View source for Washington, D.C.

{{short description|Capital city of the United States}}
{{redirect-several|dab=no|District of Columbia (disambiguation)|United States capital (disambiguation)|DC (disambiguation){{!}}D.C. (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-move}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| anthem             = "Washington"<ref>{{cite news |last=Wysong |first=Lori |title=Why You've Probably Never Heard Washington's "Official" Song |url=https://boundarystones.weta.org/2019/07/15/washingtons-official-song |access-date=August 29, 2024 |work=Boundary Stones |publisher=[[WETA (FM)|WETA]] |date=July 15, 2019}}</ref>
| name               = Washington, D.C.
| official_name      = District of Columbia
| settlement_type    = [[Capital city|Federal capital city]] <br/>and [[federal district]]
| motto = {{force singular}} {{lang|la|Justitia Omnibus}}<br />({{langx|en|Justice for All}})
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image<!-- CAUTION: The images in the collage have been deliberately selected for visual and aspectual balance. DO NOT make changes unless there is talk page consensus to do so. -->
| perrow                   = 2/2/2/1
| border                   = infobox
| total_width              = 290
| caption_align            = center
| image1 = 12-07-13-washington-by-RalfR-08.jpg
| alt1 = U.S. Capitol Building dome
| image2 = National Mall, Lincoln Memorial 04448v.jpg
| alt2 = Aerial view of the Lincoln Memorial, reflecting pool, and Washington Monument
| image3 = WashingtonNationalCathedralHighsmith15393v.jpg
| alt3 = The Gothic Washington National Cathedral
| image4 = Wharf Marina (cropped).jpg
| alt4 = The District Wharf
| image5 = Adams Morgan Day 2014 (cropped).jpg
| alt5 = Colorful rowhouses in Adams Morgan
| image6 = Smithsonian Air and Space Planes.jpg
| alt6 = Planes suspended from the ceiling of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum lobby
| image7 = White House lawn (long tightly cropped).jpg
| alt7 = Manicured South Lawn of the White House
| footer=''From top, left to right'': The [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]], the [[Washington Monument]] and [[Lincoln Memorial]] on the [[National Mall]], [[Washington National Cathedral]], [[The Wharf (Washington, D.C.)|The Wharf]], storefronts in [[Adams Morgan]], [[National Air and Space Museum|Air and Space Museum]], [[White House]]
}}
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = Flag of the District of Columbia.svg
| image_seal         = Seal of the District of Columbia.svg
| nicknames           = D.C., The District
| image_map          = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=280|frame-align=center|zoom=9|type=shape-inverse|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#5f5f5f}}
| map_caption        = Interactive map of Washington, D.C.
| image_map1         = DC neighborhoods map high res.png
| map_caption1       = Neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.
| pushpin_map        = USA#North America
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|54|17|N|77|00|59|W|dim:50000_region:US-DC_type:adm1st|name=District of Columbia|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| established_title  = [[Residence Act]]
| established_date   = July 16, 1790
| named_for          = {{hlist|[[George Washington]]|[[Columbia (personification)|Columbia]]}}
| established_title1 = [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801|Organized]]
| established_date1  = February 27, 1801
| established_title2 = [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871|Consolidated]]
| established_date2  = February 21, 1871
| established_title3 = [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act|Home Rule Act]]
| established_date3  = December 24, 1973
| unit_pref          = imperial
| government_type    = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|Mayor]]
| leader_title1      = [[Council of the District of Columbia|D.C. Council]]
| leader_title2      = [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]]
| leader_name        = [[Muriel Bowser]]&nbsp;([[District of Columbia Democratic State Committee|D]])
| leader_name1       = {{collapsible list
 |title = [[List of members of the Council of the District of Columbia|List]] |bullets=yes
 |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
 |list_style = text-align:left;display:yes;
 |1 = [[Phil Mendelson]]&nbsp;(D), Chair
 |2 = [[Anita Bonds]]&nbsp;(D), At‑large
 |3 = [[Christina Henderson (politician)|Christina Henderson]]&nbsp;([[Independent politician|I]]), At‑large
 |4 = [[Robert White (Washington, D.C., politician)|Robert White]]&nbsp;(D), At‑large
 |5 = [[Kenyan McDuffie]]&nbsp;(I), At‑large
 |6 = [[Brianne Nadeau]]&nbsp;(D), Ward&nbsp;1
 |7 = [[Brooke Pinto]]&nbsp;(D),<br />Ward&nbsp;2
 |8 = [[Matthew Frumin]]&nbsp;(D),<br />Ward&nbsp;3
 |9 = [[Janeese Lewis George]]&nbsp;(D), Ward&nbsp;4
 |10 = [[Zachary Parker]]&nbsp;(D), Ward&nbsp;5
 |11 = [[Charles Allen (Washington, D.C. politician)|Charles Allen]]&nbsp;(D), Ward&nbsp;6
 |12 = [[Wendell Felder]]&nbsp;(D), Ward&nbsp;7
 |13 = [[Trayon White]]&nbsp;(D), Ward&nbsp;8<ref>[https://dccouncil.gov/councilmembers/ Councilmembers] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320152447/https://dccouncil.gov/councilmembers/ |date=March 20, 2023}}, Washington, D.C. Accessed March 20, 2023. "Thirteen Members make up the Council: a representative elected from each of the eight wards; and five members, including the Chairman, elected at-large."</ref>
}}
| leader_name2       = [[Eleanor Holmes Norton]]&nbsp;(D),<br />[[District of Columbia's at-large congressional district|Delegate]] (At-large)
| area_total_sq_mi   = 68.35
| area_land_sq_mi    = 61.126
| area_water_sq_mi   = 7.224
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total   = 689545
| population_rank    = [[List of North American cities by population|67th in North America]]<br />[[List of United States cities by population|23rd in the United States]]
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="MetroEst">{{cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (CBSA-MET-EST2023-POP)|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 19, 2024 |archive-date=March 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314142116/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_metro   = 6304975 (US: [[List of metropolitan statistical areas|7th]])
| population_footnotes = <ref name="QuickFacts">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Washington city, District of Columbia |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/washingtoncitydistrictofcolumbia/PST045222 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 21, 2023 |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128071356/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/washingtoncitydistrictofcolumbia/PST045222 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_est     = 702,250
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/DC |title=QuickFacts: District of Columbia |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 21, 2024}}</ref>
| population_density_sq_mi = 11280.71
| population_density_km2 = 4355.39
| population_urban   = 5,174,759 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|8th]])
| population_density_urban_km2 = 1,543.4
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 3,997.5
| population_urban_footnotes = <ref name="urban area">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 8, 2023|archive-date=January 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114022812/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_demonym = Washingtonian<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brunner |first1=Rob |title=Who Should Be Called a 'Washingtonian'? |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/04/04/who-should-be-called-a-washingtonian/ |access-date=August 29, 2024 |work=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |date=April 4, 2023}}</ref>
<!-- GDP ----------->| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="bea.gov">{{cite web |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DCNGSP |title=Gross Domestic Product: All Industry Total in the District of Columbia |website=fred.stlouisfed.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (MSA) |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP47900 |website=fred.stlouisfed.org |access-date=January 3, 2024 |archive-date=November 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113181352/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP47900 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = [[Capital city|Federal capital city]] <br/>and [[federal district|district]]
| demographics2_info1 = $176.502 billion (2023)
| demographics2_title2 = Metro
| demographics2_info2 = $714.685 billion (2023)
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]]
| utc_offset         = −05:00
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −04:00
| iso_code           = US-DC
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 20001–20098, 20201–20599, 56901–56999
| area_codes         = [[Area codes 202 and 771|202 and 771]]<ref>[https://dcist.com/story/21/04/05/dc-new-area-code-771-to-start-in-november-2021/ D.C.'s New (771) Area Code Will Start Being Assigned In November] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426175047/https://dcist.com/story/21/04/05/dc-new-area-code-771-to-start-in-november-2021/ |date=April 26, 2021}}(Retrieved April 26, 2021, from DCist.com)</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dcs-202-area-code-ending-its-73-year-run/2020/09/22/dcb59ef0-fcea-11ea-b555-4d71a9254f4b_story.html 771 will be new D.C. area code, supplementing venerable 202] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129071406/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dcs-202-area-code-ending-its-73-year-run/2020/09/22/dcb59ef0-fcea-11ea-b555-4d71a9254f4b_story.html |date=November 29, 2020}}(Retrieved April 26, 2021, from Washington Post)</ref>
| elevation_min_ft   = 0
| elevation_max_ft   = 409
| website            = {{official URL}}
| blank_name_sec1    = Airports
| blank_info_sec1    = {{collapsible list |title=[[List of airports serving Washington, D.C.|Full list]] |[[Dulles International Airport|Dulles International]] |[[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Reagan National]] |[[Baltimore/Washington International Airport|Baltimore/Washington]]}}
| blank1_name_sec1   = Railroads
| blank1_info_sec1   = {{collapsible list|title=[[List of railroads in Washington, D.C.|Full list]]|[[Washington Metro]]|[[MARC Train]]| [[Virginia Railway Express]]}}
| flag_size          = 125px
}}

'''Washington, D.C.''', officially the '''District of Columbia''' and commonly known as simply '''Washington''' or '''D.C.''', is the [[capital city]] and [[Federal district of the United States|federal district]]{{Efn|While both the city and federal district have operated as a single entity since [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871|1871]], "Washington" historically referred specifically to the city, and "District of Columbia" referred specifically to the federal district.}} of the [[United States]]. The city is separated from [[Virginia]] to its southwest by the [[Potomac River]] and shares land borders with [[Maryland]] to its north and east. It was named after [[George Washington]], a [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Father]] and the first [[president of the United States]]. The district is named for [[Columbia (personification)|Columbia]], the female [[National personification|personification of the nation]].

The [[Constitution of the United States|U.S. Constitution]] in 1789 called for the creation of a [[federal district]] under [[District of Columbia home rule|exclusive jurisdiction]] of the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]]. As such, Washington, D.C., is not part of any [[U.S. state|state]], and is not one itself. The [[Residence Act]], adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the [[Capital districts and territories|capital district]] along the Potomac River, and is considered the city's founding date. In 1800, when the capital was moved from [[Philadelphia]], the [[6th United States Congress|6th Congress]] started meeting in the then-unfinished [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]], and the second president, [[John Adams]], moved into the newly finished [[White House]]. In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]] and [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], was officially made the federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress reduced the size of the district when it [[District of Columbia retrocession|returned the land Virginia had ceded]], including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it made the entire district into a [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871|single municipality]]. There have been several failed [[District of Columbia statehood movement|efforts to make the district into a state]] since the 1880s, including a [[Washington, D.C., Admission Act|statehood bill]] that passed the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] in 2021 but was not adopted by the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]].

[[L'Enfant Plan|Designed in 1791]] by [[Pierre Charles L'Enfant]], the city is split into [[Quadrants of Washington, D.C.|quadrants]] that meet at the Capitol Building, with 131 [[Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.|neighborhoods]] overall. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city's population was 689,545.<ref name="QuickFacts" /> During the workweek, commuters from the city's Maryland and Virginia suburbs increase the city's daytime population to more than one&nbsp;million.<ref name="U.S. Department of Commerce">{{cite web |title=Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/migration/metxmet/a47900.html |website=U.S. Census Bureau |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce |access-date=April 12, 2017 |archive-date=April 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419231809/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/migration/metxmet/a47900.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Washington metropolitan area]], which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia, and [[West Virginia]], is the country's [[Metropolitan statistical area|seventh-largest metropolitan area]], with a 2023 population of 6.3&nbsp;million residents.<ref name="MetroEst" /> [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|A locally elected mayor]] and [[Council of the District of Columbia|13-member council]] have governed the district since 1973, though Congress retains the power to overturn local laws. Washington, D.C., residents do not have voting representation in Congress, but elect a single [[Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives|non-voting congressional delegate]] to the U.S. House of Representatives. The city's voters choose three [[United States Electoral College|presidential electors]] in accordance with the [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-third Amendment]], passed in 1961.

Washington, D.C., anchors the southern end of the [[Northeast megalopolis]]. As the seat of the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]], the city is an important [[Caput Mundi|world political capital]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/307230206 |title=Nation's Capital in Eclipse as Pride and Power Slip Away |last=Broder |first=David S. |author-link=David S. Broder |date=February 18, 1990 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=October 18, 2010 |quote=In the days of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and the creation of NATO, [Clark Clifford] said, 'we saved the world, and Washington became the capital of the world.' |archive-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810135311/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307230206.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=FEB%2018%2C%201990&author=David%20S.%20Broder&pub=The%20Washington%20Post&edition=&startpage=&desc=Nation%27s%20Capital%20in%20Eclipse%20as%20Pride%20and%20Power%20Slip%20Away%3B%20Some%20See%20Descent%20as%20Steep%20and%20Permanent%20but%20Others%20Regard%20It%20as%20Temporary |id={{ProQuest|307230206}} |url-status=live}}</ref> The city hosts buildings that house federal government headquarters, including the [[White House]], U.S. Capitol, [[United States Supreme Court Building|Supreme Court Building]], and [[List of federal agencies in the United States|multiple federal departments and agencies]]. The city is home to many national [[List of museums in Washington, D.C.|monuments and museums]], located most prominently on or around the National Mall, including the [[Jefferson Memorial]], [[Lincoln Memorial]], and [[Washington Monument]]. It hosts [[List of diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C.|177 foreign embassies]] and the global headquarters of the [[World Bank]], [[International Monetary Fund]], [[Organization of American States]], and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and [[think tank]]s, the city is known as a [[Lobbying in the United States|lobbying]] hub, which is centered on and around [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Zak |first=Dan |date=May 19, 2023 |title=K Street: The route of all evil, or just the main drag? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/k-street-the-route-of-all-evil-or-just-the-main-drag/2012/01/26/gIQAAnKdsQ_story.html |access-date=May 2, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> It is also among the country's top tourist destinations; in 2022, it had an estimated 20.7 million domestic<ref>{{cite web |url=https://washington.org/research/washington-dc-visitor-research |title=Washington, DC Visitor Research |website=washington.org |access-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108223200/https://washington.org/research/washington-dc-visitor-research |url-status=live}}</ref> and 1.2 million international visitors, the seventh-most among U.S. cities.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 16, 2024 |title=America's Most Visited Cities |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/america-s-10-most-visited-cities.html |access-date=February 10, 2025 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
{{main|History of Washington, D.C.}}
{{for timeline|Timeline of Washington, D.C.}}
The [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking [[Piscataway people]] inhabited present-day Washington, D.C. and lands around the [[Potomac River]] when Europeans first arrived and [[European colonization of the Americas|colonized]] the region in the early 17th century. The [[Nacotchtank]], also called the Nacostines by [[Catholic missions|Catholic missionaries]], maintained settlements around the [[Anacostia River]] in present-day Washington, D.C. Conflicts with [[European colonization of the Americas|European colonists]] and neighboring tribes ultimately displaced the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near [[Point of Rocks, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BaJrnQEACAAJ |title=Ancient Washington: American Indian Cultures of the Potomac Valley |last1=Humphrey |first1=Robert Lee |last2=Chambers |first2=Mary Elizabeth |date=1977 |publisher=George Washington University |isbn=978-1-888028-04-1 |access-date=March 6, 2018 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126020432/https://books.google.com/books?id=BaJrnQEACAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Founding ===
[[File:USCapitol1800.jpg|thumb|left|In 1800, the [[United States Congress]] began assembling in the new [[United States Capitol]] after the nation's capital was moved from [[Philadelphia]], which served as the capital during the [[American Revolution]] and again from 1790 to 1800.]]
During the [[American Revolution]] and [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], [[List of capitals in the United States#National capitals|nine cities served as capitals]] to the [[Continental Congress]] and under the [[Articles of Confederation]]. Following independence, New York City served briefly as the first capital following adoption of the [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]] before the capital returned to [[Philadelphia]], where it remained from 1790 to 1800.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=The Nine Capitals of the United States |url=http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/Nine_Capitals_of_the_United_States.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226113429/http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/Nine_Capitals_of_the_United_States.htm |archive-date=February 26, 2012 |access-date= |website=[[Senate.gov]]}}</ref>

On October 6, 1783, after the [[Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783]] forced the capital to move briefly from Philadelphia to present-day [[Princeton University]] in [[Princeton, New Jersey]], Congress resolved to consider a new location for it.<ref name="JCC120">{{cite journal |url=https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=025%2Flljc025.db&recNum=120&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Fhlaw%3A%40field%28DOCID+%40lit%28jc02530%29%29%230250129&linkText=1 |journal=Journals of the Continental Congress |date=October 1783 |page=647 |title=October 6, 1783 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]]: [[American Memory]] |access-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115011035/https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=025%2Flljc025.db&recNum=120&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Fhlaw%3A%40field%28DOCID+%40lit%28jc02530%29%29%230250129&linkText=1 |url-status=live}}</ref> The following day, [[Elbridge Gerry]] of Massachusetts moved "that buildings for the use of Congress be erected on the banks of the [[Delaware River|Delaware]] near [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], or of the [[Potomac River|Potomac]], near [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]], provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for a federal town".<ref name="JCC127">{{cite journal |url=https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=025%2Flljc025.db&recNum=127&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Fhlaw%3A%40field%28DOCID+%40lit%28jc02530%29%29%230250129&linkText=1 |journal=Journals of the Continental Congress |date=October 1783 |page=654 |title=October 7, 1783 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]]: [[American Memory]] |access-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114184055/https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=025%2Flljc025.db&recNum=127&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Fhlaw%3A%40field%28DOCID+%40lit%28jc02530%29%29%230250129&linkText=1 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Federalist No. 43]], published on January 23, 1788, [[James Madison]] argued that the new [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance and safety.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/home/fedpapers/fed_43.html |title=The Federalist No. 43 |access-date=September 5, 2011 |last=Madison |first=James |work=The Independent Journal |publisher=Library of Congress |archive-date=September 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914085128/http://thomas.loc.gov/home/fedpapers/fed_43.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 emphasized the need for the national government to not rely on any state for its own security.<ref name="Crew">{{cite book |last1=Crew |first1=Harvey W. |last2=Webb |first2=William Bensing |last3=Wooldridge |first3=John |title=Centennial History of the City of Washington, D.C. |publisher=United Brethren Publishing House |year=1892 |location=Dayton, OH |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5Q81AAAAIAAJ}}</ref>{{rp|page=66}}

[[Article One of the United States Constitution#Section 8: Powers of Congress|Article One, Section Eight]] of the Constitution permits the establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten&nbsp;miles&nbsp;square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html |title=Constitution of the United States |access-date=July 22, 2008 |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |archive-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819235454/http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Constitution, however, does not specify a location for the capital. In the [[Compromise of 1790]], Madison, [[Alexander Hamilton]], and [[Thomas Jefferson]] agreed that the federal government would pay each state's remaining [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] debts in exchange for establishing the new national capital in the [[Southern United States]].<ref name=Crew />{{rp|pages=124–127}}{{efn|By 1790, the Southern states had largely repaid their overseas debts from the Revolutionary War. The Northern states had not and wanted the federal government to take over their outstanding liabilities. Southern Congressmen agreed to the plan in return for establishing the new national capital at their preferred site on the Potomac River.<ref name="Crew" />{{rp|page=124}}}}

On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the [[Residence Act]], which approved creating a national capital on the [[Potomac River]]. Under the Residence Act, the exact location was to be selected by President [[George Washington]], who signed the bill into law on July 16, 1790. Formed from land donated by Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring {{convert|10|mi|km}} on each side and totaling {{convert|100|sqmi|km2|0}}.<ref name="Crew" />{{rp|pages=89–92}}{{efn|The Residence Act allowed the President to select a location within Maryland as far east as the [[Anacostia River]]. However, Washington shifted the federal territory's borders to the southeast and rotated them to include [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] at the district's southern tip. In 1791, Congress amended the Residence Act to approve the new site, including territory ceded by Virginia.<ref name=Crew />{{rp|pages=89–92}}}}

Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory, the port of [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]], founded in 1751,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/Wash/dc15.htm |title=Georgetown Historic District |access-date=July 5, 2008 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=July 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702044337/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/wash/dc15.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[port]] city of [[Alexandria, Virginia]], founded in 1749.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alexandriahistorical.org/history.html |title=Alexandria's History |access-date=April 4, 2009 |publisher=Alexandria Historical Society |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404012136/http://www.alexandriahistorical.org/history.html |archive-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref> In 1791 and 1792, a team led by [[Andrew Ellicott]], including Ellicott's brothers [[Joseph Ellicott|Joseph]] and [[Benjamin Ellicott|Benjamin]] and African American [[astronomer]] [[Benjamin Banneker]], whose parents had been enslaved, surveyed the borders of the federal district and placed [[boundary markers of the original District of Columbia|boundary stones]] at every mile point; many of these stones are still standing.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bordewich |first=Fergus M. |title=Washington: the making of the American capital |year=2008 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-084238-3 |pages=76–80 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKKMJ7Rqta8C |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905234220/https://books.google.com/books?id=kKKMJ7Rqta8C |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boundarystones.org/ |title=Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia |publisher=BoundaryStones.org |access-date=May 27, 2008 |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217004724/http://boundarystones.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Both Maryland and Virginia were [[slave states]], and [[Slavery in the District of Columbia|slavery existed]] in the District from its founding. The building of Washington likely relied in significant part on slave labor, and slave receipts have been found for the White House, Capitol Building, and establishment of [[Georgetown University]]. The city became an important [[slave market]] and a center of the nation's [[Slave trade in the United States|internal slave trade]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Salentri |first=Mia |date=July 21, 2020 |title=How many buildings in DC were built by slaves? |url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/q-and-a/dc-enslaved-labor-buildings-the-q-and-a/65-05b18bf4-f1db-46e2-8463-e14aa21b550b |access-date=April 12, 2024 |work=WUSA |language=en-US |series=The Q&A}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Davis |first=Damara |year=2010 |title=Slavery and Emancipation in the Nation's Capital  |url=https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2010/spring/dcslavery.html# |access-date=April 12, 2024 |magazine=Prologue Magazine |publisher=U.S. National Archives |edition=Spring |volume=42 |issue=1}}</ref>

After its survey, the new [[federal city]] was constructed on the north bank of the Potomac River, east of Georgetown and centered on [[Capitol Hill]]. On September 9, 1791, three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction named the city in honor of President Washington. At the same time, the federal district was named Columbia,<ref name="Crew" />{{rp|page=101}} a feminine form of [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]], which was [[Columbia (personification)|a poetic name for the United States]] commonly used at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Get to Know D.C. |url=http://www.historydc.org/aboutdc.aspx |publisher=Historical Society of Washington, D.C. |access-date=July 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918042009/http://www.historydc.org/aboutdc.aspx |archive-date=September 18, 2010}}</ref> Congress held its first session there on November 17, 1800.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Senate_Moves_to_Washington.htm |title=The Senate Moves to Washington |access-date=July 11, 2008 |date=February 14, 2006 |publisher=[[United States Senate]] |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705105922/https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Senate_Moves_to_Washington.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

Congress passed the [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801]], which officially organized the district and placed the entire territory under the [[District of Columbia home rule|exclusive control]] of the federal government. The area within the district was organized into two counties, the [[Washington County, D.C.|County of Washington]] to the east and north of the Potomac River and the [[Alexandria County, D.C.|County of Alexandria]] to the west and south.<ref name="Crew" />{{rp|page=717}} After the Act's passage, citizens in the district were no longer considered residents of Maryland or Virginia, and their representation in Congress ended.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement on the subject of The District of Columbia Fair and Equal Voting Rights Act |url=http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/poladv/letters/electionlaw/060914testimony_dcvoting.authcheckdam.pdf |access-date=August 10, 2011 |date=September 14, 2006 |publisher=[[American Bar Association]] |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016174336/http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/poladv/letters/electionlaw/060914testimony_dcvoting.authcheckdam.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Burning during War of 1812 ===
{{main|Burning of Washington}}
[[File:British_Burning_Washington.jpg|thumb|After their victory at the [[Battle of Bladensburg]] in 1814, the British burned the [[White House]] and other federal buildings during a one-day occupation of Washington.]]

