Myer.
After entering the Fort, the South Arlington branch crossed the Fort Myer-Nauck line at Hatfield Junction. The branch then traveled south until leaving the Fort and other federal property within the Reservation when crossing the Reservation's southern boundary near the Fort's present South Gate.
The branch then traveled east along the present route of Southgate Road, now immediately south of Henderson Hall, Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery. After passing the Cemetery's southeast corner, the branch reached Mt. Vernon Junction, where it joined the East Arlington branch, which was originally a branch of the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Electric Railroad.
South Arlington branch stations
The stations of the South Arlington branch of the Washington—Virginia Railway with locations of sites in 2008) were:| Station | Location | Jurisdiction | Notes | Coordinates |
| Clarendon | Washington Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard | Arlington County | Junction with Fairfax line and North Arlington branch Near Clarendon Metrorail station | |
| South Spruce Street | Washington Boulevard and 10th Street N. | Arlington County | ||
| Vinson | Washington Boulevard and N. Pershing Drive | Arlington County | ||
| Hatfield | In Fort Myer, southwest of the intersection of Pershing Drive and Sheridan Avenue; east of Washington Boulevard and southeast of Arlington Boulevard | Arlington County | Crossing of Fort Myer-Nauck line | |
| St. John | In Fort Myer, near the Hatfield Gate; west of the intersection of Sheridan Avenue and Carpenter Drive | Arlington County | ||
| Radio | In Fort Myer; near Hobson Drive, MacArthur Circle and Carpenter Drive | Arlington County | In Fort Myer, northeast of the NAA | |
| Syphax | Southgate Road and S. Oak Street | Arlington County | Named for the estate of Maria Syphax | |
| Clark | Between Southgate Road and the United States Air Force Memorial | Arlington County | Named for John W. Clark | |
| Mount Vernon Junction | Near present east crossing of Columbia Pike and Washington Boulevard | Arlington County | Junction with East Arlington branch of the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Railway | |
| Relee | I-395 between S. Fern Street and S. Eads Street, south of The Pentagon | Arlington County | Named for Robert E. Lee | |
| Arlington Junction | Between Army-Navy Drive and 12th Street S. and between S. Eads Street and Richmond Highway | Arlington County | Junction with Washington-Mount Vernon line of Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Railway |
Remnant of South Arlington branch
- Roads
- * Washington Boulevard, Arlington. Coordinates:
Historic designations
VDHR staff have determined that several other properties associated with the Washington and Virginia Railway Company/Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Electric Railway are not eligible for listing on the NHRP. As of February 6, 2018, the staff had not found any other such properties to be eligible for this listing.
Washington and Old Dominion Railway
Maps
- Expandable 1892 map of Washington, D.C., and suburbs, showing the route of the Washington and Arlington Railway between Rosslyn and Arlington National Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate:
- 1894 topographic map of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and eastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway between the city of Alexandria and Mount Vernon:
- 1894 topographic map of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway in the city of Alexandria and Fairfax County:
- 1898 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Electric Railroad and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway :
- 1900 map of Alexandria County, showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Electric Railway and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway:
- November 1901 topographic map of the District of Columbia and northeastern Alexandria County, showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railroad and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railroad :
- 1904 map of Alexandria County, the city of Alexandria and northeastern Fairfax County showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railroad and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Railroad :
- 1907 map of Alexandria County showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway and the Washington & Mt. Vernon Railway :
- Circa 1907 map of Alexandria County, Virginia, showing the routes of the Washington, Alexandria and the Mt. Vernon Railway and the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway :
- Washington—Virginia Railway system map. Washington—Virginia Railway Company. In
- 1915 topographic map of northwestern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Fairfax line of the Washington—Virginia Railway between Vienna and the city of Fairfax and the routes of the Washington and Old Dominion Railway between Vienna and Herndon and between Difficult Run and Great Falls:
- 1915 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Washington—Virginia Railway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railway:
- 1917 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes the routes of the Washington—Virginia Railway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railway:
- 1924 topographic map of the city of Alexandria and southeastern Fairfax County showing the Washington-Virginia Railway's route between Alexandria and Mount Vernon:
- 1925 topographic map of south-central Maryland and southeastern Fairfax County showing the Washington—Virginia Railway's route in Fairfax County to Mt. Vernon:
- 1929 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Arlington and Fairfax Railway, the Mount Vernon, Alexandria and Washington Railway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railway: