The longest set of single-span escalators in the country, and in the entire Western Hemisphere, is located at Wheaton Metro Station in Montgomery County.

Wheaton is a stop on the Washington Metro Red Line — a primary line through downtown Washington, D.C. — and is the oldest, busiest and currently longest line in the system. Service at Wheaton began on September 22, 1990, and it was the northeastern end of the Red Line for nearly eight years, until the Glenmont station opened in July 1998.

The 230-foot escalator, close to the length of a Boeing 747, is 18 feet longer than the second-longest escalator on the Metro (Bethesda). The escalator travels 90 feet per minute and is about a 3-minute ride down (if you are standing still).

Do you have a fun fact to share about your county? If so, please send it to Allison Valliant to be featured in MACo’s weekly Fun Fact on Conduit Street.