On August 24, 1814, during the [[War of 1812]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] forces occupied Washington after defeating an American army at the [[Battle of Bladensburg]]. In retaliation for acts of destruction by American troops in the [[Canadas]], the British set fire to federal buildings in the city, gutting the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], [[Library of Congress]], [[Treasury Building (Washington, D.C.)|Treasury Building]], and [[White House]] in what became known as the [[burning of Washington]]. The damage of the city's burning could have been more extensive, but a storm forced the British to evacuate the city after just 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_classroom/classroom_documents-1812.html |title=Saving History: Dolley Madison, the White House, and the War of 1812 |access-date=February 21, 2010 |publisher=White House Historical Association |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810154832/http://www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_classroom/classroom_documents-1812.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Most federal buildings were repaired quickly, but the Capitol, which was then still under construction, was not completed in its current form until 1868.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aoc.gov/history/us-capitol-building |title=A Brief Construction History of the Capitol |access-date=December 2, 2012 |publisher=Architect of the Capitol |archive-date=December 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121210221221/http://www.aoc.gov/history/us-capitol-building |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Retrocession and the Civil War ===
{{main|District of Columbia retrocession|Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War}}
[[File:LincolnInauguration1861a.jpg|thumb|left|The [[United States Capitol dome|U.S. Capitol dome]] was under construction during [[Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address|Lincoln's first inauguration]] on March 4, 1861, five weeks before the start of the [[American Civil War]].]]
In the 1830s, the district's southern territory of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] declined economically, due in part to its neglect by Congress.<ref name=richards>{{cite journal |last=Richards |first=Mark David |date=Spring–Summer 2004 |title=The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801–2004 |journal=[[Washington History]] |pages=54–82 |url=http://www.dcvote.org/pdfs/mdrretro062004.pdf |access-date=January 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118053203/http://www.dcvote.org/pdfs/mdrretro062004.pdf |archive-date=January 18, 2009}}</ref> Alexandria was a major market in the [[Slave trade in the United States|domestic slave trade]] and pro-slavery residents feared that [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionists]] in Congress would end [[Slavery in the District of Columbia|slavery in the district]]. Alexandria's citizens petitioned Virginia to retake the land it had donated to form the district, a process known as [[District of Columbia retrocession|retrocession]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Greeley |first=Horace |title=The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States |publisher=G. & C.W. Sherwood |year=1864 |location=Chicago |url=https://archive.org/details/americanconflic06greegoog |pages=[https://archive.org/details/americanconflic06greegoog/page/n154 142]–144}}</ref>

The [[Virginia General Assembly]] voted in February 1846, to accept the return of Alexandria. On July 9, 1846, Congress went further, agreeing to return all territory that Virginia had ceded to the district during its formation. This left the district's area consisting only of the portion originally donated by Maryland.<ref name=richards /> Confirming the fears of pro-slavery Alexandrians, the [[Compromise of 1850]] outlawed the slave trade in the district, although not slavery itself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Compromise1850.html |title=Compromise of 1850 |access-date=July 24, 2008 |date=September 21, 2007 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903103833/http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Compromise1850.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The outbreak of the [[American Civil War]] in 1861 led to the expansion of the federal government and notable growth in the city's population, including a large influx of freed slaves.<ref name="Dodd">{{cite book |last=Dodd |first=Walter Fairleigh |title=The government of the District of Columbia |publisher=John Byrne & Co. |year=1909 |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://archive.org/details/governmentdistr01doddgoog |pages=[https://archive.org/details/governmentdistr01doddgoog/page/n46 40]–45}}</ref> President [[Abraham Lincoln]] signed the [[Compensated Emancipation Act]] in 1862, which ended slavery in the district, freeing about 3,100 slaves in the district nine months before the [[Emancipation Proclamation]].<ref name=emancipation>{{cite web |url=http://emancipation.dc.gov/page/ending-slavery-district-columbia |title=Ending Slavery in the District of Columbia |access-date=May 12, 2012 |publisher=D.C. Office of the Secretary |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023225745/http://emancipation.dc.gov/page/ending-slavery-district-columbia |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1868, Congress granted the district's [[African American]] male residents the right to vote in municipal elections.<ref name="Dodd" />

=== Growth and redevelopment ===
{{see also|City Beautiful movement}}
[[File:Army Headquarters in Washington - State, War, and Navy Building, c. 1888 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Eisenhower Executive Office Building]], built between 1871 and 1888, was the world's largest office building until 1943, when it was surpassed by [[The Pentagon]].]]
By 1870, the district's population had grown 75% in a decade to nearly 132,000 people,<ref name="histpop">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2002/demo/POP-twps0056.pdf|title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990 |access-date=November 6, 2023 |date=September 13, 2002 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804230047/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/tab23.pdf |archive-date=August 4, 2011}}</ref> yet the city still lacked paved roads and basic sanitation. Some members of Congress suggested moving the capital farther west, but President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] refused to consider the proposal.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bordewich |first=Fergus M. |title=Washington: the making of the American capital |year=2008 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-084238-3 |page=272 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKKMJ7Rqta8C |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905234220/https://books.google.com/books?id=kKKMJ7Rqta8C |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871|Organic Act of 1871]], Congress repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington and [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]], abolished [[Washington County, D.C.|Washington County]], and created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia.<ref>{{cite web |title=An Act to provide a Government for the District of Columbia |url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=016/llsl016.db&recNum=0454 |work=Statutes at Large, 41st Congress, 3rd Session |access-date=July 10, 2011 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120224357/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=016%2Fllsl016.db&recNum=0454 |url-status=live}}</ref> These steps made "the city of Washington...legally indistinguishable from the District of Columbia."<ref name="Tikkanen-2023">{{cite web |last1=Tikkanen |first1=Amy |last2=Campbell |first2=Heather |last3=Goldberg |first3=Maren |last4=Wallenfeldt |first4=Jeff |last5=Augustyn |first5=Adam |date=May 4, 2023 |title=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403141527/https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC |archive-date=April 3, 2023 |access-date=May 5, 2023 |publisher=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]}}</ref>

In 1873, President Grant appointed [[Alexander Robey Shepherd]] as Governor of the District of Columbia. Shepherd authorized large projects that modernized the city but bankrupted its government. In 1874, Congress replaced the territorial government with an appointed three-member board of commissioners.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilcox |first=Delos Franklin |author-link=Delos Franklin Wilcox |title=Great cities in America: their problems and their government |year=1910 |publisher=The Macmillan Company |pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatcitiesinam00wilcgoog/page/n43 27]–30 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatcitiesinam00wilcgoog}}</ref>

In 1888, the city's [[streetcars in Washington, D.C.|first motorized streetcars]] began service. Their introduction generated growth in areas of the district beyond the City of Washington's original boundaries, leading to an expansion of the district over the next few decades.<ref name=neighborhoods>{{cite book |title=Washington at Home: An Illustrated History of Neighborhoods in the Nation's Capital |year=2010 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=978-0-8018-9353-7 |pages=1–11 |edition=2 |editor=Kathryn Schneider Smith}}</ref> Georgetown's street grid and other administrative details were formally merged with those of the City of Washington in 1895.<ref name=Tindall>{{cite book |last=Tindall |first=William |title=Origin and government of the District of Columbia |year=1907 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/origingovernment02tind/page/26 26]–28 |url=https://archive.org/details/origingovernment02tind}}</ref> However, the city had poor housing and strained public works; this led it to become the first city in the nation to undergo [[urban renewal]] projects as part of the [[City Beautiful movement]] in the early 20th century.<ref name=ramroth>{{cite book |last=Ramroth |first=William |title=Planning for Disaster |year=2007 |publisher=Kaplan |isbn=978-1-4195-9373-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/planningfordisas0000ramr/page/91 91]| chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BgTpVyDyWDIC |chapter=The City Beautiful Movement |url=https://archive.org/details/planningfordisas0000ramr/page/91}}</ref>

The City Beautiful movement built heavily upon the already-implemented [[L'Enfant Plan]], with the new [[McMillan Plan]] leading urban development in the city throughout the movement. Much of the old [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] [[National Mall|Mall]] was replaced with modern [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] and [[Beaux-Arts architecture]]; these designs are still prevalent in the city's governmental buildings today.

Increased federal spending under the [[New Deal]] in the 1930s led to the construction of new government buildings, memorials, and museums in the district,<ref>{{cite book |last=Gelernter |first=Mark |title=History of American Architecture |year=2001 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-0-7190-4727-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tCe8AAAAIAAJ |page=248 |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905234845/https://books.google.com/books?id=tCe8AAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> though the chairman of the House Subcommittee on District Appropriations, [[Ross A. Collins]] of [[Mississippi]], justified cuts to funds for welfare and education for local residents by saying that "my constituents wouldn't stand for spending money on niggers."<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=feb5BE4wvq4C&dq=constituents%20wouldn't%20stand%20for%20spending%20money%20on%20niggers.&pg=PA94 Home Rule or House Rule? Congress and the Erosion of Local Governance in the District of Columbia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813155247/https://books.google.com/books?id=feb5BE4wvq4C&lpg=PA94&dq=constituents%20wouldn%27t%20stand%20for%20spending%20money%20on%20niggers.&hl=pt-BR&pg=PA94 |date=August 13, 2021 }}'' by [[Michael K. Fauntroy]], [[University Press of America]], 2003 at [[Google Books]], page 94</ref>

[[World War II]] led to an expansion of federal employees in the city;<ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Paul Kelsey |title=Washington, D.C.: the World War II years |year=2004 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7385-1636-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GtVIlFGursEC |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906000441/https://books.google.com/books?id=GtVIlFGursEC |url-status=live }}</ref> by 1950, the district's population reached its peak of 802,178 residents.<ref name="histpop" />

=== Civil rights and home rule era ===
{{See also|1968 Washington, D.C., riots|District of Columbia home rule}}
[[File:IhaveadreamMarines.jpg|thumb|The [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom|March on Washington]] at the [[Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool]] on August 28, 1963]]

The [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution]] was ratified in 1961, granting the district three votes in the [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] for the election of president and vice president, but still not affording the city's residents representation in Congress.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twenty-third Amendment |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/anncon/html/amdt23_user.html |work=CRS Annotated Constitution |publisher=Legal Information Institute (Cornell University Law School) |access-date=August 28, 2012 |archive-date=August 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830173738/http://www.law.cornell.edu/anncon/html/amdt23_user.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.]] on April 4, 1968, [[1968 Washington, D.C., riots|riots broke out in the city]], primarily in the U&nbsp;Street, 14th&nbsp;Street, 7th&nbsp;Street, and H&nbsp;Street corridors, which were predominantly black residential and commercial areas. The riots raged for three days until more than 13,600 federal troops and [[Army National Guard|Washington, D.C., Army National Guardsmen]] stopped the violence. Many stores and other buildings were burned, and rebuilding from the riots was not completed until the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Schwartzman |author2=Robert E. Pierre |title=From Ruins To Rebirth |date=April 6, 2008 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/05/AR2008040501607.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 6, 2008 |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504041451/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/05/AR2008040501607.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1973, Congress enacted the [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act]] providing for an elected mayor and 13-member council for the district.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abfa.com/ogc/hract.htm |title=District of Columbia Home Rule Act |access-date=May 27, 2008 |date=February 1999 |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia |archive-date=August 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826223320/http://www.abfa.com/ogc/hract.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1975, [[Walter Washington]] became the district's first elected and first black mayor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mathews |first=Jay |title=City's 1st Mayoral Race, as Innocent as Young Love |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/2000/mayor101199.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 11, 1999 |page=A1 |access-date=November 29, 2015 |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014050258/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/2000/mayor101199.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Statehood movement===
{{main|District of Columbia statehood movement}}
Since the 1980s, the [[District of Columbia statehood movement|D.C. statehood movement]] has grown in prominence. In 2016, a [[2016 Washington, D.C., statehood referendum|referendum on D.C. statehood]] resulted in an 85% support among Washington, D.C., voters for it to become the nation's [[51st state]]. In March 2017, the city's congressional delegate [[Eleanor Holmes Norton]] introduced a bill for statehood. Reintroduced in 2019 and 2021 as the [[Washington, D.C., Admission Act]], the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] passed it in April 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sprunt |first=Barbara |date=April 22, 2021 |title=House Democrats Pass Bill To Make D.C. The 51st State |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/989119412/house-democrats-pass-bill-to-make-d-c-the-51st-state |access-date=June 14, 2025 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> After not progressing in the Senate, the statehood bill was introduced again in January 2023.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/24/dc-statehood-senate-bill/ |title= D.C. leaders herald Senate statehood bill despite steep odds |newspaper= The Washington Post |first= Meagan |last= Flynn |date= January 24, 2023 |access-date= July 18, 2023 |archive-date= March 29, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230329171144/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/24/dc-statehood-senate-bill/ |url-status= live }}</ref>
The bill would have made D.C. into a state with one representative and two senators, with the name Washington, Douglass Commonwealth (thus keeping the abbreviation Washington, D.C.).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/dozens-constitutional-scholars-tell-congress-it-has-power-make-d-n1268282 |work=NBC |title=Dozens of constitutional scholars tell Congress it has power to make D.C. a state |first=Sahil |last=Kapur |date=May 24, 2021 |access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref> The legalities, reasons, and impact of statehood have been heavily debated in the 2020s.<ref name="sthd101">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/23/politics/washington-dc-statehood-101/index.html |title=DC statehood: Why it should (and should not) happen |date=April 23, 2021 |work=CNN |first=Zachary B. |last=Wolf |access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref>

===2025 federal takeover===
{{Main|Declaring a Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia}}
{{See also|2025 deployment of federal forces in the United States}}
On August 11, 2025, [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]] switched control of the [[Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia]] from the city government of Washington, D.C., to the federal government, invoking section 740 of the [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act]]. Trump also deployed [[Federal law enforcement in the United States|federal law enforcement agencies]] and the [[District of Columbia National Guard]] in response to what he said was "rampant crime" in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 11, 2025 |title=Trump says he's placing Washington police under federal control and activating the National Guard |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-crime-national-guard-homelessness-655bc22834223c7dc93115bbcb2b215c |access-date=August 11, 2025 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=David |last2=Chidi |first2=George |date=August 11, 2025 |title=Trump seizes control of Washington DC police and deploys national guard |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/11/trump-washington-dc-crime |access-date=August 11, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:DC Cherry Blossom April 2018 03.jpg|thumb|The [[Washington Monument]] viewed from the [[Tidal Basin]] during the [[National Cherry Blossom Festival]] in April 2018]]
[[File:Washington, D.C. locator map.svg|thumb|Washington, D.C. is located on the north side of the [[Potomac River]]. It is bordered on three sides by [[Maryland]] and by [[Northern Virginia]] to its southwest.]]
Washington, D.C., is located in the [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic region]] of the [[East Coast of the United States|U.S. East Coast]]. The city has a total area of {{convert|68.34|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}, of which {{convert|61.05|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|7.29|sqmi|km2}} (10.67%) is water.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-10.pdf |title=District of Columbia: 2010 |access-date=December 22, 2015 |date=June 2012 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |archive-date=June 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618075141/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-10.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The district is bordered by [[Montgomery County, Maryland]], to the northwest; [[Prince George's County, Maryland]], to the east; [[Arlington County, Virginia]], to the west; and [[Alexandria, Virginia]], to the south.

The south bank of the [[Potomac River]] forms the district's border with Virginia and has two major tributaries, the [[Anacostia River]] and [[Rock Creek (Potomac River tributary)|Rock Creek]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.potomacriver.org/2012/facts-a-faqs/faqs |title=Facts & FAQs |publisher=Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin |access-date=March 31, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813114925/http://www.potomacriver.org/2012/facts-a-faqs/faqs |archive-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> [[Tiber Creek]], a natural watercourse that once passed through the [[National Mall]], was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Grant III |first=Ulysses Simpson |year=1950 |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |volume=50 |title=Planning the Nation's Capital |pages=43–58 |author-link=Ulysses S. Grant III}}</ref> The creek also formed a portion of the now-filled [[Washington City Canal]], which allowed passage through the city to the Anacostia River from 1815 until the 1850s.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Heine |first=Cornelius W. |year=1953 |title=The Washington City Canal |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |volume=53 |pages=1–27 |jstor=40067664}}</ref> The [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] starts in [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]] and was used during the 19th century to bypass the [[Little Falls (Potomac River)|Little Falls]] of the Potomac River, located at the northwest edge of the city at the [[Atlantic Seaboard fall line]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/choh/learn/historyculture/index.htm |title=C&O Canal National Historic Park: History & Culture |access-date=July 3, 2008 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=June 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611121022/http://www.nps.gov/choh/historyculture/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The highest natural elevation in the district is {{convert|409|ft|m}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]] at [[Fort Reno Park]] in upper [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|northwest Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041703859.html |title=D.C.'s Puny Peak Enough to Pump Up 'Highpointers' |last=Dvorak |first=Petula |date=April 18, 2008 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |pages=B01 |access-date=February 25, 2009 |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504041548/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041703859.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The lowest point is sea level at the Potomac River.<ref>{{cite book |last=Winegar |first=Deane |title=Highroad Guide to the Chesapeake Bay |year=2003 |publisher=John F. Blair |isbn=978-0-89587-279-1 |page=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMejFkODGIcC |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905233645/https://books.google.com/books?id=bMejFkODGIcC |url-status=live }}</ref> The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L streets NW.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=DC |title=Science in Your State: District of Columbia |access-date=July 7, 2008 |date=July 30, 2007 |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |archive-date=June 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627001203/http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=DC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Mollie |title=Washington's Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales—Some of Which Are True |url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/washingtons-myths-legends-and-tall-talessome-of-which-are-true/ |access-date=August 29, 2011 |newspaper=Washingtonian |date=May 12, 2012 |archive-date=April 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417214351/http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/washingtons-myths-legends-and-tall-talessome-of-which-are-true/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=legend>{{cite news |first=John |last=Kelly |title=Washington Built on a Swamp? Think Again. |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 1, 2012 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/washington-built-on-a-swamp-think-again/2012/03/31/gIQA7BfBpS_story.html |access-date=November 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209115258/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/washington-built-on-a-swamp-think-again/2012/03/31/gIQA7BfBpS_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Parks ===
[[File:Pine Trail - Flickr - treegrow (1).jpg|thumb|[[Rock Creek Park]], the city's largest park, stretches across [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|Northwest]].]]
[[File:Fountain at Meridian Hill Park (cropped2).jpg|thumb|The ''[[Cascading Waterfall]]'' at [[Meridian Hill Park]] in [[Meridian Hill]]]]
There are many parks, gardens, squares, and circles throughout Washington. The city has 683 parks and greenspaces, comprising {{convert|7464|acre|km2}}, about 20% of its land area. Consequently, 99% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. According to the nonprofit [[Trust for Public Land]], in 2023 Washington ranked first among the 100 largest U.S. cities for its public parks, based on indicators such as accessibility, the share of land reserved for parks, and the amount invested in green spaces.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/06/02/dc-public-parks-best |title=D.C. ranks top in the country for public parks |date=June 2, 2023 |access-date=March 19, 2024 |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319084601/https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/06/02/dc-public-parks-best |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Romero |first1=Melissa |title=D.C. Named a Top City for Urban Forests|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2013/02/05/dc-named-a-top-city-for-urban-forests/ |access-date=March 12, 2025 |work=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |date=February 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Austermuhle |first1=Martin |title=D.C. Parks Again Fare Well in National Rankings |url=https://dcist.com/story/12/05/23/dc-parks-again-fare-well-in-nationa/ |access-date=March 12, 2025 |work=[[DCist]] |publisher=[[Gothamist LLC]] |date=May 23, 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[National Park Service]] manages most of the {{convert|9122|acre|km2}} of city land owned by the U.S. government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Comparison of Federally Owned Land with Total Acreage of States |url=http://www.blm.gov/public_land_statistics/pls99/99pl1-3.pdf |publisher=Bureau of Land Management |access-date=July 19, 2011 |year=1999 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016174341/http://www.blm.gov/public_land_statistics/pls99/99pl1-3.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2011}}</ref> [[Rock Creek Park]], located in Northwest D.C., is the largest park in the city, with {{convert|1754|acre|km2|adj=off}} of urban forest extending {{convert|9.3|mi|km}} through a stream valley that bisects the city. Established in 1890, it is the country's fourth-oldest national park and is home to a variety of plant and animal species, including raccoon, deer, owls, and coyotes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rock Creek Park |url=https://www.nps.gov/rocr/index.htm |work=Geology Fieldnotes |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=February 3, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204002946/http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/rocr/index.cfm |archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref> Other National Park Service properties include the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park]], the [[National Mall and Memorial Parks]], [[Fort Dupont Park]], [[Meridian Hill Park]], [[Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens]], and [[Anacostia Park]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/state/dc/list.htm |title=District of Columbia |access-date=October 16, 2011 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016040110/http://www.nps.gov/state/dc/list.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation]] maintains the city's {{convert|900|acres|km2}} of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers.<ref>{{cite web |title=FY12 Performance Plan |url=http://oca.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/oca/publication/attachments/DPR12.pdf |publisher=D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation |access-date=February 3, 2013 |archive-date=May 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509090305/http://oca.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/oca/publication/attachments/DPR12.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[United States Department of Agriculture|U.S. Department of Agriculture]] operates the {{convert|446|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[United States National Arboretum]], a dense [[arboretum]] in Northeast D.C. filled with gardens and trails. Its most notable landmark is the [[National Capitol Columns]] monument.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. National Arboretum |url=https://www.usna.usda.gov/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926234951/https://www.usna.usda.gov/ |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |access-date=September 10, 2022 |publisher=USDA}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Information/historymissn.html |title=U.S. National Arboretum History and Mission |access-date=July 7, 2008 |date=October 16, 2007 |publisher=[[United States National Arboretum]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805235639/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Information/historymissn.html |archive-date=August 5, 2011}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=February 2025}}

There are several river islands in Washington, D.C., including [[Theodore Roosevelt Island]] in the [[Potomac River]], which hosts the [[Theodore Roosevelt Island#National memorial|Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial]] and a number of trails.<ref>{{cite web |title=Theodore Roosevelt Island |url=https://www.nps.gov/this/index.htm |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926231414/https://www.nps.gov/this/index.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Columbia Island (Washington, D.C.)|Columbia Island]], also in the Potomac, is home to the [[Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac|Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove]], the [[Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial]], and a marina. [[Kingman Island]], in the [[Anacostia River]], is home to [[Langston Golf Course]] and a public park with trails.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Langston Golf Course |url=https://www.playdcgolf.com/langston-golf-course/ |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=playDCgolf |language=en-US |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319084602/https://www.playdcgolf.com/langston-golf-course/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=February 2025}}

