The station primarily serves Washington's Shaw neighborhood, the home of Howard University.

[6] Part of the original Metro plan, the station was initially referred to simply as "Shaw".

The central route under 7th Street, below which the station sits, was added in 1967 primarily to serve the "inner city.

Since May 7, 2023, the northeastern terminus of the Yellow Line was truncated from Greenbelt to Mount Vernon Square, following its reopening after a nearly eight-month-long major rehabilitation project on its bridge over the Potomac River and its tunnel leading into L'Enfant Plaza.

The 22-coffer "waffle" ceiling vault design among Benning Road, Capitol Heights, Federal Center SW, Navy Yard–Ballpark, and U Street.