Tysons (also known as Tysons Central 123 and Tysons I & II during planning phases) is a
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
station on the
Silver Line of the
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,[Google Books search/preview ...](_blank)
in
Tysons,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. One of four Metro stations in Tysons, it is one of the five stations comprising the first phase of the Silver Line. It opened as Tysons Corner on July 26, 2014.
Station layout
Like other stations on the Silver Line, Tysons has an elevated island platform and two tracks with the western side of the platform facing a tunnel portal on an open cut. Access is provided by two entrances, one at street level at the northwest corner of the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Tysons Boulevard and the other on the southwest corner; the sitting of the railway viaduct on the north side of Chain Bridge Road as well as pedestrian safety means that entrance to the station from this corner is by a pedestrian overpass to a mezzanine above platform level.
[Tysons Corner station](_blank)
''Dulles Metrorail'' Retrieved October 6, 2010
History and location
![VA 07 2012 Tysons Central 123 Metro Station 3639](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/VA_07_2012_Tysons_Central_123_Metro_Station_3639.JPG)
Tysons Corner station opened as part of the first phase of the Silver Line to
Wiehle–Reston East in 2014. In the planning stages,
controversy ensued over whether to build the Metro in a tunnel or on an elevated viaduct through Tysons. It was eventually decided that the majority of the line would be built above ground, but the station was built partially below ground in order to send trains through a short tunnel connecting the line's Route 7 and Route 123-paralleling sections.
One of four Metro stations within Tysons, the station is located in the heart of the
edge city
''Edge city'' is a term that originated in the United States for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban residential or rur ...
. Specifically, it lies above Chain Bridge Road (
VA 123) at its intersection with Tysons Boulevard. It is the closest station to two of the region's most important attractions,
Tysons Corner Center
Tysons Corner Center is a shopping mall in the unincorporated area of Tysons in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States (between McLean and Vienna, Virginia). It opened to the public in 1968, becoming one of the first fully enclosed, climate-contr ...
and
Tysons Galleria
Tysons Galleria is a three-level super-regional mall owned by Brookfield Properties located at 2001 International Drive in Tysons, Virginia. It is the second-largest mall in Tysons, and one of the largest in the Washington metropolitan area.
Histo ...
, which combined house roughly , or half of the region's retail space.
[Tysons Corner urban center: district recommendations](_blank)
''Fairfax County'' Retrieved October 6, 2013
From May 23 until August 15, 2020, this station was closed due to the Platform Reconstruction west of and the Silver Line Phase II tie construction. This station reopened beginning on August 16, 2020, when trains were able to bypass
East Falls Church station
East Falls Church is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Arlington, Virginia on the Orange and Silver Lines. East Falls Church station is the last aboveground, at grade, or open cut station for eastbound trains. East of this stati ...
.
Name change
In November 2020, WMATA approved a request from Fairfax County to change the name of Tysons Corner station to Tysons. The new name became effective on September 11, 2022.
Transit-oriented development
![Tysons Corner Metro exterior 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Tysons_Corner_Metro_exterior_2016.jpg)
In order to reduce congestion and improve walkability and connectivity in the area, the Fairfax County Planning Commission created the "Tysons Corner Urban Center Comprehensive Plan", an outline for the urbanization of Tysons in conjunction with the opening of the Silver Line. As one of four Metro stations within the identified locale, the station is the focal point of one of the
transit-oriented development
In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. It promotes a symbiotic relationship between ...
schemes in the plan. According to the commission's outline, the area bounded by Westpark Drive, International Drive, Route 123, Route 7 and the
Capital Beltway
The Capital Beltway is a Interstate Highway in the Washington metropolitan area that surrounds Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. It is the basis of the phrase "inside th ...
will be designated as the Tysons Central 7 District and contain high-density residential and commercial
mixed-use development
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
.
The plan envisions two major subdistricts, the North and South Tysons Central subdistricts, along with additional satellite subareas near the edges of the planning district.
The North Tysons Central subdistrict is to be anchored by the Tysons Galleria and has been revised to handle a maximum of of developable space in conjunction with better pedestrian access and improved street grid connectivity. Buildings heights within the North Tysons Central subdistrict will reach up to , among the highest in the metropolitan area.
![Tysons Corner Metro mezzanine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Tysons_Corner_Metro_mezzanine.jpg)
Similarly, the South Tysons Central subdistrict is centered around
Tysons Corner Center
Tysons Corner Center is a shopping mall in the unincorporated area of Tysons in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States (between McLean and Vienna, Virginia). It opened to the public in 1968, becoming one of the first fully enclosed, climate-contr ...
and has been upzoned for nearly of mixed-use space.
New developments will be concentrated on the south side of Tysons Corner station and can reach , with the possibility of density bonuses allowing growth to . Additional changes are envisioned for the Towers Crescent and Watson Street subareas.
References
External links
{{Washington Metro stations navbox
Railway stations in the United States opened in 2014
Stations on the Silver Line (Washington Metro)
Transportation in Fairfax County, Virginia
Washington Metro stations in Virginia
2014 establishments in Virginia
Tysons, Virginia
Washington Metro stations located above ground