[[West Potomac Park]] includes the parkland that extends south of the [[Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool]], from the [[Lincoln Memorial]] to the grounds of the [[Washington Monument]] {{see above|{{section link||National Mall and Tidal Basin}} below}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=East and West Potomac Parks Historic District - East and West Potomac Parks comprise a large portion of the Washington's monumental core, while at the same time providing recreational space for residents and tourists alike. |url=https://historicsites.dcpreservation.org/items/show/167 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |website=DC Historic Sites |language=en}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=February 2025}} Located on the northern side of the White House, [[Lafayette Square (Washington, D.C.)|Lafayette Square]] is a historic public square. It has been the site of many protests, marches, and speeches. The houses bordering Lafayette Square have served as the home to many notable figures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lafayette Square, Washington, DC |url=https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/historic-preservation/explore-historic-buildings/heritage-tourism/our-capital/lafayette-square-washington-dc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630035218/https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/historic-preservation/explore-historic-buildings/heritage-tourism/our-capital/lafayette-square-washington-dc |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |access-date=September 10, 2022 |publisher=U.S. General Service Administration}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=February 2025}} Other parks, gardens, and squares include [[Dumbarton Oaks]], [[Meridian Hill Park]], [[The Yards (Washington, D.C.)|the Yards]], [[Lincoln Park (Washington, D.C.)|Lincoln Park]], [[Franklin Square (Washington, D.C.)|Franklin Square]], [[McPherson Square]], and [[Farragut Square]].<ref>{{cite web |title=12 Top Washington DC Parks |url=https://www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc/12-best-parks-dc |publisher=Old Trolley Tours |access-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923154424/https://www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc/12-best-parks-dc |url-status=live }}</ref> There are a large number of [[List of circles in Washington, D.C.|traffic circles and circle parks in Washington, D.C.]], including [[Dupont Circle]], [[Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.)|Logan Circle]], and [[Thomas Circle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ggwash.org/view/71396/the-fascinating-story-of-washington-dc-many-circles-and-squares-lenfant|title=What we can learn from the history of DC's circles and squares|first=Mark |last=Eckenwiler|date=March 26, 2019|accessdate=February 25, 2025|work=Greater Greater Washington}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{See also|Climate change in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_February_2010_Blizzard.jpg|thumb|The [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]] during the [[February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard]]]]
Washington's climate is temperate [[humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'').<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/files/40083/metz_Vol_15_No_3_p259-263_World_Map_of_the_Koppen_Geiger_climate_classification_updated_55034.pdf |title=World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated |journal=Meteorologische Zeitschrift |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=259 |date=November 6, 2008 |access-date=December 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224195637/https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/40083/file/metz_Vol_15_No_3_p259-263_World_Map_of_the_Koppen_Geiger_climate_classification_updated_55034.pdf |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |bibcode=2006MetZe..15..259K |last1=Kottek |first1=Markus |last2=Grieser |first2=Jürgen |last3=Beck |first3=Christoph |last4=Rudolf |first4=Bruno |last5=Rubel |first5=Franz |doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130  |issn=0941-2948}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Peterson |first=Adam |title=English: Trewartha climate types for the contiguous United States |date=September 22, 2016 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_trewartha.svg |access-date=March 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330195901/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_trewartha.svg |url-status=live |archive-date=March 30, 2019}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=February 2025}} Winters tend to be chilly, with some snow of varying intensity, while summers are hot and humid. The district is in plant [[hardiness zone]] 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm |title=Hardiness Zones |year=2006 |publisher=Arbor Day Foundation |access-date=November 4, 2008 |archive-date=June 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629141838/https://www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo temps">{{cite news |last1=Samenow |first1=Jason |title=D.C.-area forecast: Temperatures seesaw this week between mild and cool, while extreme winter weather stays away |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/02/17/dc-area-forecast-temperatures-seesaw-this-week-between-mild-cool-while-extreme-winter-weather-stays-away/ |access-date=September 4, 2020 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=February 17, 2020 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809181652/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/02/17/dc-area-forecast-temperatures-seesaw-this-week-between-mild-cool-while-extreme-winter-weather-stays-away/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of {{convert|79.8|°F|1}} and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort. Heat indices regularly approach {{convert|100|°F|°C|0}} at the height of summer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Average Conditions: Washington DC, USA |work=BBC Weather |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/about/newsid_9390000/9390415.stm?tt=TT001140 |access-date=August 30, 2010 |archive-date=October 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030134530/http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/about/newsid_9390000/9390415.stm?tt=TT001140 |url-status=live }}</ref> The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.<ref>{{cite web |last=Iovino |first=Jim |title=Severe Storm Warnings, Tornado Watches Expire |url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/stories/Cold-Front-Could-Bring-Storms-Today-95721304.html |work=NBCWashington.com |date=June 6, 2010 |access-date=August 30, 2010 |archive-date=May 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514174511/http://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/stories/Cold-Front-Could-Bring-Storms-Today-95721304.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Blizzards affect Washington once every four to six years on average. The most violent storms, known as [[nor'easter]]s, often impact large regions of the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]].<ref name=dcwinter>{{cite web |url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/winter/DC-Winters.htm |title=Washington Area Winters |access-date=September 17, 2010 |last=Watson |first=Barbara McNaught |date=November 17, 1999 |publisher=National Weather Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231041158/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/winter/DC-Winters.htm |archive-date=December 31, 2010}}</ref> From [[Knickerbocker storm|January 27 to 28, 1922]], the city officially received {{convert|28|in|cm}} of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/01/23/where-snowzilla-fits-into-d-c-s-top-10-snowstorms/ |title=Where Snowzilla fits into D.C.'s top 10 snowstorms |last1=Ambrose |first1=Kevin |last2=Junker |first2=Wes |date=January 23, 2016 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |access-date=May 13, 2016 |archive-date=May 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508031823/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/01/23/where-snowzilla-fits-into-d-c-s-top-10-snowstorms/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to notes kept at the time, the city received between {{convert|30|and|36|in|cm}} from a snowstorm in January 1772.<ref name=DOC>{{cite web |publisher=The Weather Doctor |url=http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/events/wjsnow1772.htm |title=The Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm of 1772 |first=Keith C. |last=Heidorn |date=January 1, 2012 |access-date=January 25, 2016 |archive-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124234846/http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/events/wjsnow1772.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=February 2025}}

Hurricanes or their remnants occasionally impact the area in late summer and early fall. However, they usually are weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schwartz |first=Rick |title=Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States |year=2007 |publisher=Blue Diamond Books |isbn=978-0-9786280-0-0 |page=9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t5U1CYKwQxcC |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906000512/https://books.google.com/books?id=t5U1CYKwQxcC |url-status=live }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=February 2025}} Flooding of the [[Potomac River]], however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in the [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]] neighborhood of the city.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vogel |first=Steve |title=Bulk of Flooding Expected in Old Town, Washington Harbour |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062701527.html |date=June 28, 2006 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B02 |access-date=July 11, 2008 |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014050903/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062701527.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Precipitation occurs throughout the year.<ref name="WMO 1961–90 KDCA" />

The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|106|F|0}} on August 6, 1918, and on July 20, 1930.<ref name="Samenow">{{cite news |title=Washington, D.C. shatters all-time June record high, sizzles to 104 |first=Jason |last=Samenow |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 29, 2012 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/washington-dc-ties-record-high-of-101/2012/06/29/gJQAiiRmBW_blog.html |access-date=November 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209173449/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/washington-dc-ties-record-high-of-101/2012/06/29/gJQAiiRmBW_blog.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|−15|F|0}} on [[Great Blizzard of 1899#Arctic cold|February 11, 1899]], right before the [[Great Blizzard of 1899]].<ref name="dcwinter" /> During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above {{convert|90|F|0}} and 64 nights at or below the freezing mark ({{convert|32|F|C|disp=or}}).<ref name="NWS Baltimore/Washington (LWX)" /> On average, the first day with a minimum at or below freezing is November 18 and the last day is March 27.<ref>Grieser, Justin; Livingston, Ian (November 8, 2017). "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/11/08/the-falls-first-freeze-is-coming-saturday-and-for-most-of-the-d-c-area-its-historically-late/ The first freeze is coming Saturday and, for most of the D.C. area, it's historically late] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528215039/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/11/08/the-falls-first-freeze-is-coming-saturday-and-for-most-of-the-d-c-area-its-historically-late/ |date=May 28, 2018 }}". ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>Livingston, Ian; Grieser, Justin (April 3, 2018). "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/04/03/when-will-the-last-freeze-happen-around-the-d-c-region-and-when-is-it-safe-to-plant/ When will the last freeze happen around the D.C. region, and when is it safe to plant?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404044955/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/04/03/when-will-the-last-freeze-happen-around-the-d-c-region-and-when-is-it-safe-to-plant/ |date=April 4, 2018 }}" ''The Washington Post''.</ref>
{{Washington, D.C. weatherbox}}

== Cityscape ==
{{See also|Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.|Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.|List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Plan_of_the_city_intended_for_the_permanent_seat_of_the_government_of_the_United_States_-_projected_agreeable_to_the_direction_of_the_President_of_the_United_States..._(14726320702).jpg|thumb|The [[L'Enfant Plan]] for the city, developed in 1791 by [[Pierre Charles L'Enfant]]]]
[[File:USA-Georgetown C&O Canal.jpg|thumb|In 1830, the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] was extended to [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]].]]
[[File:2018.06.07 Capital Pride Heroes Gala, Washington, DC USA 02927 (41954942214).jpg|thumb|An aerial view of [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|Northwest Washington, D.C.]] in June 2018]]
Washington, D.C., was a [[planned city]], and many of the city's [[street grid]]s were developed in that initial plan. In 1791, President [[George Washington]] commissioned [[Pierre Charles L'Enfant]], a French-born military engineer and artist, to design the new capital. He enlisted the help of Isaac Roberdeau, [[Étienne Sulpice Hallet]] and Scottish surveyor [[Alexander Ralston]] to help lay out the city plan.<ref name="c109">{{cite book |last=Coleman |first=Christopher Bush |title=Indiana Magazine of History |publisher=Indiana Historical Society |year=1920 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZY1AAAAIAAJ |page=109 |access-date=December 13, 2020 |archive-date=March 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327185145/https://books.google.com/books?id=wZY1AAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[L'Enfant Plan]] featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping.<ref name=lenfant>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/lenfant.htm |title=The L'Enfant and McMillan Plans |access-date=May 27, 2008 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=August 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827160250/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/lenfant.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

L'Enfant was also provided a roll of maps by [[Thomas Jefferson]] depicting Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Turin, and Milan.<ref>Berg, Scott. "Grand Avenues." Pantheon Books, 2007. Page 87</ref> L'Enfant's design also envisioned a garden-lined grand avenue about {{convert|1|mi|km}} long and {{convert|400|ft|m}} wide in an area that is now the [[National Mall]] inspired by the grounds at [[Versailles]] and [[Tuileries]] Gardens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62locate1.htm |title=Map 1: The L'Enfant Plan for Washington |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=October 27, 2009 |archive-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020135549/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62locate1.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> In March 1792, President Washington dismissed L'Enfant due to conflicts with the three commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction. [[Andrew Ellicott]], who worked with L'Enfant in surveying the city, was then tasked with completing its design. Though Ellicott revised the original L'Enfant plans, including changing some street patterns, L'Enfant is still credited with the city's overall design.<ref name=Crew />{{rp|pages=101–103}}

By the early 20th century, however, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital was marred by slums and randomly placed buildings in the city, including a railroad station on National Mall. Congress formed a special committee charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core.<ref name=ramroth /> What became known as the [[McMillan Plan]] was finalized in 1901 and included landscaping the Capitol grounds and National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new citywide park system. The plan is thought to have largely preserved L'Enfant's intended design for the city.<ref name=lenfant />

By law, the city's skyline is low and sprawling. The federal [[Height of Buildings Act of 1910]] limits building height based on the width of the adjacent street, with maxima of {{convert|90|ft|m}} on residential streets and {{convert|130|ft|m}} on commercial ones.<ref name="Schwartzman">{{cite news |last=Schwartzman |first=Paul |title=High-Level Debate on Future of D.C. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101939.html |access-date=July 1, 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 2, 2007 |archive-date=November 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113045109/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101939.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=<!--none stated--> |title=Height of Buildings Act |url=https://www.ncpc.gov/about/authorities/hoba/ |publisher=[[National Capital Planning Commission]] |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the {{convert|555|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Washington Monument]],<ref name="legend" /> which remains the district's tallest structure. City leaders have cited the height restriction as a primary reason that the district has limited affordable housing and its metro area has suburban sprawl and traffic problems.<ref name="Schwartzman" />

Washington, D.C., is divided into [[Quadrants of Washington, D.C.|four quadrants]] of unequal area: [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|Northwest (NW)]], [[Northeast (Washington, D.C.)|Northeast (NE)]], [[Southeast (Washington, D.C.)|Southeast (SE)]], and [[Southwest, Washington, D.C.|Southwest (SW)]]. The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol.<ref name=dcstreets>{{cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/visiting/one_item_and_teasers/layout_of_washington.htm |title=Layout of Washington DC |access-date=July 14, 2008 |date=September 30, 2005 |publisher=United States Senate |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331213926/https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/visiting/one_item_and_teasers/layout_of_washington.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location. House numbers generally correspond with the number of blocks away from the Capitol. Most streets are set out in a grid pattern with east–west streets named with letters (e.g., C Street SW), north–south streets with numbers (e.g., 4th Street NW), and diagonal avenues, many of which are [[List of state-named roadways in Washington, D.C.|named after states]].<ref name=dcstreets />

The City of Washington was bordered on the north by Boundary Street (renamed [[Florida Avenue]] in 1890), [[Rock Creek (Potomac River tributary)|Rock Creek]] to the west, and the [[Anacostia River]] to the east.<ref name=neighborhoods /><ref name=lenfant /> Washington, D.C.'s street grid was extended, where possible, throughout the district starting in 1888.<ref>{{cite book |title=Laws relating to the permanent system of highways outside of the cities of Washington and Georgetown |year=1908 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |page=3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k4zVAAAAMAAJ |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906003349/https://books.google.com/books?id=k4zVAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Georgetown street renaming|Georgetown's streets]] were renamed in 1895.<ref name=Tindall /> Some streets are particularly noteworthy, including [[Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Pennsylvania Avenue]], which connects the [[White House]] to the Capitol; and K Street, which houses the offices of many lobbying groups.<ref name=kstreet>{{cite news |first=Jeffrey H. |last=Birnbaum |title=The Road to Riches Is Called K Street |date=June 22, 2005 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101632.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=A01 |access-date=June 17, 2008 |archive-date=February 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216235548/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101632.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Constitution Avenue]] and [[Independence Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Independence Avenue]], located on the north and south sides of National Mall, respectively, are home to many of Washington's iconic museums, including many [[Smithsonian Institution]] buildings and the [[National Archives Building]]. Washington hosts 177 [[List of diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C.|foreign embassies]]; these maintain nearly 300 buildings and more than 1,600 residential properties, many of which are on a section of [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue]] informally known as [[Embassy Row]].<ref name="embassies">{{cite news |last=Van Dyne |first=Larry |title=Foreign Affairs: DC's Best Embassies |url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/foreign-affairs-dcs-best-embassies/ |access-date=June 17, 2012 |newspaper=Washingtonian Magazine |date=February 1, 2008 |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614222252/http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/foreign-affairs-dcs-best-embassies/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140" caption="Selection of [[neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.]] ">
File:Rosie's Row.jpg|[[Anacostia]]
File:Bloomingdale row houses DC 05.jpg|[[Bloomingdale (Washington, D.C.)|Bloomingdale]]
File:DC Capitol Historic District.jpg|[[Capitol Hill]]
File:Washington DC Chinatown - a - Oct 2016.jpg|[[Chinatown (Washington, D.C.)|Chinatown]]
File:Columbia Heights market plaza (5081654910) (cropped).jpg|[[Columbia Heights (Washington, D.C.)|Columbia Heights]]
File:Dupont Circle Shops.jpg|[[Dupont Circle]]
File:MG 4844 (8326652403).jpg|[[Edgewood (Washington, D.C.)|Edgewood]]
File:4-9 Logan Circle NW Washington, D.C (cropped).jpg|[[Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.)|Logan Circle]]
File:4th and Tingey Streets SE.jpg|[[Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.)|Navy Yard]]
</gallery>

=== Architecture ===
{{Main|Architecture of Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Jefferson_Memorial_Washington_April_2017_002.jpg|thumb|The [[Jefferson Memorial]] and many of the city's other major monuments are built in the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] style.]]
The architecture of Washington, D.C., varies greatly and is generally popular among tourists and locals. In 2007, six of the top ten buildings in the [[American Institute of Architects]]' ranking of [[America's Favorite Architecture]] were in the city:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://favoritearchitecture.org/afa150.php |title=America's Favorite Architecture |access-date=July 3, 2008 |year=2007 |publisher=American Institute of Architects and Harris Interactive |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510113118/http://favoritearchitecture.org/afa150.php |archive-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> the [[White House]], [[Washington National Cathedral]], the [[Jefferson Memorial]], the [[United States Capitol]], the [[Lincoln Memorial]], and the [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]]. The [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]], [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]], [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], and [[Modern architecture|Modern]] styles are reflected among these six structures and many other prominent edifices in the city.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Many government buildings, monuments, and museums along the [[National Mall]] and surrounding areas are heavily inspired by [[Classical architecture|classical]] [[Ancient Roman architecture|Roman]] and [[Ancient Greek architecture|Greek]] architecture. The designs of the White House, the U.S. Capitol, [[United States Supreme Court Building|Supreme Court Building]], [[Washington Monument]], [[National Gallery of Art]], Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial are all heavily drawn from these classical architectural movements and feature large pediments, domes, columns in classical order, and heavy stone walls. Notable exceptions to the city's classical-style architecture include buildings constructed in the [[Second Empire (architecture)|French Second Empire]] style, including the [[Eisenhower Executive Office Building]], and the modernist [[Watergate complex]].<ref name=nps>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/sitelist.htm |title=Washington, D.C., List of Sites |access-date=December 12, 2010 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=November 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129073309/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/sitelist.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Thomas Jefferson Building]], the main [[Library of Congress]] building, and the historic [[Willard InterContinental Washington|Willard Hotel]] are built in [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts style]], popular throughout the world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/library-of-congress/thomas-jefferson-building |title=Thomas Jefferson Building |access-date=September 8, 2022 |publisher=Architect of the Capitol |archive-date=July 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714001104/https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/library-of-congress/thomas-jefferson-building |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Denby">Denby, ''Grand Hotels: Reality and Illusion'', 2004, p. 221–222.</ref> [[Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park|Meridian Hill Park]] contains a [[Cascading Waterfall|cascading waterfall]] with [[Italian Renaissance]]-style architecture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tourwashingtondc.com/2017/11/15/meridian-hill-park/ |title=Meridian Hill Park |date=November 15, 2017 |access-date=September 8, 2022 |publisher=Tour Washington DC |archive-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909013922/https://tourwashingtondc.com/2017/11/15/meridian-hill-park/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:CityCenterDC courtyard in 2019.jpg|thumb|left|[[Contemporary architecture]] at [[CityCenterDC]] in [[Downtown (Washington, D.C.)|Downtown]]]]
[[Modern architecture|Modern]], [[Postmodern architecture|Postmodern]], [[contemporary architecture|contemporary]], and other non-classical architectural styles are also seen in the city. The [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]] deeply contrasts the stone-based neoclassical buildings on the [[National Mall]] with a design that combines modern engineering with heavy inspiration from [[African art]].<ref name=taylorthorny>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/us/23smithsonian.html |last=Taylor |first=Kate |title=The Thorny Path to a National Black Museum |work=The New York Times |date=January 23, 2011 |page=A1 |access-date=June 14, 2015 |archive-date=July 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729201515/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/us/23smithsonian.html?_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> The interior of the [[Washington Metro]] stations and the [[Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden]] are designed with strong influence from the 20th-century [[Brutalism]] movement.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ables|first=Kelsey|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/03/25/brutalist-architecture-washington-dc/ |title=Brutalist buildings aren't unlovable. You're looking at them wrong. |date=March 25, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 8, 2022}}</ref> The [[Smithsonian Institution Building]] is built of [[Seneca Quarry|Seneca red]] [[sandstone]] in the [[Norman architecture|Norman Revival]] style.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bisceglio|first=Paul|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-story-behind-smithsonian-castles-red-sandstone-17818600/|title=The Story Behind Smithsonian Castle's Red Sandstone|work=Smithsonian Magazine|access-date=September 8, 2022|archive-date=September 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909013907/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-story-behind-smithsonian-castles-red-sandstone-17818600/|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Old Post Office (Washington, D.C.)|Old Post Office]] building, located on [[Pennsylvania Avenue]] and completed in 1899, was the first building in the city to have a [[steel frame]] structure and the first to use electrical wiring in its design.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Paschall |first1=Valerie |title=A History of Resilience: The Old Post Office |url=https://dc.curbed.com/2013/9/18/10196536/a-history-of-resilience-the-old-post-office |access-date=August 31, 2024 |work=[[Curbed DC]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |date=September 18, 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

Notable [[contemporary architecture|contemporary]] residential buildings, restaurants, shops, and office buildings in the city include [[the Wharf (Washington, D.C.)|the Wharf]] on the [[Southwest Waterfront]], [[Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.)|Navy Yard]] along the [[Anacostia River]], and [[CityCenterDC]] in [[Downtown (Washington, D.C.)|Downtown]]. The Wharf has seen the construction of several high-rise office and residential buildings overlooking the [[Potomac River]]. Additionally, restaurants, bars, and shops have been opened at street level. Many of these buildings have a modern glass exterior and heavy curvature.<ref name=wapo1>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2017/10/05/what-to-expect-at-the-wharf-washingtons-newest-dining-and-entertainment-destination/ |title=What to expect at the Wharf, D.C.'s newest dining and entertainment hub |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 5, 2017 |access-date=July 19, 2020 |last1=Ramanathan |first1=Lavanya |last2=Simmons |first2=Holley |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222021931/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2017/10/05/what-to-expect-at-the-wharf-washingtons-newest-dining-and-entertainment-destination/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wtop1">{{cite news |url=https://wtop.com/dc/2017/09/the-wharf-dcs-most-ambitious-development-project-set-to-open/ |title=The Wharf: DC's most ambitious development project set to open |date=September 11, 2017 |agency=WTOP |access-date=July 19, 2020 |author=Clabaugh, Jeff |archive-date=February 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206010157/https://wtop.com/dc/2017/09/the-wharf-dcs-most-ambitious-development-project-set-to-open/ |url-status=live }}</ref> CityCenterDC is home to Palmer Alley, a pedestrian-only walkway, and houses several apartment buildings, restaurants, and luxury-brand storefronts with streamlined glass and metal facades.<ref name="DietschMarch">Dietsch, Deborah K. "Modernism's March on Washington." ''Washington Times.'' September 8, 2007.</ref>

