What’s open, what’s closed around DC on July 4

Thursday, July 4, is a national holiday, and all the festivities will mean closings and changes to services around D.C. Here’s a rundown.

D.C.

  • District government offices, libraries and the Department of Motor Vehicles will be closed.
  • Festivities will mean extensive parking restrictions and street closures around the District. See a detailed rundown.
  • Department of Parks and Recreation administrative offices, recreation/community centers and indoor aquatic facilities will be closed. Outdoor pools will be open 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; spray parks will be open 10 a.m.–8 p.m. The Theodore Hagans and Fort Lincoln tennis courts will close at 2 p.m. Only fields that have existing permits will be available to the permit holders.
  • Trash and recycling collection for July 4 will be made on Friday, July 5.

On the National Mall

Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. for the “Salute to America,” scheduled for 6:30—7:30 p.m. near the Lincoln Memorial. Gates open at 3 p.m. for the annual “Capitol Fourth” celebration, scheduled for 8—9:30 p.m. on the eastern end of the Mall. Fireworks are scheduled for 9:07—9:27 p.m.

U.S. Capitol Police recently released details on what you can expect in terms of prohibited items, road closures and the like.

Events will mean extensive street closures around the Mall, making public transit your best option for getting around.

Metro

Metro will run from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with trains every 12 minutes on each line until about 2 p.m., then ramp up toward near-rush-hour-service levels afterward. (Note that times of the night’s last trains vary by station. Consult the agency’s website for detailed schedule information.)

Parking at all Metrorail facilities will be free.

Six Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Reagan National Airport remain closed through Sept. 8: Braddock Road, King Street — Old Town, Eisenhower Avenue, Huntington, Van Dorn Street and Franconia — Springfield. Free shuttle buses will run between Reagan and the Van Dorn and Huntington stations.

Buses will run on a Saturday schedule. Some festivities will mean rerouted buses earlier in the day.

Detours are expected around the Mall as well. A full list of bus timetables as well as a trip planner are available on the Metro website.

Around the Mall area, the closest stop is Smithsonian. Other options are Foggy Bottom, Metro Center, Federal Triangle, Archives, Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, Union Station, L’Enfant Plaza, Capitol South, and Federal Center SW.

Note that walking is preferable to transferring, as crowds will be thick.

Do not use Arlington Cemetery station if you are going to the National Mall. The Memorial Bridge will be closed to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic due to change’s in this year’s activities.

Note that the Mall side of the Smithsonian station will be “entry only” after 9 p.m. Riders at that time will need to exit on the Independence Avenue side. Similar restrictions are possible at the Foggy Bottom station before and after events.

D.C. Circulator

The service’s National Mall route will be suspended all day to accommodate events on the Mall. Normal service resumes on July 5.

From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Eastern Market — L’Enfant Plaza and the Congress Heights — Union Station routes will be detoured to accommodate the Barracks Row 4th of July Parade. Stops along Eighth Street Southeast at E, G and L streets will not be made. Temporary stops at both routes will be at 11th and G streets; 11th and I streets; and 11th and M streets.

Riders on the Dupont Circle — Georgetown — Rosslyn route should also note that heavy pedestrian traffic might close the Key Bridge. (Monitor the Circulator’s Twitter feed for updates.) If it is, buses will only stop on the District side of the Potomac, turning around at M and 35th streets Northwest.

Maryland

July 4 and 5 are state holidays. Offices and courts will be closed. (Universities do, however, have the option to remain open on July 5 and schedule the additional holiday at a later date.)

Montgomery County
  • County offices and libraries will be closed.
  • Parking at garages, lots and curbside meters will be free.
  • Department of Liquor Control stores will be open 10 a.m. — 6 p.m.
  • Aquatics programs and facilities will be open. The Germantown Indoor Swim Center closes at 3 p.m.; all other pools close at 6 p.m.
  • RideOn will operate on a Saturday schedule.
  • The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station will be closed.
  • There will be no county-provided trash-and-recycling pickup. After the holiday, collections will be one day later than normal, with the last pickup on Saturday.
  • Fourth of July celebrations are planned in Germantown and Kensington. Get more details on the Parks Department website.
Prince George’s County
  • County offices, courts and libraries will be closed.
  •  TheBus will operate limited, modified service.
  • Several waste and recycling facilities will be closed, including the Brown Station Road Public Convenience Center; the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill; the Materials Recycling Facility; the Missouri Avenue Solid Waste Acceptance and Recycling Center; and the Organics Composting Facility.
  • Curbside recycling and trash collection in county-contracted areas scheduled for July 4 and 5 will be made a day later.
  • Pools, parks and sports facilities will be open.
  • Senior activity centers will be closed.
  • Community centers and art centers will be closed.

Virginia

Arlington County
  • All government offices, courts, facilities and libraries will be closed.
  • Parks, however, will be open.
  • Arlington Transit bus routes 41, 42, 45, 51, 55 and 87 will operate on Sunday schedules. All other routes will not operate. ART’s customer service call center will also be closed.
  • Aquatics facilities will be open.
  • Trash, recycling and yard waste collection will operate on a normal schedule.
  • Metered parking will not be enforced.
Alexandria
  • City offices and libraries will be closed.
  • Trash and recycling collection will be delayed by a day.
  • The DASH bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule.
  • The King Street Trolley will operate every 10 to 15 minutes between the King Street Metro station and the Potomac River waterfront.
  • The Durant Arts Center will be closed.
  • Outdoor city pools will be closed.
  • The Chinquapin and Charles Houston rec centers will be open.
Fairfax County
  • County offices and libraries will be closed.
  • Circuit and general district courts will be closed both July 4 and 5.
  • For information on trash and recycling service, call your provider. The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be closed.
  • The Fairfax Connector buses will operate on a Saturday schedule.
  • Al RECenters except the George Washington RECenter will be open. Riverbend Park and Frying Pan Farm Park will be open as well. See more details on the county’s website.
Loudoun County
  • County government offices, circuit courts and libraries will be closed.
  • No bus service is planned for July 4. A reduced service schedule is planned for July 5. See a full rundown of service changes on the Loudoun County website.
  • Loudoun County Transit will not operate any bus services on July 4. There will be modified schedules, however, on July 3 and July 5. See more details on the county’s website.
  • The Franklin Park Pool in Purcellville (10 a.m. — 5 p.m.) and Lovettsville Community Center Pool (noon — 6:30 p.m.) will be open. Also open will be the indoor pools at the Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center in Sterling (5 a.m. — noon) and the Dulles South Recreation and Community Center in South Riding (5 a.m. — noon).
Jack Pointer

Jack contributes to WTOP.com when he's not working as the afternoon/evening radio writer.

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