It runs for 27.6 km (17.1 mi)[5] in a near straight line through the city center (just approximately one kilometre (0.62 mi) east of the Forbidden City at Dongdan) from Tiantongyuanbei in Changping District to Songjiazhuang in Fengtai District.

[8] Line 5 runs in a North-South direction, beginning with three stations in the northern suburb of Tiantongyuan in Changping District, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) outside the 5th Ring Road.

It connects with the East-West Line 6 at Dongsi, and the old foreign Legation Quarter between Dongdan and Chongwenmen.

Line 5 was the first subway line in Beijing to feature platform screen doors in underground stations and automatic platform gates in elevated stations that prevent riders from falling onto the tracks.

Line 5 trains have digital voice announcements (in Mandarin and English) and LCD passenger information displays.