[[File:Dupont Circle Historic District-2.jpg|thumb|[[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] houses in [[Dupont Circle]]]]
Outside Downtown D.C., architectural styles are more varied. Historic buildings are designed primarily in the [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne]], [[Châteauesque]], [[Richardsonian Romanesque]], [[Georgian architecture|Georgian Revival]], [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]], and a variety of [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] styles.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} Rowhouses are prominent in areas developed after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] and typically follow [[Federal architecture|Federal]] and late [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] designs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/adecenter/essays/Scott.html |title=Residential Architecture of Washington, D.C., and Its Suburbs |access-date=June 5, 2008 |last=Scott |first=Pamela |year=2005 |publisher=Library of Congress |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427174525/https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/adecenter/essays/Scott.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]]'s [[Old Stone House (Washington, D.C.)|Old Stone House]], built in 1765, is the oldest-standing building in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc17.htm |title=Old Stone House |access-date=August 13, 2011 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=November 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110225644/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc17.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Founded in 1789, [[Georgetown University]] features a mix of Romanesque and [[Gothic Revival architecture]].<ref name=nps /> The [[Ronald Reagan Building]] is the largest building in the district with a total area of about 3.1&nbsp;million square&nbsp;feet (288,000&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itcdc.com/About-Us/Our-Building.aspx |title=Our Building |access-date=January 6, 2013 |publisher=Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115081257/http://www.itcdc.com/About-Us/Our-Building.aspx |archive-date=January 15, 2013}}</ref> [[Washington Union Station]] is designed in a combination of architectural styles. Its Great Hall has elaborate gold leaf designs along the ceilings and the hall includes several decorative classical-style statues.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hudson|first=Stephen|url=https://ggwash.org/view/65707/building-of-the-week-washington-union-station|title=Building of the Week: Washington Union Station|work=Greater Greater Washington|access-date=September 8, 2022|archive-date=September 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909013909/https://ggwash.org/view/65707/building-of-the-week-washington-union-station|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Washington, D.C.}}
{{US Census population
| 1800 = 8144
| 1810 = 15471
| 1820 = 23336
| 1830 = 30261
| 1840 = 33745
| 1850 = 51687
| 1860 = 75080
| 1870 = 131700
| 1880 = 177624
| 1890 = 230392
| 1900 = 278718
| 1910 = 331069
| 1920 = 437571
| 1930 = 486869
| 1940 = 663091
| 1950 = 802178
| 1960 = 763956
| 1970 = 756510
| 1980 = 638333
| 1990 = 606900
| 2000 = 572059
| 2010 = 601723
| 2020 = 689545
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 702250
| estref = <ref name="CensusQuickFacts" />
| footnote = Source:<ref name="histpop" /><ref name="Census2020">{{cite web |title=2020 Census Apportionment Results |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426210008/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Census2010>{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=11 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217133628/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=11 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 17, 2013 |title=Resident Population Data |year=2010 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref>{{efn|Apportionment totals are collected by combining Resident and Overseas population. (For D.C., this is 689545 residents and 1988 overseas population.)}} Note:{{efn|Until 1890, the Census Bureau counted the City of Washington, [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]], and unincorporated portions of [[Washington County, D.C.|Washington County]] as three separate areas. The data provided in this article from before 1890 are calculated as if the District of Columbia were a single municipality as it is today. Population data for each city prior to 1890 are available.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/twps0027.html |title=Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990 |access-date=July 29, 2008 |last=Gibson |first=Campbell |date=June 1998 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |archive-date=January 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102182532/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/twps0027.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}<br />2010–2020<ref name="QuickFacts" />
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
! Demographic profile
!2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://planning.dc.gov/publication/2020-census-information-and-data |title=2020 Census: Information and Data |date=August 13, 2021 |access-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-date=November 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111131651/https://planning.dc.gov/publication/2020-census-information-and-data |url-status=live }}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Chapter%25202.pdf |title=Demographic Characteristics of the District and Metro Area |publisher=DC Office of Planning/State Data Center |access-date=July 7, 2018 |archive-date=March 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329013239/https://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Chapter%25202.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>!! 1990<ref name="census1">{{cite web |title=District of Columbia—Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |access-date=April 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>!! 1970<ref name="census1" /> !! 1940<ref name="census1" />
|-
| [[White Americans|White]]
|39.6%|| 38.5% || 29.6% || 27.7% || 71.5%
|-
|&nbsp;—[[Non-Hispanic whites]]
|38.0%|| 34.8% || 27.4% || 26.5%{{efn|name="fifteen"|Estimated using a 15% sub-sample}} || 71.4%
|-
| [[African American|Black or African American]]
|41.4%|| 50.7% || 65.8% || 71.1% || 28.2%
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race)
|11.3%|| 9.1% || 5.4% || 2.1%{{efn|name="fifteen"}} || 0.1%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]]
|4.8%|| 3.5% || 1.8% || 0.6% || 0.2%
|}

The [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] estimates that the district's population was 705,749 as of July 2019, up more than 100,000 people since the [[2010 United States census]]. When measured decade-over-decade, this shows growth since 2000, following a half-century of population decline.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/21/AR2010122102609.html |title=D.C. population soars past 600,000 for first time in years |last1=Morello |first1=Carol |date=December 22, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 26, 2011 |last2=Keating |first2=Dan |archive-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128182809/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/21/AR2010122102609.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Washington was the [[List of United States cities by population|24th-most populous place]] in the United States {{As of|2010|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Population Change for Places With Populations of 50,000 or More in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2000 to 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/cph-t-3.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 21, 2011 |date=September 27, 2011 |archive-date=December 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215000355/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/cph-t-3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to data from 2010, commuters from the suburbs boost the district's daytime population past one million.<ref>{{cite web |last=Austermuhle |first=Martin |title=D.C.'s Population Grows 79 Percent Every Workday, Outpacing Other Cities |url=http://wamu.org/news/13/05/31/dcs_population_grows_79_percent_every_workday_outpacing_other_cities |publisher=WAMU |access-date=June 1, 2013 |date=May 31, 2013 |archive-date=July 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703161028/http://wamu.org/news/13/05/31/dcs_population_grows_79_percent_every_workday_outpacing_other_cities |url-status=live }}</ref> If the district were a state, it would rank [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|49th in population]], ahead of [[Vermont]] and [[Wyoming]].<ref name=quickfacts>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/DC |title=QuickFacts: District of Columbia |date=July 1, 2017 |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426235924/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dc |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Washington, DC (5559893527).png|thumb|left|Map of racial distribution in the [[Washington metropolitan area]], according to the [[2010 United States census|2010 U.S. census]]; each dot represents 25 people: <span style="color:#ff0000">'''White'''</span>, <span style="color:#0000ff">'''Black'''</span>, <span style="color:#00ff80">'''Asian'''</span>, <span style="color:#ff8000">'''Hispanic'''</span> or '''Other''' (yellow)]]
The [[Washington metropolitan area]], which includes the district and surrounding suburbs, is the [[Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|sixth-largest]] metropolitan area in the U.S., with an estimated six million residents as of 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/310M300US47900 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016 |access-date=March 6, 2018 |date=March 2017 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213114548/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/310M300US47900 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> When the Washington area is included with [[Baltimore]] and its suburbs, it forms the vast [[Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area]]. With a population exceeding 9.8&nbsp;million residents in 2020, it is the [[List of United States combined statistical areas|third-largest]] combined statistical area in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/GCTPEPANNR.US41PR |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213004930/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/GCTPEPANNR.US41PR |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016—United States—Combined Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico |access-date=March 6, 2018 |date=March 2017 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division}}</ref>

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Development]]'s [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]] in 2022, there were an estimated 4,410 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |access-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314020239/https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf |access-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311234217/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> 
The city passed a law in 2013 that requires shelter to be provided to everyone in need when the temperature drops below freezing.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-25/dcs-homeless-do-it-tough-as-winter-rolls-through/5113900 DC's homeless do it tough as winter rolls through]. 2013. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107160941/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-25/dcs-homeless-do-it-tough-as-winter-rolls-through/5113900 |date=January 7, 2016 }}. ''ABC News'', November 25, 2013.</ref> Since D.C. does not have enough shelter units available, every winter it books hotel rooms in the suburbs with an average cost of around $100 for a night. According to the D.C. Department of Human Services, during the winter of 2012 the city spent $2,544,454 on putting homeless families in hotels,<ref>Wiener, Aaron. [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/11/26/d-c-s-homeless-shelter-crisis-by-the-numbers/ D.C.'s Homeless Shelter Crisis, by the Numbers.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422103004/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/11/26/d-c-s-homeless-shelter-crisis-by-the-numbers/ |date=April 22, 2016 }} ''Washington City Paper'', November 26, 2013.</ref> and budgeted $3.2 million on hotel beds in 2013.<ref>Wiener, Aaron. [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/10/29/winters-coming-is-the-city-ready-to-shelter-its-homeless/ Winter's Coming. Is the City Ready to Shelter Its Homeless?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034609/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/10/29/winters-coming-is-the-city-ready-to-shelter-its-homeless/ |date=March 4, 2016 }} ''Washington City Paper'', October 29, 2013.</ref>{{update inline|date=March 2025}}

According to 2020 Census Bureau data, the population of Washington, D.C., was 41.4% Black or African American, 39.6% White (37.9% non-Hispanic White), 4.9% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 5.4% Some Other Race. Individuals from two or more races made up 8.1% of the population. Hispanics of any race made up 11.3% of the district's population.<ref name="Census2020" />

[[File:Leffler - 1968 Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. riots.jpg|thumb|The city's African American population has declined since the [[1968 Washington, D.C., riots|1968 riots]].]]
Washington, D.C. has had a relatively large [[List of U.S. cities with large African-American populations|African American population]] since the city's foundation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kolchin |first=Peter |title=American Slavery: 1619–1877 |publisher=Hill and Wang |location=New York |year=1994 |page=81}}</ref> African American residents composed about 30% of the district's total population between 1800 and 1940.<ref name="histpop" /> The black population reached a peak of 70% by 1970 and has since declined as African Americans moved to the surrounding suburbs. Partly as a result of [[gentrification]], there was a 31.4% increase in the non-Hispanic white population and an 11.5% decrease in the black population between 2000 and 2010.<ref name=demshift>{{cite news |title=Number of black D.C. residents plummets as majority status slips away |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/black-dc-residents-plummet-barely-a-majority/2011/03/24/ABtIgJQB_story.html |access-date=March 25, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 24, 2011 |first1=Carol |last1=Morello |first2=Dan |last2=Keating |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504041622/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/black-dc-residents-plummet-barely-a-majority/2011/03/24/ABtIgJQB_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to a study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, the city has experienced more gentrification than any other U.S. city, with 40% of neighborhoods gentrified.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 18, 2019 |title='It's primarily racial': Study finds DC has the most intense gentrification in the country |url=https://wtop.com/dc/2019/04/its-primarily-racial-dc-has-the-most-intense-gentrification-in-the-country-study-found/ |access-date=June 12, 2020 |website=WTOP |language=en |archive-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217013221/https://wtop.com/dc/2019/04/its-primarily-racial-dc-has-the-most-intense-gentrification-in-the-country-study-found/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of 2010, about 17% of Washington, D.C. residents were age 18 or younger, which is lower than the U.S. average of 24%. However, at 34 years old, the district had the lowest median age compared to the 50 states as of 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=Age and Sex Composition: 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 17, 2011 |page=7 |date=May 2011 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116205037/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2010}}, there were an estimated 81,734 [[immigrants]] living in Washington, D.C.<ref name=DCsocial>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_1YR/DP02/0400000US11 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212084753/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_1YR/DP02/0400000US11 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |title=Selected Social Characteristics in the United States |work=American Community Survey 2010 |access-date=January 21, 2012 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> Major sources of immigration include [[El Salvador]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Mexico]], [[Guatemala]], and [[China]], with a concentration of Salvadorans in the [[Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C.|Mount Pleasant]] neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2001/04/washington-dc-singer |title=The World in a Zip Code: Greater Washington, D.C. as a New Region of Immigration |publisher=The Brookings Institution |last=Singer |first=Audrey |year=2001 |access-date=May 12, 2012 |display-authors=etal |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116133407/http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2001/04/washington-dc-singer |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of 2010, there were 4,822 same-sex couples in the city, about 2% of total households, according to [[Williams Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Census2010Snapshot_DC_v2.pdf |title=District of Columbia Census Snapshot: 2010 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |last=Gates |first=Gary J. |author2=Abigail M. Cooke |date=September 2011 |publisher=The Williams Institute |archive-date=April 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407025129/http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Census2010Snapshot_DC_v2.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> Legislation [[same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia|authorizing same-sex marriage]] passed in 2009, and the district began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in March 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030300654.html |title=D.C. begins licensing same-sex marriages |last=Alexander |first=Keith L. |author2=Anne E. Marimow |date=March 4, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 4, 2010 |archive-date=July 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720091514/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030300654.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{multiple image
| perrow            = 2
| total_width       = 400
| header            = Notable religious buildings in Washington, D.C.
| image1            = Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington.jpg
| image2            = Islamic Center, Washington, D.C LCCN2011630761.jpg
| image3            = 6th&ISynagogue.jpg
| image4            = St. John's Episcopal Church Lafayette Square.jpg
| footer            = Left to right from the top: The [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]]; [[Islamic Center of Washington]]; [[Sixth & I Historic Synagogue]]; and [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]]
}}

As of 2007, about one-third of Washington, D.C., residents were [[functionally illiterate]], greater than the national rate of about one-fifth. The city's relatively high illiteracy rate is attributed partly to immigrants who are not proficient in [[English language|English]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070319/ap_on_re_us/adult_literacy |title=Study Finds One-third in D.C. Illiterate |date=March 19, 2007 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=August 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322164359/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070319/ap_on_re_us/adult_literacy |archive-date=March 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref> {{As of|2011}}, 85% of D.C. residents age{{nbsp}}5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ryan |first=Camille |title=Language Use in the United States: 2011 |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf |work=American Community Survey |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=August 11, 2013 |date=August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205101044/http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf |archive-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Half of residents had at least a four-year college degree in 2006.<ref name=DCsocial /> In 2017, the median household income in D.C. was $77,649;<ref name="DC_AF" /> also in 2017, D.C. residents had a [[States of the United States of America by income|personal income per capita]] of $50,832 (higher than any of the 50 states).<ref name="DC_AF">{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_B19301&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214060841/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_B19301&prodType=table |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |work=American FactFinder |title=Per Capita Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2017 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) 2013–2017 American Community Survey 5-Year estimates. (Geography set to "District of Columbia") |access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s0659.pdf |title=Personal Income Per Capita in Current and Constant (2000) Dollars by State: 2000 to 2006 |date=April 2007 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228053245/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s0659.pdf |archive-date=December 28, 2008}}</ref> However, 19% of residents were below the poverty level in 2005, higher than any state except [[Mississippi]]. In 2019, the poverty rate stood at 14.7%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s0687.pdf |title=Individuals and Families Below Poverty Level—Number and Rate by State: 2000 and 2005 |year=2005 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228053242/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s0687.pdf |archive-date=December 28, 2008}}</ref>{{efn|The [[territories of the United States]] have the highest poverty rates in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10240r.pdf |work=GAO |title=Poverty Determination In U.S. Insular Areas |access-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412032339/https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10240r.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-people.html |title=Historical Poverty Tables: People and Families—1959 to 2018 |year=2018 |access-date=October 8, 2019 |archive-date=September 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922124430/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-people.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{as of|2010}}, more than 90% of Washington, D.C., residents had health insurance coverage, the second-highest rate in the nation. This is due in part to city programs that help provide insurance to low-income individuals who do not qualify for other types of coverage.<ref>{{cite web |last=Reed |first=Jenny |title=National Health Care Reform is a Win for DC |url=http://www.dcfpi.org/national-health-care-reform-is-a-win-for-dc |publisher=DC Fiscal Policy Institute |access-date=August 17, 2011 |date=April 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002180131/http://www.dcfpi.org/national-health-care-reform-is-a-win-for-dc |archive-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=August 2024}} A 2009 report found that at least three percent of Washington, D.C., residents have [[HIV]] or [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]], which the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) characterizes as a "generalized and severe" epidemic.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/14/AR2009031402176_pf.html |title=HIV/AIDS Rate in D.C. Hits 3% |last=Vargas |first=Jose Antonio |author2=Darryl Fears |date=March 15, 2009 |newspaper=The Washington Post |pages=A01 |access-date=March 21, 2009 |archive-date=February 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204182824/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/14/AR2009031402176_pf.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of 2020, according to the [[Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies]], 56% of the city's residents were adherents{{efn|Defined as "members, children who are not members, and others who are not members but are considered participants in the congregation"<ref name=ARDA/>}} of a religious body. The largest tradition represented was [[Evangelical Protestantism]] (15% of total population), followed by [[Catholicism]] (12%), [[Black Protestantism]] (10%), [[Mainline Protestantism]] (10%), [[Judaism]] (3%), [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox Christianity]] (2%), [[Buddhism]] (1%), and [[Islam]] (1%), with several other groups numbering less than 1%. Mainline Protestants were the largest group in 2010, Catholics in 2000, and Black Protestants in 1990.<ref name=ARDA>{{cite web |last1=<!--none stated--> |title=Congregational Membership Reports |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&t=0&c=11001 |website=[[Association of Religion Data Archives]] |access-date=August 31, 2024}}</ref> The city is populated with many religious buildings, including [[Washington National Cathedral]], [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]], which comprises the [[List of largest church buildings|largest Catholic church building in the United States]], the [[Islamic Center of Washington]], which was the largest [[mosque]] in the Western Hemisphere when it opened in 1957, and [[DSK Mariam Church]], one of the oldest Ethiopian Orthodox congregations in the United States. [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]], located off [[Lafayette Square (Washington, D.C.)|Lafayette Square]], has held services for every [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] since [[James Madison]]. The [[Sixth & I Historic Synagogue]], built in 1908, is a [[synagogue]] located in the [[Chinatown, Washington, D.C.|Chinatown]] section of the city. The [[Washington D.C. Temple]] is a [[Temple (LDS Church)|temple]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], located just outside the city in [[Kensington, Maryland]]. Viewable from the [[Capital Beltway]], the temple is the tallest temple of the church in existence, and is the third-largest by square footage.<ref>{{cite web |last=Benedi |first=Jamle |title=10 beautiful houses of worship in D.C., mapped |url=https://dc.curbed.com/maps/church-cathedral-synagogue-dc-map |publisher=Curbed Washington DC |access-date=September 9, 2022 |date=November 19, 2019 |archive-date=September 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908234656/https://dc.curbed.com/maps/church-cathedral-synagogue-dc-map |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Washington D.C. Temple |url=https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/washington-d.c.-temple/ |publisher=Curbed Washington DC |access-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-date=June 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603090039/https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/washington-d.c.-temple/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of the Washington metropolitan area}}
[[File:Ec 05 (26114196145) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Eccles Building]] on [[Constitution Avenue]], home of the [[Federal Reserve]], the [[central bank]] of the United States]]
{{As of|2011|post=,}} the [[Washington metropolitan area]], including the District of Columbia as well as parts of [[Virginia]], [[Maryland]], and [[West Virginia]], was the nation's eighth-largest metropolitan economy. Its growing and diversified economy has an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs in addition to more traditional jobs rooted in tourism, entertainment, and government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Florida |first=Richard |title=What Housing Crisis? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/06/02/double-dip-not-in-washington-dc/what-housing-crisis |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 15, 2011 |date=June 2, 2011 |archive-date=December 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201091216/http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/06/02/double-dip-not-in-washington-dc/what-housing-crisis |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Obsolete source|date=July 2023}}

Between 2009 and 2016, [[gross domestic product]] per capita in Washington, D.C., consistently ranked at the very top among U.S. states.<ref name="capita2009">{{cite web |title=Per capita real GDP by state (chained 2009 dollars) |url=https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=sic&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=1000&7004=naics&7035=-1&7005=1&7006=xx&7001=11000&7036=-1&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels |website=Bureau of Economic Analysis |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831043848/https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=sic&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=1000&7004=naics&7035=-1&7005=1&7006=xx&7001=11000&7036=-1&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, at $160,472, its GDP per capita was almost three times greater than that of [[Massachusetts]], which was ranked second in the nation (see [[List of U.S. states and territories by GDP]]).<ref name="capita2009" />
{{as of|2022}}, the metropolitan statistical area's unemployment rate was 3.1%, ranking 171 out of the 389 metropolitan areas as defined by the U.S. [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm|title=Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas |website=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |date=November 2022|access-date=January 8, 2023|archive-date=January 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108210943/https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The District of Columbia itself had an unemployment rate of 4.6% during the same time period.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm |title=Unemployment Rates for States |date=November 2022 |publisher=United States Bureau of Labor Statistics |access-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401122314/https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, Washington, D.C., had the highest median household income in the U.S. at $92,266.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/map?q=S1901%3A%20INCOME%20IN%20THE%20PAST%2012%20MONTHS%20%28IN%202018%20INFLATION-ADJUSTED%20DOLLARS%29&table=S1901&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1901&hidePreview=false&cid=S1901_C01_001E&vintage=2018&lastDisplayedRow=93&layer=state&g=0400000US10,12,13,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,53,54,55,56,72,05,02,08,01,06,09,04|title=S1901: income in the past 12 months (in 2018 inflation-adjusted dollars)|date=December 19, 2019|website=data.census.gov|access-date=February 26, 2022|archive-date=March 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306105619/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/map?q=S1901%3A%20INCOME%20IN%20THE%20PAST%2012%20MONTHS%20%28IN%202018%20INFLATION-ADJUSTED%20DOLLARS%29&table=S1901&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1901&hidePreview=false&cid=S1901_C01_001E&vintage=2018&lastDisplayedRow=93&layer=state&g=0400000US10,12,13,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,53,54,55,56,72,05,02,08,01,06,09,04|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the District's [[comprehensive annual financial report]]s, the top employers by number of employees in 2022 included [[Georgetown University]], [[Children's National Medical Center]], [[Washington Hospital Center]], [[George Washington University]], [[American University]], [[Georgetown University Hospital]], [[Booz Allen & Hamilton]], [[Insperity]] PEO Services, [[Universal Protection Service]], [[Howard University]], [[MedStar Health|Medstar Medical Group]], [[George Washington University Hospital]], [[Catholic University of America]], and [[Sibley Memorial Hospital]].<ref>"[https://cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ocfo/publication/attachments/FY%202022%20DC%20ACFR.pdf Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 2022] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806165625/https://cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ocfo/publication/attachments/FY%202022%20DC%20ACFR.pdf |date=August 6, 2023 }}". ''Government of the District of Columbia''. January 24, 2023. p. 231.</ref>

=== Federal government ===
{{Main|Federal government of the United States}}
[[File:Aerial view showing top of Washington Monument, Washington, D.C LCCN2010630904 (cropped).tiff|thumb|[[Federal Triangle]], a historic hub of [[United States federal executive departments|executive departments]] of the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]]]]

As of July 2022, 25% of people employed in Washington, D.C., were employed by the federal government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/page_content/attachments/CESdcJuly22%5B3%5D.pdf|title=District of Columbia Wage and Salary Employment by Industry and Place of Work|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022020302/https://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/page_content/attachments/CESdcJuly22%5B3%5D.pdf|archive-date=October 22, 2022|publisher=District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, Office of Labor Market Research and Information|date=2022}}</ref> Many of the region's residents are employed by companies and organizations that do work for the federal government, seek to [[Lobbying in the United States|influence federal policy]], or are otherwise related to its work, including [[law firm]]s, [[defense contractor]]s, [[independent contractor|civilian contractors]], [[nonprofit organization]]s, [[lobbying in the United States|lobbying firms]], [[trade union]]s, [[industry trade group]]s, and [[professional association]]s, many of which have their headquarters in or near the city for proximity to the federal government.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

=== Research and non-profit organizations ===
{{Category see also|Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:American_Enterprise_Institute_(AEI)_(53821618777).jpg|thumb|The [[American Enterprise Institute]], one of the city's many [[think tank]]s]]
Washington, D.C., is a leading center for national and international research organizations, especially [[think tank]]s engaged in public policy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=think_tanks&emci=9f8b1916-7161-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=71ad824c-7761-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=22832|title=2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report|last=McGann|first=James|date=January 28, 2021|work=University of Pennsylvania|access-date=February 28, 2022|archive-date=February 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228175616/https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=think_tanks|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2020, 8% of the country's think tanks are based in the city, including many of the largest and most widely cited,<ref>{{cite web |last=Luxner |first=Larry |date=February 5, 2021 |title=DC-based organizations dominate 2020 list of world's top think tanks |url=https://washdiplomat.com/dc-based-organizations-dominate-2020-list-of-worlds-top-think-tanks/#:~:text=Washington%2Dbased%20think%20tanks%20among,for%20American%20Progress%2C%20or%20CAP%20( |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228175631/https://washdiplomat.com/dc-based-organizations-dominate-2020-list-of-worlds-top-think-tanks/#:~:text=Washington%2Dbased%20think%20tanks%20among,for%20American%20Progress%2C%20or%20CAP%20( |archive-date=February 28, 2022 |access-date=February 28, 2022 |work=Washington Diplomat}}</ref> including the [[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]], [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]], [[Peterson Institute for International Economics]], [[The Heritage Foundation]], and [[Urban Institute]].<ref>[https://guides.library.upenn.edu/c.php?g=1035991&p=7509974 "Public Policy Research Think Tanks 2019"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203154727/https://guides.library.upenn.edu/c.php?g=1035991&p=7509974 |date=December 3, 2022 }}, [[University of Pennsylvania]]</ref>

