How to Use the DC Circulator Bus

The DC Circulator provides a fast connection to neighborhoods in Washington DC that are not well served by metro for only $1. You can pay the bus fare using either cash, a DC Circulator Pass, or a SmarTrip card.

The DC Circulator bus has six color-coded lines. All routes of the DC Circulator arrive every 10 minutes at each bus stop. However, each route has a different bus schedule. Check the DC Circulator Map before boarding the bus to identify which bus route is closest to your destination.

When boarding the DC Circulator bus, enter through the front door of the bus if using cash or a SmarTrip card. Just tap your SmarTrip card when you enter the front door to pay your bus fare. If you have a DC Circulator pass, you can avoid lines and board through any door.

While riding the DC Circulator bus, hold onto to your proof of payment (farecard, pass, or SmarTrip card). Fare checkers randomly board the bus during the day to verify that you have paid your bus fare. There is a hefty fine for scofflaws.

The DC Circulator bus does not have a digital screen or an announcer to let passengers know which bus stop is next. So, pay attention to the roads and know where you are. When you are ready to get off the bus, press one of the yellow and red buttons located on the arm rails or walls of the DC Circulator bus to alert the bus driver.