Washington, D.C. is home to many non-profit organizations that engage with issues of domestic and global importance by conducting advanced research, running programs, or public advocacy. Among these organizations are the [[UN Foundation]], [[Human Rights Campaign]], [[Amnesty International]], and the [[National Endowment for Democracy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.ned.org/contact/ |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY |language=en-US |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319194919/https://www.ned.org/contact/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Major medical research institutions include the [[MedStar Washington Hospital Center]] and the [[Children's National Medical Center]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2010 |title=Top 200 Chief Executive Officers of the Major Employers in the District of Columbia 2009 |url=http://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/publication/attachments/DOES_Top200.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115081218/http://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/publication/attachments/DOES_Top200.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2013 |access-date=September 6, 2012 |publisher=D.C. Department of Employment Services}}</ref>

The city is the country's primary location for international development firms, many of which contract with the D.C.-based [[United States Agency for International Development]] (USAID), the U.S. federal government's aid agency. The [[American Red Cross]], a humanitarian agency focused on emergency relief, is also based in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charity Navigator - Rating for American Red Cross |url=https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/530196605 |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=www.charitynavigator.org |archive-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119120209/https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/530196605 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Private sector ===
{{see also|Category:Companies based in Washington, D.C.|Washington metropolitan area#Primary industries}}
According to statistics compiled in 2011, four of the [[Fortune 500|largest 500 companies]] in the country were based in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/states/DC.html |title=Fortune 500 2011: States: District Of Columbia Companies |access-date=November 12, 2011 |date=May 23, 2011 |work=[[Fortune Magazine]] |publisher=CNNMoney.com |archive-date=October 31, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031162201/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/states/DC.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 2023 [[Global Financial Centres Index]], Washington was ranked as having the 8th most competitive financial center in the world, and fourth most competitive in the United States (after [[Economy of New York City|New York City]], [[San Francisco#Economy|San Francisco]], and [[Los Angeles#Economy|Los Angeles]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.longfinance.net/media/documents/GFCI_29_Full_Report_2021.03.17_v1.1.pdf |title=The Global Financial Centres Index 29 |date=March 2021 |access-date=July 27, 2021 |archive-date=March 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322132130/https://www.longfinance.net/media/documents/GFCI_29_Full_Report_2021.03.17_v1.1.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> Among the largest companies based in Washington, D.C., are [[Fannie Mae]], [[Amtrak]], [[Danaher Corporation]], [[FTI Consulting]], and [[Hogan Lovells]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://builtin.com/washington-dc/companies-in-washington-dc |title=30 Top Companies in Washington, D.C., Shaping the Nation's Business Landscape |newspaper=Built In |date=October 4, 2021 |language=en |last1=McClure |first1=Olivia |access-date=September 8, 2022 |archive-date=March 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304220913/https://builtin.com/washington-dc/companies-in-washington-dc |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=August 2024}}

=== Tourism ===
[[File:World War II Memorial Wade-47.JPG|thumb|The [[World War II Memorial]], one of many popular tourist sites located on the [[National Mall]]]]
Tourism is the city's second-largest industry, after the federal government. In 2012, some 18.9&nbsp;million visitors contributed an estimated $4.8&nbsp;billion to the local economy.<ref name=tourism2012>{{cite news |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/d.c.-sets-tourism-record-with-19m-visitors-in-2012/article/2529134 |title=D.C. sets tourism record with 19&nbsp;m visitors in 2012 |first=Matt |last=Connolly |date=May 7, 2013 |access-date=May 8, 2013 |work=[[The Washington Examiner]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103040727/http://washingtonexaminer.com/d.c.-sets-tourism-record-with-19m-visitors-in-2012/article/2529134 |archive-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref> In 2019, the city saw 24.6 million tourists, including 1.8 million from foreign countries, who collectively spent $8.15 billion during their stay.<ref name="tourism2019">{{citation|url=https://washington-org.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2019_washington_dc_visitor_statistics.pdf|title=2019 VISITOR STATISTICS WASHINGTON, DC|date=2019|work=Discover DC|access-date=February 28, 2022|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922034448/https://washington-org.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2019_washington_dc_visitor_statistics.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Tourism helps many of the region's other industries, such as lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, shopping, and transportation.<ref name="tourism2019" />

The city and the larger [[Washington metropolitan area]] have an array of attractions for tourists, including monuments, memorials, museums, sports events, and trails. Within the city, the [[National Mall]] serves as the center of the tourism industry. It is there that many of the city's museums and monuments are located. Adjacent to the mall sits the [[Tidal Basin]], where several major national memorials and monuments are located, including the popular [[Jefferson Memorial]]. [[Washington Union Station]] is a popular tourist spot with its multitude of restaurants and shops.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Washington, D.C.}}
{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
<!-- Sources: https://os.dc.gov/page/dc-symbols, http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/dc_symb.htm -->
|region = District of Columbia
|bird = [[Wood thrush]]
|amphibian = [[Red-backed salamander|Eastern red-backed salamander]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Weil |first=Martin |date=January 29, 2025 |title=Creature gets legal nod, becomes D.C.'s official amphibian: Title is bestowed on the ecologically important Eastern red-backed salamander |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/01/29/salamander-dc-official-amphibian-students/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher= |access-date=August 13, 2025}}</ref>
|tree = [[Scarlet oak]]
|flower = [[Rosa 'American Beauty'|American Beauty rose]]
|beverage = [[Rickey (cocktail)|Rickey]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Jamie R. Liu |title=Rickey Named Official D.C. Cocktail |work=DCist |date=July 14, 2011 |url=http://dcist.com/2011/07/rickey_named_dcs_cocktail.php |access-date=July 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014163359/http://dcist.com/2011/07/rickey_named_dcs_cocktail.php |archive-date=October 14, 2011}}</ref>
|dinosaur = ''[[list of informally named dinosaurs#Capitalsaurus|Capitalsaurus]]''
|food = [[Cherry]]
|rock = [[Potomac bluestone]]
|dance = [[Hand dancing]]
|slogan = Federal City
|image_route = {{infobox road/shieldmain/USA|state=DC|type=DC|route=295}}
|image_quarter = 2009 DC Proof.png
|quarter_release_date = 2009
|mammal=[[Little brown bat]]
|fish=[[American shad]]
|crustacean=[[Stygobromus hayi|Hay's spring amphipod]]
}}

=== Arts ===
{{Main|Theater in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Moulin Rouge at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts audience perspective.jpg|thumb|A performance of ''[[Moulin Rouge! (musical)|Moulin Rouge!]]'' at the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]]]]
Washington, D.C., is a national center for the arts, home to several concert halls and theaters. The [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]] is home to [[National Symphony Orchestra (United States)|National Symphony Orchestra]], [[Washington National Opera]], and the [[Washington Ballet]]. The [[Kennedy Center Honors]] are awarded each year to those in the performing arts who have contributed greatly to the cultural life of the United States. This ceremony is often attended by the sitting [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] and other dignitaries and celebrities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/about/home.html |title=About the Kennedy Center Honors |access-date=June 29, 2008 |publisher=The Kennedy Center |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516004214/http://kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/about/home.html |archive-date=May 16, 2008}}</ref> The Kennedy Center also awards the annual [[Mark Twain Prize for American Humor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for Humor |url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/marktwain/ |access-date=June 15, 2024 |publisher=[[The Kennedy Center]]}}</ref>

The historic [[Ford's Theatre]], the site of the [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|assassination of President Abraham Lincoln]] on April 14, 1865, continues to function as a theatre and as a museum.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rothstein |first=Edward |title=Where a Comedy Turned to Tragedy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/arts/design/07linc.html |access-date=April 2, 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 6, 2009 |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512181850/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/arts/design/07linc.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.|Marine Barracks]] near [[Capitol Hill]] houses the [[United States Marine Band]]; founded in 1798, it is the country's oldest professional musical organization.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/WHO_WE_ARE/ensembles/marine_band/index.htm |publisher=United States Marine Band |access-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019060441/http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/WHO_WE_ARE/ensembles/marine_band/index.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref> [[American march music|American march composer]] and Washington-native [[John Philip Sousa]] led the Marine Band from 1880 until 1892.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Davison |first=Marjorie Risk |title=Excerpts from the History of Music in the District of Columbia |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society |year=1969 |volume=66–68 |page=183 |jstor=40067254}}</ref> Founded in 1925, the [[United States Navy Band]] has its headquarters at the [[Washington Navy Yard]] and performs at official events and public concerts around the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.navyband.navy.mil/History.shtml |publisher=United States Navy Band |access-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081210/http://www.navyband.navy.mil/History.shtml |archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>

Founded in 1950, [[Arena Stage]] achieved national attention and spurred growth in the city's independent theater movement, which now includes the [[Shakespeare Theatre Company]], [[Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company]], and [[Studio Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Studio Theatre]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilmeth |first=Don B. |title=The Cambridge history of American theatre |year=2000 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=232 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mnRa7u3-T2IC |author2=C.W.E. Bigsby |isbn=978-0-521-66959-7 |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906002902/https://books.google.com/books?id=mnRa7u3-T2IC |url-status=live }}</ref> Arena Stage reopened after a renovation and expansion in the city's emerging [[Southwest Waterfront, Washington, D.C.|Southwest waterfront area]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kravitz |first=Derek |title=The emerging Southwest: Transformation underway |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092307325.html |access-date=April 2, 2001 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 26, 2010 |archive-date=February 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216174004/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092307325.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[GALA Hispanic Theatre]], now housed in the historic [[Tivoli Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Tivoli Theatre]] in [[Columbia Heights (Washington, D.C.)|Columbia Heights]], was founded in 1976 and is a National Center for the Latino Performing Arts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gala Theatre History |url=http://galatheatre.org/history.php |publisher=GALA Hispanic Theatre |access-date=April 2, 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830222103/http://www.galatheatre.org/history.php |archive-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref>

Other performing arts spaces in the city include the [[Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium]] in [[Federal Triangle]], the [[Atlas Performing Arts Center]] on [[H Street (Washington, D.C.)|H Street]], the [[Carter Barron Amphitheater]] in [[Rock Creek Park]], [[DAR Constitution Hall|Constitution Hall]] in [[Downtown, Washington, D.C.|Downtown]], the [[Keegan Theatre]] in [[Dupont Circle]], the [[Lisner Auditorium]] in [[Foggy Bottom]], the [[National Sylvan Theater|Sylvan Theater]] on the [[National Mall]], and the [[Warner Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Warner Theatre]] in [[Penn Quarter]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|National Theatre]] in Downtown, which opened in 1835, is the second-longest continuously operating theater in the nation after [[Walnut Street Theatre]] in [[Philadelphia]], which opened in 1808.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fruehling|first=Douglas|date=May 29, 2024 |title=D.C. is buying the National Theatre. Here's why.|work=Washington Business Journal |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2024/05/29/national-theatre-renovations-dc.html |access-date=August 20, 2024 |archive-date=May 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240531102759/https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2024/05/29/national-theatre-renovations-dc.html#selection-929.0-936.0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[U Street Corridor]] in Northwest is home to [[Howard Theatre]] and [[Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Lincoln Theatre]], which hosted music legends such as Washington, D.C. natives [[Duke Ellington]], [[John Coltrane]], and [[Miles Davis]].<ref name=ustreet>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Levin |title=Lights Return to 'Black Broadway' in Northwest Washington, D.C. |date=September 10, 2006 |url=http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/travel/10surfacing.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610144435/http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/travel/10surfacing.html?ref=travel |archive-date=June 10, 2011}}</ref> Just east of U Street is [[Shaw (Washington, D.C.)|Shaw]], which also served as a major cultural center during the [[jazz age]]. Intersecting with U Street is [[Fourteenth Street (Washington, D.C.)|Fourteenth Street]], which was an extension of the U Street cultural corridor during the 1920s through the 1960s. The collection of Fourteenth Street, U Street, and Shaw was the location of the [[Black Renaissance in D.C.]], which was part of the larger [[Harlem Renaissance]]. The area starting at Fourteenth Street downtown going north through U Street and east to Shaw boasts a high concentration of bars, restaurants, and theaters, and is among the city's most notable cultural and artistic areas.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The [[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association]] (WAFCA), a group of more than 65 film critics, holds an annual awards ceremony.<ref name="aboutwafca">{{cite web|title=About|url=http://www.wafca.com/about/index.htm|website=wafca.com|publisher=Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association|access-date=March 11, 2024|archive-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209235303/http://www.wafca.com/about/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{Main|Music of Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Chuck Brown (5318700369).jpg|thumb|left|[[Chuck Brown]] performing [[go-go]] music]]
[[Columbia Records]], a major music record label in the U.S., was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1889.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brooks |first1=Tim |title=A Directory to Columbia Recording Artists |journal=[[ARSC Journal]] |date=1979 |volume=11 |issue=2–3 |pages=102–138 |url=https://www.arsc-audio.org/journals/v13/v11/v11n2-3p102-138.pdf |access-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831014626/https://www.arsc-audio.org/journals/v13/v11/v11n2-3p102-138.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|p=105}}

The city grew into being one of America's most important music cities in the early [[jazz age]]. [[Duke Ellington]], among the most prominent jazz composers and musicians of his time, was born and raised in Washington, and began his music career in the city. The center of the city's jazz scene during those years was [[U Street (Washington, D.C.)|U street]] and [[Shaw (Washington, D.C.)|Shaw]]. Among the city's major jazz locations were the [[Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Lincoln Theatre]] and the [[Howard Theatre]].<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/info-url3948/info-url_show.htm?doc_id=204895&attrib_id=7970 
|title=Howard Theatre|department=African American Heritage Trail Database|website=Cultural Tourism DC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018042614/http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/info-url3948/info-url_show.htm?doc_id=204895&attrib_id=7970|archive-date=October 18, 2006}}</ref>

Washington has its own native music genre called [[go-go]]; a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of rhythm and blues that was popularized in the late 1970s by D.C. band leader [[Chuck Brown]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Alona |last=Wartofsky |title=What Go-Goes Around ... |date=June 3, 2001 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=G01}}</ref>

The district is an important center for [[indie music scene|indie culture and music]] in the United States. The DC-based label [[Dischord Records]], formed by [[Ian MacKaye]], frontman of [[Fugazi]], was one of the most crucial independent labels in the genesis of 1980s punk and eventually indie rock in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Constantinou |first=Costas M. |title=Cultures and politics of global communication |year=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=203 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xpJ0_WQIbZoC |isbn=978-0-521-72711-2 |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905235914/https://books.google.com/books?id=xpJ0_WQIbZoC |url-status=live }}</ref> Modern [[Alternative rock|alternative]] and indie music venues like [[Black Cat (Washington, D.C. nightclub)|The Black Cat]] and the [[9:30 Club]] bring popular acts to the U Street area.<ref>{{cite news |title=Black Cat: A changing club with a changing scene in a changing city |date=September 9, 2001 |url=http://www.georgetownvoice.com/2004/09/09/black-cat-a-changing-club-with-a-changing-scene-in-a-changing-city/ |work=The Georgetown Voice |access-date=June 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513133855/http://georgetownvoice.com/2004/09/09/black-cat-a-changing-club-with-a-changing-scene-in-a-changing-city/ |archive-date=May 13, 2011}}</ref> The hardcore punk scene in the city, known as [[Washington, D.C. hardcore|D.C. hardcore]], is an important genre of D.C.'s contemporary music scene. Starting in the 1970s and flourishing in the [[Adams Morgan]] neighborhood, it is considered to be one of the most influential punk music movements in the country.<ref name="SG_13DCHC">{{cite web |last=Norton |first=Justin M. |date=October 17, 2012 |url=http://www.stereogum.com/1179562/13-essential-dc-hardcore-albums/franchises/list/ |title=13 Essential DC Hardcore Albums |website=[[Stereogum]] |access-date=April 11, 2016 |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022183326/https://www.stereogum.com/1179562/13-essential-dc-hardcore-albums/franchises/list/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Cuisine ===
Washington, D.C., is rich in fine and casual dining; some consider it among the country's best cities for dining.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/dining/best-restaurants-in-dc.html |title=10 Reasons Washington Is a Great Restaurant City |author=Anderson, Brett |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 29, 2019 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-date=November 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123020212/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/dining/best-restaurants-in-dc.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The city has a diverse range of [[restaurant]]s, including a wide variety of international cuisines. The city's [[Chinatown (Washington, D.C.)|Chinatown]], for example, has more than a dozen Chinese-style restaurants. The city also has many Middle Eastern, European, African, Asian, and Latin American cuisine options.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} D.C. is known as one of the best cities in the world for [[Ethiopian cuisine]], due largely to [[Ethiopians in Washington, D.C.|Ethiopian immigrants]] who arrived in the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/ethiopian-food-restaurants-washington-dc |title=The Best Ethiopian Restaurants in Washington, D.C. |author=Hutcherson, Aaron |date=October 10, 2019 |access-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909014815/https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/ethiopian-food-restaurants-washington-dc |url-status=live }}</ref> A part of the [[Shaw (Washington, D.C.)|Shaw]] neighborhood in central D.C. is known as "Little Ethiopia" and has a high concentration of Ethiopian restaurants and shops.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/22/little.ethiopia.washington/index.html |title=Inside Washington, D.C.'s 'Little Ethiopia' |author=Showalter, Misty |website=[[CNN]] |date=October 22, 2010 |access-date=October 30, 2022 |archive-date=October 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030164404/http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/22/little.ethiopia.washington/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The diversity of cuisine is also reflected in the city's many [[food truck]]s, which are particularly heavily concentrated along the [[National Mall]], which has few other dining options.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Among the most notable Washington, D.C.-born foods is the [[half-smoke]], a half-beef, half-pork sausage placed in a [[hotdog]]-style bun and topped with onion, chili, and cheese.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://washington.org/visit-dc/dc-signature-half-smoke-all-you-need-to-know|title=Everything You Need to Know About DC's Signature Dish: The Half-Smoke|access-date=March 28, 2021|archive-date=February 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209041338/https://washington.org/visit-dc/dc-signature-half-smoke-all-you-need-to-know|url-status=live}}</ref> The city is also the birthplace of [[mumbo sauce]], a [[condiment]] similar to [[barbecue sauce]] but sweeter in flavor, often used on meat and [[french fries]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/mumbo-mambo-sauce-washington-dc-article|title=This Secret Sauce From D.C. Belongs on Everything|work=Epicurious|access-date=February 14, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=February 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215084228/https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/mumbo-mambo-sauce-washington-dc-article|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Ashlie D. |last=Stevens |date=January 17, 2021 |url=https://www.salon.com/2021/01/17/the-story-of-mambo-or-mumbo-sauce-the-condiment-that-likely-fueled-the-civil-rights-movement/ |title=The Story of Mambo (or Mumbo) Sauce, the Condiment That Likely Fueled the Civil Rights Movement |website=Salon.com |access-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118000230/https://www.salon.com/2021/01/17/the-story-of-mambo-or-mumbo-sauce-the-condiment-that-likely-fueled-the-civil-rights-movement/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Washington, D.C. is known for popularizing the [[jumbo slice]] pizza, a large [[New York-style pizza]]<ref name="Barrett">{{cite book |title=Pizza, A Slice of American History |author=Liz Barrett |year=2014 |publisher=Quarto Publishing group |location=Minneapolis |isbn=978-0-7603-4560-3 |page=135 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vPCuBAAAQBAJ&q=jumbo+slice&pg=PA135 |access-date=January 13, 2017 |archive-date=February 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208222232/https://books.google.com/books?id=vPCuBAAAQBAJ&q=jumbo+slice&pg=PA135#v=snippet&q=jumbo%20slice&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Stern">{{cite book |title=Lexicon of Real American Food |author1=Jane Stern |author2=Michael Stern |year=2011 |publisher=Lyons Press |location=Guilford, Connecticut |isbn=978-0-7627-6094-7 |page=163 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0nCFBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT169 |access-date=January 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wamu.org/story/19/09/26/jumbo-slice/ |title=Jumbo Slice |date=September 26, 2019 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209041325/https://wamu.org/story/19/09/26/jumbo-slice/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with roots in the [[Adams Morgan]] neighborhood.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pie Fight; Pizza signs try to top each other. |last1=Jamieson |first1=Dave |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/26773/pie-fight |newspaper=Washington City Paper |date=July 25, 2003 |access-date=May 1, 2016 |archive-date=October 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006031227/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/26773/pie-fight |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:2020.03.19 DC People and Places, Washington, DC USA 080 30017 (49679399691).jpg|thumb|[[Ben's Chili Bowl]] on [[U Street (Washington, D.C.)|U Street]], known for its [[half-smoke]], a historic staple of the city's cuisine]]
Among the city's signature restaurants is [[Ben's Chili Bowl]], located on [[U Street (Washington, D.C.)|U Street]] since its founding in 1958. The restaurant rose to prominence as a peaceful escape during the violent [[1968 Washington, D.C., riots|1968 race riots]] in the city. Famous for its [[chili dog]]s and half-smokes, it has been visited by numerous presidents and celebrities over the years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2009/01/10/dc-diner-adds-obama-to-list-of-famous-patrons|title=Diner adds Obama to list of famous patrons, Reuters Blogs|publisher=Blogs.reuters.com|date=January 10, 2009|access-date=July 15, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124165931/http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2009/01/10/dc-diner-adds-obama-to-list-of-famous-patrons/|archive-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> The [[Georgetown Cupcake]] bakery became famous through its appearance on the reality T.V. show [[DC Cupcakes]]. Another culinary hotspot is [[Union Market]] in [[Northeast D.C.]], a former farmer's market and wholesale that now houses a large, gourmet [[food hall]].<ref name="Lerner">{{Cite news |date=December 5, 2021 |title=Food-oriented apartment complex to open near D.C.'s Union Market |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2017/05/11/food-oriented-apartment-complex-to-open-near-d-c-s-union-market/ |access-date=March 19, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824022855/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2017/05/11/food-oriented-apartment-complex-to-open-near-d-c-s-union-market/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of 2024, 25 restaurants{{efn|Including one restaurant in Virginia, [[The Inn at Little Washington]]}} have received stars in [[Michelin Guide Washington, D.C.|the D.C. Michelin Guide]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sidman |first1=Jessica |title=Michelin Adds 5 New Restaurants to Its DC Guide |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/06/12/michelin-adds-5-new-restaurants-to-its-dc-guide/ |access-date=August 31, 2024 |work=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |date=June 12, 2024}}</ref> This represents the most starred restaurants ''per capita'' for any U.S. city, and the third-most in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1=<!--staff--> |title=Cities & Countries with the Most Michelin Restaurants per Capita |url=https://www.chefspencil.com/cities-countries-with-the-most-michelin-restaurants-per-capita/ |access-date=August 31, 2024 |work=Chef's Pencil |date=June 11, 2024}} <!-- USEBYOTHERS: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/dc-has-highest-density-michelin-restaurants-among-us-cities --></ref> Several celebrity chefs have opened restaurants in the city, including [[José Andrés]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mashed.com/210675/the-untold-truth-of-jose-andres/ |title=The Untold Truth Of José Andrés |author=Furdyk, Brent |date=May 19, 2020 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209041322/https://www.mashed.com/210675/the-untold-truth-of-jose-andres/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Kwame Onwuachi]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/dining/kwame-onwuachi-leaving-kith-and-kin.html |title=Kwame Onwuachi Is Leaving Kith and Kin in Washington |author=Wells, Pete |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 6, 2020 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209041325/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/dining/kwame-onwuachi-leaving-kith-and-kin.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gordon Ramsay]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/05/24/gordon-ramsay-is-opening-an-all-you-can-eat-slice-joint-in-downtown-dc/ |title=Gordon Ramsay Is Opening an All-You-Can-Eat Slice Joint in Downtown DC |author=Spiegel, Anna |newspaper=The Washingtonian |date=May 24, 2022 |access-date=October 26, 2022 |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026032929/https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/05/24/gordon-ramsay-is-opening-an-all-you-can-eat-slice-joint-in-downtown-dc/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dc.eater.com/2022/10/25/23422763/celebrity-chef-gordon-ramsay-wharf-sea-of-fish-and-chips-dc-restaurant-openings|publisher=Eater DC|title=Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay Pulls Up to the Wharf With a Sea of Fish and Chips|author=Plumb, Tierney|date=October 25, 2022|access-date=October 26, 2022|archive-date=October 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026013345/https://dc.eater.com/2022/10/25/23422763/celebrity-chef-gordon-ramsay-wharf-sea-of-fish-and-chips-dc-restaurant-openings|url-status=live}}</ref> and previously [[Michel Richard]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/michel-richard-innovative-chef-who-made-dc-a-capital-of-dining-dies-at-68/2016/08/13/ed504bec-615e-11e6-8e45-477372e89d78_story.html|title=Michel Richard, innovative chef who made D.C. a capital of dining, dies at 68|last=Schudel|first=Matt|date=August 13, 2016|access-date=June 15, 2024|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

=== Museums ===
{{See also|List of museums in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History (7508870948).jpg|thumb|The [[National Museum of Natural History]], the [[list of most-visited museums in the United States|third-most visited museum in the U.S. in 2023]], with 4.4 million visitors]]
[[File:National Gallery of Art.jpg|thumb|The [[National Gallery of Art]], the [[List of most-visited museums in the United States|fourth-most visited art museum in the United States]] in 2023 with nearly four million visitors]]
Washington, D.C. is home to several of the [[List of most-visited museums in the United States|country's]] and [[List of most-visited museums|world's most visited museums]]. In 2022, the [[National Museum of Natural History]] and the [[National Gallery of Art]] were the two most visited museums in the country. Overall, Washington had eight of the 28 most visited museums in the U.S. in 2022. The same year, the National Museum of Natural History was the fifth-most-visited museum in the world and the National Gallery of Art was the eleventh.<ref name=teacom>TEA-AECOM Museum Index 2022, published June 2023</ref>

==== Smithsonian museums ====
{{See also|List of Smithsonian museums}}
The [[Smithsonian Institution]], an educational foundation chartered by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1846 and the world's largest research and museum complex, is responsible for maintaining most of the city's official museums and galleries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 20, 2012 |title=Top 10 Museums and Galleries |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/museum-galleries/ |website=National Geographic |access-date=February 23, 2018 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032056/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/museum-galleries/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The U.S. government partially funds the Smithsonian, and its collections are open to the public free of charge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.si.edu/about/ |title=About the Smithsonian |access-date=May 27, 2008 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617164004/http://www.si.edu/About |url-status=live }}</ref> The Smithsonian's locations had a combined total of 30&nbsp;million visits in 2013. The most visited museum is the [[National Museum of Natural History]] on National Mall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/about/stats |title=Visitor Statistics |access-date=February 20, 2014 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |archive-date=February 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208195916/http://newsdesk.si.edu/about/stats |url-status=live }}</ref> Other Smithsonian Institution museums and galleries on the Mall include the [[National Air and Space Museum]]; the [[National Museum of African Art]]; the [[National Museum of American History]]; the [[National Museum of the American Indian]]; the [[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery|Sackler]] and [[Freer Gallery of Art|Freer]] galleries, which focus on Asian art and culture; the [[Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden]]; the [[Arts and Industries Building]]; the [[S. Dillon Ripley Center]]; and the [[Smithsonian Institution Building]], which serves as the institution's headquarters.<ref name="SI">{{cite web |url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets/ |title=Museum and Program Fact Sheets |access-date=August 13, 2011 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |archive-date=August 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826102406/http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]] and the [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] are housed in the [[Old Patent Office Building]] near Washington's [[Chinatown, Washington, D.C.|Chinatown]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Goodheart |first=Adam |title=Back to the Future |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/back-to-the-future-122460718/ |work=Smithsonian Magazine |access-date=September 9, 2012 |year=2006 |archive-date=May 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520013421/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/back-to-the-future-122460718/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Renwick Gallery]] is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is located in a separate building near the [[White House]]. Other Smithsonian museums and galleries include [[Anacostia Museum|Anacostia Community Museum]] in Southeast Washington, the [[National Postal Museum]] near [[Washington Union Station]], and the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoo]] in [[Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.|Woodley Park]].<ref name="SI" />

==== Other museums ====
[[File:National law enforcement officers memorial.jpg|thumb|The [[National Building Museum]]]]

The [[National Gallery of Art]] is on the National Mall near the Capitol and features American and European artworks. The U.S. government owns the gallery and its collections. However, they are not a part of the Smithsonian Institution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/about.html |title=About the National Gallery of Art |access-date=April 28, 2013 |publisher=National Gallery of Art |archive-date=September 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922015956/http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/about.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[National Building Museum]], which occupies the former Pension Building near [[Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C.|Judiciary Square]], was chartered by Congress and hosts exhibits on architecture, urban planning, and design.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbm.org/about-us/about-the-museum/ |title=About the National Building Museum |publisher=National Building Museum |access-date=November 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104214726/http://www.nbm.org/about-us/about-the-museum/ |archive-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> The [[United States Botanic Garden|Botanic Garden]] is a [[botanical garden]] and museum operated by the U.S. Congress that is open to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usbg.gov/ |title=United States Botanic Garden |publisher=USBG |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=August 6, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020806200311/https://www.usbg.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are several private art museums in Washington, D.C., that house major collections and exhibits open to the public, such as the [[National Museum of Women in the Arts]] and [[The Phillips Collection]] in [[Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.|Dupont Circle]], the first museum of modern art in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phillipscollection.org/about/about-the-phillips/index.aspx |title=About The Phillips Collection |access-date=December 2, 2012 |publisher=The Phillips Collection |archive-date=November 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130212702/http://www.phillipscollection.org/about/about-the-phillips/index.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other private museums in Washington include the [[O Street Museum]], the [[International Spy Museum]], the [[National Geographic Society]] Museum, and the [[Museum of the Bible]]. The [[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]] near the National Mall maintains exhibits, documentation, and artifacts related to the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ushmm.org/research/library/faq/details.php?lang=en&topic=06 |title=Frequently Asked Questions |access-date=May 27, 2008 |date=January 14, 2008 |publisher=U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum |archive-date=April 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407224922/http://www.ushmm.org/research/library/faq/details.php?lang=en&topic=06 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Landmarks ===
{{See also|List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C.|National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.}}

==== National Mall and Tidal Basin ====
[[File:Aerial view National Mall 12 2014 DC 711.JPG|thumb|left|[[National Mall]], a landscaped park extending from the [[Lincoln Memorial]] to the [[United States Capitol]]]]
[[File:Vietnam Veterans Memorial reflection.jpg|thumb|The [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]], a {{convert|2|acre|m2|adj=on|spell=in}} site featuring two [[black granite]] walls engraved with the names of those service members who died or remain missing in the [[Vietnam War]] designed by [[Maya Lin]], was initially controversial for its lack of heroic iconography, a departure from earlier memorial designs.]]

The [[National Mall]] is a park near [[Downtown (Washington, D.C.)|Downtown Washington]] that stretches nearly two miles from the [[Lincoln Memorial]] to the [[United States Capitol]]. The mall often hosts [[List of protest marches on Washington, D.C.|political protests]], concerts, festivals, and [[United States presidential inauguration|presidential inaugurations]]. The Capitol grounds host the ''[[National Memorial Day Concert]]'', held each [[Memorial Day]], and ''[[A Capitol Fourth]]'', a concert held each [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]]. Both concerts are broadcast across the country on [[PBS]]. In the evening on the Fourth of July, the park hosts a large [[fireworks]] show.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Washington, DC, Fourth of July Celebration (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalmall4th/index.htm |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320154430/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalmall4th/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Washington Monument]] and the [[Jefferson Pier]] are near the center of the mall, south of the [[White House]]. Directly northwest of the Washington Monument is [[Constitution Gardens]], which includes a garden, park, pond, and a [[Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence|memorial to the signers]] of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/coga/index.htm|title=Constitution Gardens|access-date=September 9, 2022|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|archive-date=September 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921230547/https://www.nps.gov/coga/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Just north of Constitution Gardens is the [[Lockkeeper's House, C & O Canal Extension|Lockkeeper's House]], which is the second-oldest building on the mall after the White House. The house is operated by the [[National Park Service]] (NPS) and is open to the public. Also on the mall is the [[National World War II Memorial]] at the east end of the [[Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool]]; the [[Korean War Veterans Memorial]]; and the [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]].<ref name=nama>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/nama/historyculture/index.htm |title=National Mall & Memorial Parks: History & Culture |access-date=February 18, 2012 |date=September 28, 2006 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629074322/http://www.nps.gov/nama/historyculture/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

South of the mall is the [[Tidal Basin (District of Columbia)|Tidal Basin]], a human-made reservoir surrounded by pedestrian paths lined by Japanese cherry trees. Every spring, millions of cherry blossoms bloom, attracting visitors from across the world as part of the annual [[National Cherry Blossom Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Cherry Trees |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/index.htm |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805101552/http://www.nps.gov/cherry/cherry-blossom-history.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial]], [[George Mason Memorial]], [[Jefferson Memorial]], [[Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial]], and the [[District of Columbia War Memorial]] are around the Tidal Basin.<ref name=nama />

==== Other landmarks ====
[[File:-i---i- (52380995447).jpg|thumb|Protesters in front of the [[United States Supreme Court Building|U.S. Supreme Court Building]] in June 2022]]
Numerous historic landmarks are located outside the [[National Mall]]. Among these are the [[Old Post Office (Washington, D.C.)|Old Post Office]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Old Post Office, Washington, DC |url=https://www.gsa.gov/historic-buildings/old-post-office-washington-dc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126033353/https://www.gsa.gov/historic-buildings/old-post-office-washington-dc |archive-date=November 26, 2017 |access-date=September 10, 2022 |publisher=U.S. General Services Administration}}</ref> the [[Treasury Building (Washington, D.C.)|Treasury Building]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Treasury Building: A National Historic Landmark |url=https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/301/web%20version%20Architectural%20History%20Treasury%20Building_0.pdf |publisher=The United States Treasury |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805214410/https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/301/web%20version%20Architectural%20History%20Treasury%20Building_0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Old Patent Office Building]],<ref>{{cite web |date=January 24, 2010 |title=National Historic Landmarks Program: Old Patent Office |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=683&ResourceType=Building |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606091416/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=683&ResourceType=Building |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> the [[Washington National Cathedral]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Visiting the Washington National Cathedral |url=https://washington.org/visit-dc/washington-national-cathedral |publisher=Visit DC |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911040502/https://washington.org/visit-dc/washington-national-cathedral |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception |url=https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/basilica-national-shrine-immaculate-conception |publisher=Visit DC |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911182719/https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/basilica-national-shrine-immaculate-conception |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[National World War I Memorial (Washington, D.C.)|National World War I Memorial]],<ref>{{cite web |title=World War I Memorial |url=https://www.nps.gov/places/000/national-world-war-i-memorial-future-site.htm |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911163936/https://www.nps.gov/places/000/national-world-war-i-memorial-future-site.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[Frederick Douglass National Historic Site]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Frederick Douglass National Historic Site |url=https://www.nps.gov/frdo/index.htm |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926231249/https://www.nps.gov/frdo/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Lincoln's Cottage]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Lincoln's Cottage |url=https://www.lincolncottage.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsrWZBhC4ARIsAGGUJuplaLQpGlwCftRBBte7eYxNVLBB4iHMpnwO5e7WXX07kmo4Xe7KOBgaAogOEALw_wcB |publisher=President Lincoln's Cottage |access-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923154420/https://www.lincolncottage.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsrWZBhC4ARIsAGGUJuplaLQpGlwCftRBBte7eYxNVLBB4iHMpnwO5e7WXX07kmo4Xe7KOBgaAogOEALw_wcB |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial]], and the [[United States Navy Memorial]].<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Navy Memorial |url=https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/us-navy-memorial |publisher=Visit DC |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911040502/https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/us-navy-memorial |url-status=live }}</ref> [[The Octagon House]], which was the building that President [[James Madison]] and his administration moved into following the burning of the White House during the [[War of 1812]], is now a historic museum and popular tourist destination.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Octagon House |work=Architects Foundation |url=https://architectsfoundation.org/octagon-museum/ |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927141759/https://architectsfoundation.org/octagon-museum/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] is headquartered in [[National Archives Building|a building]] just north of the National Mall and houses thousands of documents important to American history, including the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], the [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]], and the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/rotunda.html |title=Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom |access-date=June 28, 2008 |publisher=The National Archives |archive-date=August 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828044549/http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/rotunda.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Located in three buildings on Capitol Hill, the [[Library of Congress]] is the largest library complex in the world with a collection of more than 147&nbsp;million books, manuscripts, and other materials.<ref>{{cite web |title=General Information |url=https://www.loc.gov/about/generalinfo.html |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=July 9, 2011 |date=February 1, 2011 |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224004300/http://www.loc.gov/about/generalinfo.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[United States Supreme Court]] is located immediately north of the Library of Congress. The [[United States Supreme Court Building]] was completed in 1935; before then, the court held sessions in the [[Old Senate Chamber]] of the Capitol.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Court Building |url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/courtbuilding.aspx |publisher=Supreme Court of the United States |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-date=September 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901235715/http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/courtbuilding.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Chinatown (Washington, D.C.)|Chinatown]], located just north of the National Mall, houses [[Capital One Arena]], which serves as the home arena to the [[Washington Capitals]] of the [[National Hockey League]] and the [[Washington Wizards]] of the [[National Basketball Association]], and serves as the city's primary indoor entertainment arena. Chinatown includes several Chinese restaurants and shops. The [[Friendship Archway (Washington, D.C.)|Friendship Archway]] is one of the largest Chinese ceremonial archways outside of [[China]] and bears the Chinese characters for "Chinatown" below its roof.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinatown's Friendship Archway |url=https://ggwash.org/view/8237/chinatowns-friendship-archway |publisher=Greater Greater Washington |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911182732/https://ggwash.org/view/8237/chinatowns-friendship-archway |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Southwest Waterfront]] along the Potomac River has been redeveloped in recent years and now serves as a popular cultural center. [[The Wharf (Washington, D.C.)|The Wharf]], as it is called, contains the city's historic [[Maine Avenue Fish Market]]. This is the oldest fish market currently in operation in the entire United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Municipal Fish Market |url=https://www.wharfdc.com/fish-market/ |publisher=The District Wharf |access-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-date=September 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912223922/https://www.wharfdc.com/fish-market/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Wharf also has many hotels, residential buildings, restaurants, shops, parks, piers, docks and marinas, and live music venues.<ref name=wapo1 /><ref name="wtop1" />

== Sports ==
{{Main|Sports in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Bryan Rust (33744033514).jpg|thumb|[[Capital One Arena]] in the city's [[Chinatown, Washington, D.C.|Chinatown]] section hosts the [[Washington Capitals]], an [[National Hockey League|NHL]] team (pictured), and the [[Washington Wizards]], an [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] team]]
[[File:2014 Marine Corps Marathon in front of US Botoanic Garden.jpg|thumb|With over 30,000 participants as of 2024, the annual [[Marine Corps Marathon]], held annually in October in Washington, D.C. and [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington County]], is the largest non-prize money marathon in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://dcist.com/story/19/10/23/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-marine-corps-marathon-this-weekend/ |title= What You Need To Know About The Marine Corps Marathon This Weekend |website= DCist |date= October 23, 2019 |first= Natalie |last= Delgadillo |access-date= July 18, 2023 |archive-date= July 18, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230718171348/https://dcist.com/story/19/10/23/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-marine-corps-marathon-this-weekend/ |url-status= live }}</ref>]]
Washington, D.C. has [[U.S. cities with teams from four major sports|four major professional men's sports teams]] and two major professional women's teams. The [[Washington Nationals]] of [[Major League Baseball]] are the most popular sports team in the District, as of 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/11/21/washington-favorite-team-nationals-redskins-poll/ |title= Nationals are D.C.'s favorite team, Post poll finds, as Redskins' popularity plummets |first1= Rick |last1= Maese |first2= Emily |last2= Guskin |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= November 21, 2019 |access-date= July 18, 2023 |archive-date= April 17, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220417053039/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/11/21/washington-favorite-team-nationals-redskins-poll/ |url-status= live }}</ref> They play at [[Nationals Park]], which opened in 2008. The [[Washington Commanders]] (previously Redskins) of the [[National Football League]] play at [[Northwest Stadium]] in nearby [[Landover, Maryland]]. The [[Washington Wizards]] (previously Bullets) of the [[National Basketball Association]] and the [[Washington Capitals]] of the [[National Hockey League]] play at [[Capital One Arena]]. The [[Washington Mystics]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] play at [[CareFirst Arena]]. [[D.C. United]] of [[Major League Soccer]] and the [[Washington Spirit]] of the [[National Women's Soccer League]] play at [[Audi Field]].{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

The city's teams have won a combined 14 professional league championships over their respective histories. The Washington Commanders have won two NFL Championships and three [[Super Bowl]]s;<ref>{{cite web |title=History by Decades |url=http://www.redskins.com/team/history/history-by-decades.html |publisher=Washington Redskins |access-date=May 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322043657/http://www.redskins.com/team/history/history-by-decades.html |archive-date=March 22, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> D.C. United has won four;<ref>{{cite web |title=D.C. United History & Tradition |publisher=D.C. United |url=http://www.dcunited.com/club |access-date=June 13, 2010 |archive-date=August 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828071255/http://www.dcunited.com/club |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics, Washington Nationals, and Washington Spirit have each won a single championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html |title=NBA Finals: All-Time Champions |access-date=June 29, 2008 |year=2008 |publisher=National Basketball Association |archive-date=August 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824083052/http://www.nba.com/home/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/06/07/2018-nhl-stanley-cup-finals-capitals-golden-knights-game-5/ |title=Capitals win Stanley Cup, Washington's first major sports championship since 1992 |last1=Khurshudyan |first1=Isabelle |date=June 8, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 12, 2018 |last2=Stubbs |first2=Roman |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |last3=Dougherty |first3=Jesse |last4=Allen |first4=Scott |last5=Greenberg |first5=Neil |last6=Steinberg |first6=Dan |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612205557/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/06/07/2018-nhl-stanley-cup-finals-capitals-golden-knights-game-5/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Other professional and semi-professional teams in Washington, D.C. include the [[DC Defenders]] of the [[XFL (2020)|XFL]], [[Old Glory DC]] of [[Major League Rugby]], the [[Washington Kastles]] of World TeamTennis, and the [[D.C. Divas]] of the Independent Women's Football League. The [[William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center]] in [[Rock Creek Park]] hosts the [[Washington Open (tennis)|Washington Open]], a joint men's [[ATP Tour]] [[ATP 500|500]]- and women's [[WTA Tour]] [[WTA 500|500]]-level tennis tournament, every summer in late July and early August. Washington, D.C. has two major annual marathon races, the [[Marine Corps Marathon]], held every autumn, and the [[Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon]], held each spring.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} The Marine Corps Marathon began in 1976 and is sometimes called "The People's Marathon" because it is the largest marathon that does not offer prize money to participants.<ref>{{cite web |title=MCM History |url=http://www.marinemarathon.com/MCM_Vault/MCM_History.htm |publisher=Marine Corps Marathon |access-date=May 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119081010/http://www.marinemarathon.com/MCM_Vault/MCM_History.htm |archive-date=January 19, 2015}}</ref>{{Independent source inline|date=March 2025}}

The district's four [[Division I (NCAA)|NCAA Division I]] teams are the [[American Eagles]] of [[American University]], [[George Washington Revolutionaries]] of [[George Washington University]], the [[Georgetown Hoyas]] of [[Georgetown University]], and the [[Howard Bison and Lady Bison]] of [[Howard University]]. The [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown men's basketball team]] is the most notable and also plays at Capital One Arena.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} Washington, D.C. area's regional sports television network is [[Monumental Sports Network]].<ref>{{cite web|title=NBC Sports Washington is Becoming Monumental Sports Network|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/nbc-sports-washington-is-becoming-monumental-sports-network/c-344952710|publisher=Washington Capitals|date=June 21, 2023|access-date=June 21, 2023|archive-date=June 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621173603/https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/nbc-sports-washington-is-becoming-monumental-sports-network/c-344952710|url-status=live}}</ref>

== City government ==
{{Main|Government of the District of Columbia}}

=== Politics ===
{{Main|Elections in the District of Columbia}}
{{See also|District of Columbia home rule|List of District of Columbia symbols}}
[[File:John A. Wilson Building west side.jpg|thumb|The [[John A. Wilson Building]] on [[Pennsylvania Avenue]], headquarters for much of the [[Government of the District of Columbia]], including the offices of the [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|mayor]] and [[Council of the District of Columbia|D.C. Council]]]]
[[Article One of the United States Constitution|Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution]] grants the [[United States Congress]] exclusive jurisdiction over the city. The district did not have an elected local government until passage of the [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act|1973 Home Rule Act]], which  devolved certain Congressional powers to an [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|elected mayor]] and a 13-member [[Council of the District of Columbia]]. However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/pages/dc-home-rule |title=DC Home Rule |publisher=Council of the District of Columbia |access-date=December 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117031522/http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/pages/dc-home-rule |archive-date=November 17, 2011}}</ref> Washington, D.C., is [[Political party strength in the District of Columbia|overwhelmingly Democratic]], [[United States presidential elections in the District of Columbia|having voted]] for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential candidates consistently since it was granted electoral votes in the [[1964 United States presidential election|1964 presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Presidential voting trends in the District of Columbia |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_voting_trends_in_the_District_of_Columbia |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>

Each of the city's eight [[Ward (country subdivision)|wards]] elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the district as a whole. The council chair is also elected at-large.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcboee.org/candidate_info/elected_officials/elected.asp |title=Current Elected Officials in DC |access-date=January 11, 2012 |publisher=D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics |archive-date=December 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213133659/http://www.dcboee.org/candidate_info/elected_officials/elected.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> There are 37 [[Advisory Neighborhood Commission]]s (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://anc.dc.gov/page/about-anc |title=About ANC |access-date=September 22, 2012 |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia |archive-date=September 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915003209/http://anc.dc.gov/page/about-anc |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Attorney General of the District of Columbia|attorney general of the District of Columbia]] is elected to a four-year term.<ref>{{cite web |title=§&nbsp;1–204.35. Election of the Attorney General. |url=http://dccode.org/simple/sections/1-204.35.html |website=Code of the District of Columbia (Unofficial) |publisher=Open Law DC |access-date=January 2, 2015 |archive-date=January 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102183010/http://dccode.org/simple/sections/1-204.35.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Washington, D.C., observes all [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holidays]] and also celebrates [[Emancipation Day]] on April 16, which commemorates the end of slavery in the district.<ref name=emancipation /> The [[flag of Washington, D.C.]], was adopted in 1938 and is a variation on George Washington's family [[coat of arms]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Glaser |first=Jason |title=Washington, D.C. |year=2003 |publisher=Capstone |isbn=978-0-7368-2204-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/washingtondc0000glas/page/55 55] |url=https://archive.org/details/washingtondc0000glas |url-access=registration}}</ref>

Washington, D.C., has been a member state of the [[Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization]] (UNPO) since 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNPO: District of Columbia (Washington, DC) |work=unpo.org |access-date=November 4, 2021 |url=https://unpo.org/members/18770 |date=December 4, 2015 |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023192317/https://unpo.org/members/18770 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The idiom "[[Inside the Beltway]]" is a reference used to describe discussions of national political issues inside of Washington, D.C., by way of geographically demarcating the region inside the [[Capital Beltway]], the city's highway loop constructed in 1964. The phrase is used as a title for a number of political columns and news items by publications, including ''[[The Washington Times]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-beltway-as-a-target-of-populists-1510871274|title=Why 'Inside the Beltway' Is a Target of Populists|date=November 17, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=April 8, 2022|archive-date=May 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511141050/https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-beltway-as-a-target-of-populists-1510871274|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Budgetary issues ===
[[File:Mayor_Bowser_Headshot_hi_(cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Muriel Bowser]], the city's mayor since 2015]]
The mayor and council set local taxes and a budget, which Congress must approve. The [[Government Accountability Office]] and other analysts have estimated that the city's high percentage of tax-exempt property and the Congressional prohibition of commuter taxes create a structural deficit in the district's local budget of anywhere between $470&nbsp;million and over $1&nbsp;billion per year. Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as [[Medicaid]] and the operation of the [[National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997|local justice system]]; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.<ref name=DCAppleseed>{{cite web |title=Building the Best Capital City in the World |url=http://www.dcappleseed.org/library/DC%20Appleseed%20Report.FINAL.pdf |publisher=DC Appleseed |access-date=February 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511193725/http://www.dcappleseed.org/library/DC%20Appleseed%20Report.FINAL.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2011}}</ref><ref name=GAO>{{cite web |title=District of Columbia Structural Imbalance and Management Issues |url=http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03666.pdf |publisher=Government Accountability Office |date=May 2003 |access-date=February 5, 2011 |archive-date=February 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202235328/http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03666.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The city's local government, particularly during the mayoralty of [[Marion Barry]], has been criticized for mismanagement and waste.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Powell |title=Poor Management, Federal Rule, Undermine Services |date=July 20, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/dc/mismanage/manage20.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=A01 |access-date=June 10, 2008 |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504041509/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/dc/mismanage/manage20.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> During Barry's term as mayor, ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' magazine labeled the city "the worst city government in America" in 1989.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+worst+city+government+in+America-a06977500 |title=The worst city government in America. |last=DeParle |first=Jason |date=January 1, 1989 |work=The Washington Monthly |access-date=June 6, 2009 |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430052114/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+worst+city+government+in+America-a06977500 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1995, at the start of Barry's fourth term, Congress created the [[District of Columbia Financial Control Board]] to oversee all municipal spending.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Janofsky |title=Congress creates board to oversee Washington, D.C. |date=April 8, 1995 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DB1739F93BA35757C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 27, 2008 |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919021500/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DB1739F93BA35757C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}</ref> Mayor [[Anthony A. Williams|Anthony Williams]] won election in 1998 and oversaw a period of [[urban renewal]] and budget surpluses.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

The district regained control over its finances in 2001 and the oversight board's operations were suspended.<ref>{{cite news |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |title=After 10 years, D.C. control board is gone but not forgotten |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/30/AR2011013003901.html |access-date=July 11, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 30, 2011 |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016220602/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/30/AR2011013003901.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The district has a federally funded "Emergency Planning and Security Fund" to cover security related to visits by foreign leaders and diplomats, presidential inaugurations, protests, and terrorism concerns. During the Trump administration, the fund has run with a deficit. Trump's January 2017 inauguration cost the city $27&nbsp;million; of that, $7&nbsp;million was never repaid to the fund. Trump's 2019 Independence Day event, "A Salute to America", cost six times more than Independence Day events in past years.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/trumps-july-fourth-event-and-weekend-protests-bankrupted-dc-security-fund-mayor-says/2019/07/10/fb0d1de4-a316-11e9-b732-41a79c2551bf_story.html |title=Trump's July Fourth event and weekend protests bankrupted D.C. security fund, mayor says |last=Jamison |first=Peter |date=July 10, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=July 10, 2019 |archive-date=July 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710182846/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/trumps-july-fourth-event-and-weekend-protests-bankrupted-dc-security-fund-mayor-says/2019/07/10/fb0d1de4-a316-11e9-b732-41a79c2551bf_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== International relations ===
[[File:French ambassador's residence - Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|The [[French ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C.|French ambassador's residence]] in the [[Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District]]]]
As the national capital, Washington, D.C. hosts about 185 foreign missions, including embassies, ambassador's residences, and international cultural centers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Embassies & Foreign Missions |url=https://www.ncpc.gov/topics/embassies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319194924/https://www.ncpc.gov/topics/embassies/ |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=www.ncpc.gov}}</ref> Many are concentrated along a stretch of [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue]] known informally as [[Embassy Row]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goldchain |first1=Michelle |title=DC by Metro: A History & Guide |date=2019 |publisher=[[The History Press (United States)|The History Press]] |isbn=9781467140140 |location=Charleston, South Carolina |pages=51–53}}</ref> Washington, D.C., hosts a number of internationally themed festivals and events, often in collaboration with foreign missions or delegations.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} The city government maintains an Office of International Affairs to liaise with the diplomatic community and foreign delegations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Office of International Affairs {{!}} os |url=https://os.dc.gov/service/office-international-affairs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319194924/https://os.dc.gov/service/office-international-affairs |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=os.dc.gov}}</ref> D.C. has 15 official [[sister city]] agreements or protocols of friendship.{{efn|Listed in the order each agreement was first established, D.C.'s sister cities are [[Bangkok]], Thailand; [[Dakar]], Senegal; [[Beijing]], China; [[Brussels]], Belgium; [[Athens]], Greece; [[Paris]], France; [[Pretoria]], South Africa; [[Seoul]], South Korea; [[Accra]], Ghana; [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]], United Kingdom; [[Rome]], Italy; [[Ankara]], Turkey; [[Brasília]], Brazil; [[Addis Ababa]], Ethiopia; and [[San Salvador]], El Salvador. Each of the listed cities is a national capital except for Sunderland, which includes the town of [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]], the ancestral home of George Washington's family.<ref name="Sunderland">{{cite web |title=DC Sister Cities |url=http://os.dc.gov/service/dc-sister-cities |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104133547/http://os.dc.gov/service/dc-sister-cities |archive-date=November 4, 2015 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |publisher=D.C. Office of the Secretary}}</ref>}}

== Federal voting rights ==
{{See also|District of Columbia voting rights|Political party strength in Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia federal voting rights}}
[[File:Washington, D.C. license plate, 2017.png|thumb|The city's [[Vehicle registration plates of Washington, D.C.|license plate]], which calls for an end to [[No taxation without representation|taxation without representation]]]]
[[File:WashMonument WhiteHouse.jpg|thumb|The [[Washington Monument]] (forefront) and [[White House]] (center) in September 2003. Since 1961, the city's residents can vote for the [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] and [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]], who also serves as [[President of the Senate]].]]
[[File:Abraham Lincoln v2.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln Memorial)|Abraham Lincoln Statue]]'' at the [[Lincoln Memorial]] in September 2016]]
<!--{{PresHead|place=Washington, D.C.|source={{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/compare.php?year=2008&fips=11&f=1&off=0&elect=0&type=state|title=Presidential General Election Results Comparison – District of Columbia|publisher=US Election Atlas|access-date=October 26, 2022|author=Leip, David}}}} --!-->Washington, D.C. is not a state and therefore has no federal voting representation in [[United States Congress|Congress]]. The city's residents elect a [[Non-voting members of the United States House of representatives|non-voting delegate]] to the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] ([[District of Columbia's at-large congressional district|D.C. at-large]]), who may sit on committees, participate in debate, and introduce legislation, but cannot vote on the [[Floor (legislative)|House floor]]. The district has no official representation in the [[United States Senate]]. Neither chamber seats the district's elected [[Shadow congressperson|"shadow" representative or senators]]. Unlike residents of [[Territories of the United States|U.S. territories]] such as [[Puerto Rico]] or [[Guam]], which also have non-voting delegates, D.C. residents are subject to all federal taxes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Individuals-Living-or-Working-in-U.S.-Possessions |title=Individuals Living or Working in U.S. Possessions |access-date=December 2, 2012 |publisher=[[Internal Revenue Service]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202114846/http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Individuals-Living-or-Working-in-U.S.-Possessions |archive-date=December 2, 2012}}</ref> In the financial year 2012, D.C. residents and businesses paid $20.7&nbsp;billion in federal taxes, more than the taxes collected from 19 states and the highest [[Federal tax revenue by state|federal taxes per capita]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/12db05co.xls |title=Internal Revenue Gross Collections, by Type of Tax and State, Fiscal Year 2012 |access-date=September 5, 2013 |format=XLS |publisher=Internal Revenue Service |archive-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020202246/http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/12db05co.xls |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2005 poll found that 78% of Americans did not know residents of Washington, D.C., have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states.<ref name="votepoll">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcvote.org/newsletter/spring05.pdf |title=Poll Shows Nationwide Support for DC Voting Rights |access-date=May 29, 2008 |year=2005 |work=DC Vote Voice |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624204729/http://www.dcvote.org/newsletter/spring05.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2008}}</ref> Efforts to raise awareness about the issue have included campaigns by [[grassroots]] organizations and featuring the city's unofficial motto, "[[No taxation without representation|End Taxation Without Representation]]", on [[Vehicle registration plates of Washington, D.C.|D.C. vehicle license plates]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dmv.dc.gov/node/156462 |title='Taxation without Representation' Tags |access-date=December 2, 2012 |publisher=District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115081252/http://dmv.dc.gov/node/156462 |archive-date=January 15, 2013}}</ref> There is evidence of nationwide approval for D.C. voting rights; various polls indicate that 61 to 82% of Americans believe D.C. should have voting representation in Congress.<ref name="votepoll" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Washington Post Poll: D.C. Voting Rights |date=April 23, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_042307.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 10, 2008 |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504041611/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_042307.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Opponents of federal voting rights for Washington, D.C., propose that the [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]] never intended for District residents to have a vote in Congress, since the Constitution makes clear that representation must come from the states. Those opposed to making the District of Columbia a state say such a move would destroy the notion of a separate national capital and that statehood would unfairly grant Senate representation to a single city.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Fortier |title=The D.C. colony |date=May 17, 2006 |url=http://thehill.com/component/content/article/275-john-fortier/4948-the-dc-colony |work=The Hill |access-date=October 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112065946/http://thehill.com/component/content/article/275-john-fortier/4948-the-dc-colony |archive-date=November 12, 2010}}</ref>

The District was granted presidential voting rights by the 23rd Amendment in 1961.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/american-democracy/online/vote-voice/getting-vote/sometimes-it-takes-amendment/twenty-third |title=The Twenty-Third Amendment, 1961 |website=[[National Museum of American History]] |access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref> The [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution|23rd Amendment]] was ratified which granted the people of the Washington, D.C., the right to vote for the president. This was done by giving them the same number of Electoral College votes they would get if they were a state, but the number of votes must be no more than the least any state has; this works out to three Electoral College votes. The amendment reads, "A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-23/ |title=Twenty-Third Amendment |website=Congress.gov |access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref> The 23rd Amendment could complicate statehood, because it would apply even if the federal district was shrunk, and undoing the amendment requires another amendment.<ref name="sthd101" /> Congress must operate from a district it controls, but it can be no larger than ten miles on a side; the 2021 statehood bill got around this by proposing the federal district be shrunk to an area roughly the size of the National Mall.<ref name="sthd101" />

In 1978, the [[District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment]] was passed, which would have granted D.C. Congressional representation, but it expired in 1986 without being ratified into law.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.history.com/news/washington-dc-statehood-reconstruction |title=Why Isn't Washington, D.C. a State? |date=August 11, 2023 |orig-date=First published June 17, 2020 |website=[[History.com]] |first=Becky |last=Little |access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref> In 2021, a bill was introduced to Congress for [[District of Columbia retrocession|retroceding the District]] to Maryland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/04/22/gop-senator-introduces-bill-to-give-dc-to-maryland-as-statehood-bill-heads-to-senate/|title=GOP Senator Introduces Bill To Give D.C. To Maryland As Statehood Bill Heads To Senate|first=Andrew|last=Solender|website=Forbes}}</ref> The idea was that by returning the area to Maryland, the residents would have normal representation as part of a state.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/this-man-wants-to-make-the-district-the-24th-county-in-maryland-heres-how-his-plan-would-work/2019/10/13/b291fed4-de50-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html]</ref>

== Education ==
{{See also|District of Columbia Public Schools|List of parochial and private schools in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Georgetown, Washington, DC (39642750063) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Duke Ellington School of the Arts]], a public [[magnet school]] in the city]]
[[District of Columbia Public Schools]] (DCPS), the sole public school district in the city,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st11_dc/schooldistrict_maps/c11001_district_of_columbia/DC20SD_C11001.pdf|title=2020 Census – School District Reference Map: District of Columbia, DC|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=July 22, 2022|archive-date=July 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725195926/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st11_dc/schooldistrict_maps/c11001_district_of_columbia/DC20SD_C11001.pdf|url-status=live}} – [https://archive.today/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st11_dc/schooldistrict_maps/c11001_district_of_columbia/DC20SD_C11001_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> operates the city's 123 public schools.<ref name=dcps>{{cite web |title=2010–2011 School Opening Report |url=http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Strategic+Documents/School+Opening+Report/2010-2011+School+Opening+Report |publisher=District of Columbia Public Schools| access-date=November 12, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119043507/http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Strategic+Documents/School+Opening+Report/2010-2011+School+Opening+Report| archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}</ref> The number of students in DCPS steadily decreased for 39 years until 2009. In the 2010–11 school year, 46,191 students were enrolled in the public school system.<ref name=DCenroll>{{cite web |title=DC Public School Enrollment Up for Third Straight Year |url=http://osse.dc.gov/release/dc-public-school-enrollment-third-straight-year |publisher=Office of the State Superintendent of Education |access-date=November 12, 2011 |date=November 7, 2011 |archive-date=January 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131112705/http://osse.dc.gov/release/dc-public-school-enrollment-third-straight-year |url-status=live }}</ref> DCPS has one of the highest-cost, yet lowest-performing school systems in the country, in terms of both infrastructure and student achievement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/07/05/schools-taxes-education-biz-beltway_cz_cs_0705schools_2.html |title=Best And Worst School Districts for the Buck |access-date=June 10, 2008 |last=Settimi |first=Christina |date=July 5, 2007 |work=Forbes |archive-date=May 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527012448/http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/05/schools-taxes-education-biz-beltway_cz_cs_0705schools_2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration made sweeping changes to the system by closing schools, replacing teachers, firing principals, and using private education firms to aid curriculum development.<ref>{{cite news |first=V. Dion |last=Haynes |author2=Bill Turque |title=Rhee Offers Plan To Improve D.C.'s Troubled Schools |date=May 16, 2008 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051502354.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B01 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-date=May 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518160139/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051502354.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[District of Columbia Public Charter School Board]] monitors the 52 public charter schools in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/Enrollment-and-Demographics/SY2010-002D-2011-Charter-School-Profile.aspx |title=SY2010–2011 Charter School Profile |publisher=D.C. Public Charter School Board |access-date=January 8, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109204056/http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/Enrollment-and-Demographics/SY2010-002D-2011-Charter-School-Profile.aspx |archive-date=January 9, 2011}}</ref> Due to the perceived problems with the traditional public school system, enrollment in public [[charter school]]s had by 2007 steadily increased.<ref>{{cite news |first=V. Dion |last=Haynes |author2=Theola Labbe |title=A Boom for D.C. Charter Schools |date=April 25, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402542.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |pages=A01 |access-date=July 25, 2008 |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504041416/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402542.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2010, D.C., charter schools had a total enrollment of about 32,000, a 9% increase from the prior year.<ref name=DCenroll /> The district is also home to 92 private schools, which enrolled approximately 18,000 students in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/tables/table_2008_15.asp |title=Table 15. Number of private schools, students, full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, and 2006–07 high school graduates, by state: United States, 2007–08 |year=2008 |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=March 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309224531/http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/tables/table_2008_15.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Higher education ===
{{See also|List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Healy Hall Georgetown University.jpg|thumb|[[Georgetown University]], founded in 1789, the city's oldest university]]
The [[University of the District of Columbia]] (UDC) is a public [[land-grant university]] providing undergraduate and graduate education.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/university-of-district-of-columbia-admissions-788152 |title=University of the District of Columbia |website=ThoughtCo |first=Allen |last=Grove |access-date=February 2, 2024 |archive-date=February 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203044757/https://www.thoughtco.com/university-of-district-of-columbia-admissions-788152 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[University charter#Federal|Federally chartered universities]] include [[American University]] (AU), [[Gallaudet University]], [[George Washington University]] (GWU), [[Georgetown University]] (GU), and [[Howard University]] (HU). Other private universities include the [[Catholic University of America]] (CUA), the [[Johns Hopkins University]] [[Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies]] (SAIS), and [[Trinity Washington University]]. The [[Corcoran College of Art and Design]], the oldest art school in the capital, was absorbed into the George Washington University in 2014, now serving as its college of arts.<ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Montgomery |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/corcoran-gallery-of-art-and-college-to-be-taken-over-by-the-national-gallery-of-art-and-george-washington-university/2014/02/19/a236132e-9994-11e3-b88d-f36c07223d88_story.html |title=Corcoran Gallery of Art and College to split apart, partnering with National Gallery, GWU |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 19, 2014 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date=October 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017214354/http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/corcoran-gallery-of-art-and-college-to-be-taken-over-by-the-national-gallery-of-art-and-george-washington-university/2014/02/19/a236132e-9994-11e3-b88d-f36c07223d88_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The city's medical research institutions include [[Washington Hospital Center]] and [[Children's National Medical Center]]. The city is home to three medical schools and associated teaching hospitals: George Washington, Georgetown, and Howard universities.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bowman |first=Inci A. |title=Historic Medical Sites in the Washington, DC Area |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/medtour/intro.html |publisher=U.S. National Library of Medicine |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805094828/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/medtour/intro.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Libraries ===
Washington, D.C., has dozens of public and private libraries and [[library system]]s, including the [[District of Columbia Public Library]] system.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} [[Folger Shakespeare Library]], a research library and museum located on [[Capitol Hill]], houses the world's largest collection of material related to [[William Shakespeare]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.folger.edu/about |title=About the Folger |date=January 21, 2015 |access-date=February 12, 2022 }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=February 2025}}

[[File:LOC Main Reading Room Highsmith.jpg|thumb|The [[Library of Congress]], the [[List of largest libraries|world's largest library]], has more than 173 million items.{{Efn|The collection includes: 25 million catalogued books, 15.5 million other print items, 4.2 million recordings, 74.5 million manuscripts, 5.6 million maps, and 8.2 million sheet music pieces.<ref name="Year 2020 at a Glance">{{cite web |title=Year 2020 at a Glance |url=https://www.loc.gov/about/general-information/ |date=2020 |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=November 5, 2021 |archive-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223101833/https://www.loc.gov/about/general-information/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}]]
The [[Library of Congress]] is the [[Research library|research]] [[library]] that officially serves the [[United States Congress]] and is the ''[[de facto]]'' [[national library]] of the United States. It is a complex of three buildings: [[Thomas Jefferson Building]], [[John Adams Building]] and [[James Madison Memorial Building]], all located in the [[Capitol Hill]] neighborhood. The Jefferson Building houses the library's reading room, a copy of the [[Gutenberg Bible]], [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s original library, and several museum exhibits.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The [[District of Columbia Public Library]] operates 26 neighborhood locations including the landmark [[Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library]].<ref>{{cite web |title=In Your Neighborhood |url=http://www.dclibrary.org/about/neighborhood |publisher=D.C. Public Library |access-date=August 14, 2011 |archive-date=August 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808164832/http://dclibrary.org/about/neighborhood |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Media ==
{{Main|Media in Washington, D.C.}}
{{See also|List of newspapers in Washington, D.C.|List of films set in Washington, D.C.|List of television shows set in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Franklin Park & One Franklin Square - Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|[[One Franklin Square]] in [[Downtown (Washington, D.C.)|Downtown]] houses the headquarters of ''[[The Washington Post]]'', the [[List of newspapers in the United States|nation's third-largest newspaper by circulation]] as of 2023]]

Washington, D.C., is a prominent center for national and international media. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', founded in 1877, is the city's most-read local daily newspaper{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} and one of the preeminent newspapers in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2024 |title=''The Washington Post'' |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Washington-Post |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=Brittanica.com |language=en}}</ref> It had the sixth-highest readership of all news dailies in the country in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last=Edmonds |first=Rick |title=Newspapers: By the Numbers |url=http://stateofthemedia.org/2012/newspapers-building-digital-revenues-proves-painfully-slow/newspapers-by-the-numbers/ |work=The State of the News Media 2012 |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=September 9, 2012 |author2=Emily Guskin |author3=Tom Rosenstiel |author4=Amy Mitchell |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907081344/http://stateofthemedia.org/2012/newspapers-building-digital-revenues-proves-painfully-slow/newspapers-by-the-numbers/ |archive-date=September 7, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''Post'' previously also published the [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-language newspaper ''[[El Tiempo Latino]]'', which it sold to [[El Planeta Media]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caycho |first=Victor |date=December 9, 2016 |title=''El Tiempo Latino'' ya no es del ''Washington Post'' |url=https://washingtonhispanic.com/metro/el-tiempo-latino-ya-no-es-del-washington-post/ |access-date=August 28, 2024 |language=es}}</ref> The city is served by two local [[NPR]] affiliates, [[WAMU]] and [[WETA (FM)|WETA]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/charlottes-wfae-is-latest-pubcaster-to-unionize-with-sag-aftra/article_8b46c780-ae0b-11ee-9257-efcc18feeecb.html |title= Charlotte's WFAE Is Latest Pubcaster To Unionize With SAG-AFTRA |date=January 8, 2024 |website=Inside Radio |access-date=February 2, 2024 |quote=public radio station ... others include ... WAMU and WETA Washington DC }}</ref>

''[[The Washington Times]]'' is a general interest daily newspaper and popular among [[Conservatism in the United States|conservatives]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/04/bush-sr-celebrate-rev-sun-myung-moon-again |title=Bush Sr. To Celebrate Rev. Sun Myung Moon—Again |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720194958/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/04/bush-sr-celebrate-rev-sun-myung-moon-again/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Alternative newspaper|alternative weekly]] ''[[Washington City Paper]]'', with a circulation of 47,000, is also based in the city and has a substantial readership in the Washington area.<ref>{{cite news |title=Times circulation climbs to buck trend |date=May 18, 2005 |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/may/18/20050518-120247-7729r/ |work=The Washington Times |access-date=September 2, 2008 |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201130324/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/may/18/20050518-120247-7729r/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.altweeklies.com/aan/Company?oid=oid%3A95 |title=Washington City Paper |access-date=August 12, 2011 |publisher=Association of Alternative Newsweeklies |archive-date=August 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812040929/http://www.altweeklies.com/aan/Company?oid=oid:95 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Atlantic]]'' magazine, which has covered politics, international affairs, and cultural issues since 1857, was previously headquartered at the [[Watergate complex]] but is now headquartered in a building at [[the Wharf (Washington, D.C.)|the Wharf]] in Washington.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Atlantic's address and phone number |url=https://support.theatlantic.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011517854-The-Atlantic-s-address-and-phone-number |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=June 25, 2023 |archive-date=June 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625152751/https://support.theatlantic.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011517854-The-Atlantic-s-address-and-phone-number |url-status=dead }}</ref> The headquarters of [[Voice of America]], the U.S. government's international news service, is near the Capitol in Southwest Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web |title=About VOA |url=http://www.insidevoa.com/info/about_us/1673.html |publisher=Voice of America |access-date=December 2, 2012 |archive-date=December 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225143334/http://www.insidevoa.com/info/about_us/1673.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several community and specialty papers focus on neighborhood and cultural issues, including the weekly ''[[Washington Blade]]'' and ''[[Metro Weekly]]'', which focus on LGBT issues; the ''[[Washington Informer]]'' and ''[[The Washington Afro American]]'', which highlight topics of interest to the black community; and neighborhood newspapers published by [[The Current Newspapers]]. ''[[Congressional Quarterly]]'', ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]'', ''[[Politico (newspaper)|Politico]]'', and ''[[Roll Call]]'' newspapers focus exclusively on issues related to Congress and the federal government. Other publications based in Washington include the ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]'' magazine and political publications such as ''[[The Washington Examiner]]'', ''[[The New Republic]]'', and ''[[Washington Monthly]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=District of Columbia, 2010–2011 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=District+of+Columbia&year1=2010&year2=2011 |work=Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-date=December 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226065150/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=District+of+Columbia&year1=2010&year2=2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:BB DC set election 11.16.jpg|thumb|[[CNN]] reporting from the city during the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]]]]
The [[Washington metropolitan area]] is the ninth-largest television media market in the nation, with two million homes, representing approximately 2% of the country's television market.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/us-tv-households-up-15-asian-hispanic-households-triple-that-5846/nielsen-top-30-local-television-market-universe-estimates-2008-2009jpg/ |title=US TV Households Up 1.5%—Asian, Hispanic Households Triple That |date=September 27, 2008 |publisher=Nielsen Media Research |access-date=October 10, 2009 |archive-date=April 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414201559/http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/us-tv-households-up-15-asian-hispanic-households-triple-that-5846/nielsen-top-30-local-television-market-universe-estimates-2008-2009jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Several media companies and cable television channels [[Washington metropolitan area#Media|have their headquarters in the area]], including ''[[USA Today]]'', the [[List of newspapers in the United States|largest newspaper in the country as measured by circulation]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tysons Corner CDP, Virginia |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.gannett.com/contactus.htm Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126044018/http://gannett.com/contactus.htm |date=January 26, 2011 }}."</ref>

== Infrastructure ==
=== Transportation ===
{{Main|Transportation in Washington, D.C.}}

==== Streets and highways ====
{{Main|Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.}}
{{See also|List of circles in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:2021.02.07_DC_Street,_Washington,_DC_USA_038_13205-Edit_(50920473547).jpg|thumb|[[Pennsylvania Avenue]], one of the city's most prominent streets, connects the [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]] and [[White House]].]]
There are {{convert|1500|mi|km}} of streets, parkways, and avenues in the district.<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Road Length |url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs06/htm/hm10.htm |work=Highway Statistics 2006 |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |access-date=September 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122121841/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs06/htm/hm10.htm |archive-date=November 22, 2012}}</ref> Due to the [[Highway revolts in the United States|freeway revolts]] of the 1960s, much of the proposed [[interstate highway system]] through the middle of Washington was never built. [[Interstate 95 in the District of Columbia|Interstate&nbsp;95]] (I-95), the nation's major east coast highway, therefore bends around the district to form the eastern portion of the [[Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)|Capital Beltway]]. A portion of the proposed highway funding was directed to the region's public transportation infrastructure instead.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schrag |first=Zachary |title=The Great Society Subway |year=2006 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDQI-02wki0C |chapter=Chapter 5: The Bridge |isbn=978-0-8018-8906-6 |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=November 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118202247/https://books.google.com/books?id=vDQI-02wki0C |url-status=live }}</ref> The interstate highways that continue into Washington, including [[Interstate 66|I-66]] and [[Interstate 395 (Virginia–District of Columbia)|I-395]], both terminate shortly after entering the city.<ref>I-66: {{Hanging indent| {{cite news |last1=Kozel |first1=Scott M. |title=Interstate 66 in Virginia |url=http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I66_VA_Desc.html |access-date=April 22, 2017 |publisher=Roads to the Future |date=May 31, 2000 |archive-date=April 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422214116/http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I66_VA_Desc.html |url-status=live }}}}{{unreliable source?|date=February 2025}} I-395: {{Hanging indent| {{cite book |last1=BMI |title=I-95/i-395 Hov Restriction Study |date=February 1999 |publisher=Virginia Department of Transportation |pages=70 |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/resources/studynova-hov395Final.pdf |access-date=April 22, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525021506/http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/resources/studynova-hov395Final.pdf |archive-date=May 25, 2017 }}}}</ref>

According to a 2010 study, Washington-area commuters spent 70&nbsp;hours a year in traffic delays, which tied with Chicago for having the nation's worst road congestion.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ashley |last=Halsey III |title=Washington area tied with Chicago for traffic congestion, study finds |date=January 20, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/20/AR2011012000056.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706091805/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/20/AR2011012000056.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, 37% of Washington-area commuters take public transportation to work, the second-highest rate in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2007/06/13/real_estate/public_transit_commutes/index.htm |title=New Yorkers are top transit users |access-date=July 15, 2008 |last=Christie |first=Les |date=June 29, 2007 |publisher=CNNMoney |archive-date=May 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516222801/http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/13/real_estate/public_transit_commutes/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> An additional 12% of D.C. commuters walked to work, 6% carpooled, and 3% traveled by bicycle in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=District of Columbia Commuting Characteristics by Sex |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_1YR/S0801/0400000US11 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212094909/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_1YR/S0801/0400000US11 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |work=2010 American Community Survey |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=October 16, 2011}}</ref>

====Cycling====
[[File:Capital Bikeshare DC 2010 10 545.JPG|thumb|A [[Capital Bikeshare]] rental station near [[McPherson Square]]]]
In May 2022, the city celebrated the expansion of its [[Cycling infrastructure|bike lane network]] to {{convert|104|mi}}, a 60 percent increase from 2015. Of those miles, {{convert|24|mi}} were [[protected bike lane]]s. It also boasted {{convert|62|mi}} of [[bike trail]]s.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Mayor Bowser and DDOT Celebrate 100 Miles of DC Bike Lanes on Bike to Work Day |url=https://ddot.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-and-ddot-celebrate-100-miles-dc-bike-lanes-bike-work-day |publisher=[[District Department of Transportation]] |date=May 20, 2022 |access-date=January 12, 2023}}</ref> {{As of|2023|March}}, the city has {{convert|108|mi}} of bike lanes, with {{convert|30|mi}} of them protected bike lanes.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Capital Bikeshare Getting 700 New E-Bikes; Bowser Celebrates Completion of 9th Street Bikeway |work=[[DCist]] |date=March 20, 2023 |url=https://dcist.com/story/23/03/20/capital-bikeshare-getting-700-new-e-bikes-bowser-celebrates-completion-of-9th-street-bikeway/ |access-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321002101/https://dcist.com/story/23/03/20/capital-bikeshare-getting-700-new-e-bikes-bowser-celebrates-completion-of-9th-street-bikeway/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

D.C. is part of the regional [[Capital Bikeshare]] program. Started in 2010, it is one of the largest [[bicycle sharing system]]s in the country. {{As of|2024|February}}, the program had 6,372 bicycles and 395 stations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbsc.com/cities/washington-dc-bike-share|title=Washington DC Bike Share Program|website=PBSC Urban Solutions|language=en-US|access-date=February 2, 2024}}</ref> A preceding [[SmartBike DC]] pilot program had begun in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dr-gridlock/2010/12/sun_sets_on_smartbikes.html |title=Sun sets on SmartBikeDC |date=December 17, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Luke |last=Rosiak |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009121629/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dr-gridlock/2010/12/sun_sets_on_smartbikes.html |archive-date=October 9, 2012 }}</ref>

==== Walkability ====
A 2021 study by [[Walk Score]] ranked Washington, D.C. the fifth-most walkable city in the country. According to the study, the most walkable neighborhoods are [[U Street (Washington, D.C.)|U Street]], [[Dupont Circle]], and [[Mount Vernon Square]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walkscore.com/DC/Washington_D.C. |title=Living in Washington D.C. |publisher=Walk Score |date=2021 |access-date=March 19, 2023}}</ref> In 2013, the [[Washington metropolitan area]] had the eighth lowest percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile (75.7 percent), with 8{{nbsp}}percent of area workers traveling via rail transit.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/acs/acs-32.pdf |title=Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the United States: 2013 |series=American Survey Reports |access-date=December 26, 2017 |date=August 2015 |author=McKenzie, Brian |archive-date=December 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221064610/https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/acs/acs-32.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== River crossings ====
{{See also|List of crossings of the Potomac River|List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:Memorial Bridge sunrise.jpg|thumb|[[Arlington Memorial Bridge|Memorial Bridge]], connecting the city across the [[Potomac River]] with [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington County]]]]
Bridges that cross the [[Potomac River|Potomac]] and [[Anacostia River|Anacostia]] rivers include [[Arlington Memorial Bridge]], [[14th Street Bridges]], [[Francis Scott Key Bridge (Washington, D.C.)|Francis Scott Key Bridge]], [[Theodore Roosevelt Bridge]], [[Woodrow Wilson Bridge]], and [[Frederick Douglass Bridge]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Washington DC Bridges: A Guide to River Crossings |url=https://www.tripsavvy.com/washington-dc-bridges-1040468 |publisher=Trip Savvy |access-date=September 17, 2022 }}</ref>

==== Rail ====
{{See also|List of railroads in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:L'Enfant Plaza cross vault and escalators, March 2019.jpg|thumb|[[Washington Metro]], the [[List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership|second-busiest]] rapid rail system in the U.S. based on average weekday ridership, is known for its iconic vaulted ceilings]]
[[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]] (WMATA) operates [[Washington Metro]], the city's [[rapid transit]] rail system, which serves Washington, D.C. and its [[Maryland]] and [[Northern Virginia]] suburbs. Metro opened on March 27, 1976, and consists of six lines, [[List of Washington Metro stations|98&nbsp;stations]], and {{convert|129|mi}} of track.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=5749 |title=Metro launches Silver Line, largest expansion of region's rail system in more than two decades |date=July 25, 2014 |access-date= August 4, 2014 |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140801205217/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=5749 |archive-date= August 1, 2014 }}</ref> Metro is the [[List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership|second-busiest rapid transit system]] in the country and [[List of North American rapid transit systems by ridership|fifth-busiest in North America]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ggwash.org/view/90163/soaring-ridership-leads-transit-recovery-in-us|title=With soaring Metro, DC Streetcar, and VRE ridership, Washington region leads transit recovery in US |date=July 6, 2023 |access-date=July 6, 2023 |publisher=Greater Greater Washington }}</ref> It operates mostly as a deep-level [[passenger rail terminology#Subway|subway]] in more densely populated areas, while most of the suburban tracks are at surface level or [[elevated railway|elevated]]. Metro is known for its iconic [[brutalist]]-style vaulted ceilings in the interior stations.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} The longest single-tier escalator in the Western Hemisphere, spanning {{convert|230|ft}}, is located at Metro's [[Wheaton station (Washington Metro)|Wheaton station]] in Maryland.<ref name="facts 2017">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/2019-Metro-Snapshot-Fact-Sheet.pdf|title=Metro Facts 2018|website=WMATA|access-date=November 14, 2019|archive-date=July 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711072813/https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/2019-Metro-Snapshot-Fact-Sheet.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Washington Union Station]], the city's main train station, serves approximately 70,000 passengers daily and is [[Amtrak]]'s second-busiest station with 4.6&nbsp;million passengers annually and the southern terminus for the [[Northeast Corridor]]. Amtrak's ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' provides service northbound transportation to [[Baltimore Penn Station]], [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|New York Penn Station]] in [[Manhattan]], [[30th Street Station]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[South Station]] in [[Boston]], and other stops.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} Maryland's [[MARC Train|MARC]] and Virginia's [[Virginia Railway Express|VRE]] commuter trains and the Metrorail [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red Line]] also provide service into Union Station.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 2010 |title=District of Columbia Amtrak Fact Sheet FY 2010 |url=http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/DC10.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119183510/http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/DC10.pdf |archive-date=January 19, 2012 |access-date=July 19, 2011 |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref> As of 2023, Union Station is the [[List of busiest railway stations in North America|ninth-busiest rail station]] in the nation and tenth-busiest in [[North America]].{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Washington, D.C.'s  [[Streetcars in Washington, D.C.|streetcars]], which were a prominent form of transportation in the 19th and early 20th century, were dismantled in the 1960s. In 2016, however, the city brought back a streetcar line, [[DC Streetcar]], which is a single line system in Northeast Washington, D.C., along [[H Street (Washington, D.C.)|H Street]] and [[Benning Road]], known as the [[H Street/Benning Road Line]].<ref name="WAPO">{{cite news |first=Michael|last=Laris |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/dc-streetcar-makes-its-first-voyages-on-h-street-is-it-really-happening/2016/02/27/bd0c3234-dd5b-11e5-891a-4ed04f4213e8_story.html |title=D.C. streetcar makes its first voyages on H Street. 'Is it really happening?' |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 27, 2016 |access-date=September 17, 2022}}</ref>

==== Bus ====
[[File:WMATA 2015 New Flyer XDE60 5462.jpg|thumb|[[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]], operated by the [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]]]]
Two main public bus systems operate in Washington, D.C. [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]], operated by the [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]] (WMATA), is the primary public bus system in Washington, D.C. Serving more than 400,000 riders each weekday, it is one of the nation's [[List of United States local bus agencies by ridership|largest bus systems]] by annual ridership.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2009_q2_ridership_APTA.pdf |title=Estimated Unliked Transit Passenger Trips |access-date=October 10, 2009 |last=Dawson |first=Christie R. |date=August 21, 2009 |publisher=American Public Transport Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828143620/http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2009_q2_ridership_APTA.pdf |archive-date=August 28, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The city also operates its own [[DC Circulator]] bus system, which connects commercial and touristic areas within central Washington.<ref>{{cite web |title=About DC Circulator |url=http://www.dccirculator.com/Home/About.aspx |work=DC Circulator |access-date=March 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415081625/http://www.dccirculator.com/Home/About.aspx |archive-date=April 15, 2012}}</ref> The DC Circulator costs only $1 to ride and is composed of six distinct routes that cover central D.C. and suburban [[Rosslyn, Virginia]]. The DC Circulator is run via a public-private partnership between the [[District of Columbia Department of Transportation]], WMATA, and DC Surface Transit, Inc. (DCST). The bus system services each stop approximately every 10 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dccirculator.com/connect/about-us/ |title=About Us |work=Washington D.C. Circulator |access-date=September 17, 2022 |publisher=DC Circulator |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922064905/https://www.dccirculator.com/connect/about-us/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

There are also numerous commuter buses that residents of the wider Washington region take to commute into the city for work or other events, such as the [[Loudoun County Transit]] Commuter Bus and the [[Maryland Transit Administration]] Commuter Bus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.commuterpage.com/ways-to-get-around/commuter-buses/ |title=Commuter Buses |access-date=September 17, 2022 |publisher=Arlington County Commuter Services }}</ref> The city also has several bus lines used by tourists and others visiting the city, including [[Big Bus Tours]], Old Town Trolley Tours, and DC Trails. Many tourists also arrive via charter buses.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Following renovations in 2011, Union Station became Washington's primary [[intercity bus]] transit center.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 15, 2011 |title=Union Station gets new bus depot |url=http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/11/union-station-gets-new-bus-depot-69175.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030065252/http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/11/union-station-gets-new-bus-depot-69175.html |archive-date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=June 19, 2012 |publisher=WJLA-TV}}</ref>

==== Air ====
{{See also|Aviation in Washington, D.C.|List of airports serving Washington, D.C.|List of heliports in Washington, D.C.}}
[[File:NewConcourse-RonaldReaganWashingtonNationalAirport.jpg|thumb|[[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Reagan Washington National Airport]] in [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington, Virginia]] is the closest airport to the city among the three major [[Washington metropolitan area]] airports.]]

Three major airports serve the district, though none are within the city's borders. Two of these major airports are located in suburban [[Northern Virginia]] and one in suburban [[Maryland]]. The closest is [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]], which is located in [[Arlington County, Virginia]], just across the [[Potomac River]] about {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} from downtown Washington, D.C. This airport provides primarily domestic flights and has the lowest number of passengers of the three airports in the region. The busiest by number of total passengers is [[Baltimore/Washington International Airport]] (BWI), located in [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County]], Maryland about {{convert|30|mi|km|0}} northeast of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commercial Service Airport Ranking, FAA |url=https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy18-commercial-service-enplanements.pdf |date=December 20, 2019 |website=Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102133933/https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy18-commercial-service-enplanements.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The busiest by international flights and the largest by land size and amount of facilities is [[Dulles International Airport|Washington Dulles International Airport]], located in [[Dulles, Virginia]], about {{convert|24|mi|km|0}} west of the city.<ref>{{Citation |title=MWAA Air Traffic Statistics |date=December 1, 2018 |url=https://www.mwaa.com/sites/default/files/12-18_ats_report_v2.pdf |work=Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority |language=en |access-date=August 16, 2019 |archive-date=March 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318194548/https://www.mwaa.com/sites/default/files/12-18_ats_report_v2.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Dulles has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic]] outside the [[New York metropolitan area]], including approximately 90% of the international passenger traffic in the [[Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area|Washington-Baltimore region]].<ref name=ACI>{{cite web |url=https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/aviation-policy/us-international-passenger-freight-statistics-2011-2015-passengers |title=U.S. International Air Passenger and Freight Statistics Report |publisher=Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date=December 25, 2016 |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225215408/https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/aviation-policy/us-international-passenger-freight-statistics-2011-2015-passengers |url-status=dead }}</ref> Each of these three airports also serves as a hub for a major American airline: Reagan National Airport is a hub for [[American Airlines]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/12/06/fleet-and-hubs-american-airlines-numbers/95014004/ |title=The fleet and hubs of American Airlines, by the numbers |date=December 6, 2016 |work=USA Today |first=Ben |last=Mutzabaugh |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225031122/http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/12/06/fleet-and-hubs-american-airlines-numbers/95014004/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Dulles is a major hub for [[United Airlines]] and [[Star Alliance]] partners,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/01/26/fleet-and-hubs-united-airlines-numbers/96983530/ |title=The fleet and hubs of United Airlines, by the numbers |date=January 26, 2017 |work=USA Today |first=Ben |last=Mutzabaugh |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date=February 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212041159/https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/01/26/fleet-and-hubs-united-airlines-numbers/96983530/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and BWI is an operating base for [[Southwest Airlines]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/southwest-opens-ft-lauderdale-international-gateway-focus-city/ |title=Southwest Opens Ft Lauderdale International Gateway Focus City |date=August 8, 2016 |magazine=Airways Magazine |first=Chris |last=Sloan |access-date=November 8, 2021 |quote=Ft. Lauderdale is destined to join Houston Hobby, Baltimore, and Los Angeles as a key focus gateway city |archive-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001085639/https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/southwest-opens-ft-lauderdale-international-gateway-focus-city/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, the Washington, D.C. area was the [[List of busiest city airport systems by passenger traffic|18th-busiest airport system in the world]] by passenger traffic, accumulating over 74 million passengers between its three main commercial airports; by 2022 it had climbed to 13th-busiest for passenger traffic, even though passenger numbers decreased to less than 69 million.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The [[President of the United States]] does not use any of these airports for travel. Instead, the U.S. president typically travels by [[Marine One]] from the [[South Lawn]] of the [[White House]] to [[Joint Base Andrews]] in suburban Maryland. From there, he takes [[Air Force One]] to his destination.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jba.af.mil/About/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/336384/joint-base-andrews-history/ |title=Factsheet: Joint Base Andrews History |date=September 21, 2012 |website=Joint Base Andrews |access-date=January 31, 2024 }}</ref>

=== Utilities ===
[[File:Blue_Plains_WWTP_-_aerial_2016.jpg|thumb|The [[Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant]] in D.C. is the largest [[Sewage treatment#Tertiary treatment|advanced]] wastewater treatment facility in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pipkin |first1=Whitney |title=DC water treatment plant powers up for cleaner energy |url=https://www.bayjournal.com/news/energy/dc-water-treatment-plant-powers-up-for-cleaner-energy/article_812d51e0-f67b-11ec-9809-d7e7eeae2b0e.html |access-date=March 21, 2024 |work=Bay Journal |date=June 29, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>]]

The [[District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority]], also known as WASA or DC Water, is an independent authority of the Washington, D.C., government that provides drinking water and wastewater collection in the city. WASA purchases water from the historic [[Washington Aqueduct]], which is operated by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]]. The water, sourced from the [[Potomac River]], is treated and stored in the city's [[Dalecarlia Reservoir|Dalecarlia]], [[Georgetown Reservoir|Georgetown]], and [[McMillan Reservoir|McMillan]] reservoirs. The aqueduct provides drinking water for a total of 1.1&nbsp;million people in the district and Virginia, including Arlington, Falls Church, and a portion of Fairfax County.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Washington Aqueduct System |url=http://www.nps.gov/choh/historyculture/thewashingtonaqueductsystem.htm |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=January 5, 2014 |archive-date=January 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107020849/http://www.nps.gov/choh/historyculture/thewashingtonaqueductsystem.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Pepco]] is the city's electric utility and services 793,000 customers in the district and suburban Maryland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Pepco |url=http://www.pepco.com/welcome/ |work=January 5, 2014 |publisher=Pepco |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040826/http://www.pepco.com/welcome/ |archive-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> An 1889 law prohibits overhead wires within much of the historic City of Washington. As a result, all power lines and telecommunication cables are located underground in downtown Washington, and traffic signals are placed at the edge of the street.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |title=D.C. streetcar project may get hung up on overhead wires |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040502927.html |access-date=January 5, 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 6, 2010 |archive-date=June 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627065720/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040502927.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[D.C. Public Service Commission]] approved a seven-year, $500&nbsp;million plan in 2017 to bury more lines underground; construction started in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morehouse |first1=Catherine |title=With storm hardening 'a larger focus', DC approves PEPCO underground distribution lines |url=https://www.utilitydive.com/news/with-storm-hardening-a-larger-focus-dc-approves-pepco-underground-distri/550233/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |work=Utility Dive |publisher=[[Informa TechTarget]] |date=March 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Segraves |first1=Mark |title=Pepco Begins 7-Year Project to Put DC Power Lines Underground |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/pepco-begins-7-year-project-to-put-dc-power-lines-underground/149140/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |work=[[NBC4 Washington]] |date=June 14, 2019}}</ref>

[[Washington Gas]] is the city's [[natural gas]] utility and serves more than a million customers in the district and its suburbs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Company Profile / History |url=http://www.washingtongas.com/pages/CompanyProfileHistory |publisher=Washington Gas Light Co. |access-date=January 5, 2014 |archive-date=January 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106031709/http://www.washingtongas.com/pages/CompanyProfileHistory |url-status=live }}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=March 2025}}

== Crime and police==
{{Main|Crime in Washington, D.C.}}
{{See also|List of law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia}}
[[File:MPDC.MFL.WDC.19January2018 (39879686101).jpg|thumb|[[Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia|Washington, D.C., police]] on [[Harley-Davidson]] motorcycles escorting the [[March for Life (Washington, D.C.)|March for Life]] protest on [[Constitution Avenue]] in January 2018]]

Washington has historically endured high crime, particularly violent offences. The city was once described as the "murder capital" of the United States during the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Urbina |first=Ian |date=July 13, 2006 |title=Washington Officials Try to Ease Crime Fear |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/us/13deecee.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416000938/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/us/13deecee.html |archive-date=April 16, 2009 |access-date=June 10, 2008 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The number of murders peaked in 1991 at 479, but then began to decline,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Klein |first1=Allison |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |date=December 31, 2011 |title=As homicides fall in D.C., rise in Prince George's, numbers meet in the middle |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/as-homicides-fall-in-dc-rise-in-prince-georges-numbers-meet-in-the-middle/2011/12/21/gIQAjopBTP_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105123813/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/as-homicides-fall-in-dc-rise-in-prince-georges-numbers-meet-in-the-middle/2011/12/21/gIQAjopBTP_story.html |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |access-date=January 2, 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> reaching a historic low of 88 in 2012, the lowest total since 1961.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mollenbeck |first=Andrew |date=January 3, 2013 |title=District celebrates historically low homicide rate |url=http://www.wtop.com/109/3180337/District-celebrates-historically-low-homicide-rate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117060430/http://www.wtop.com/109/3180337/District-celebrates-historically-low-homicide-rate |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |access-date=January 14, 2013 |newspaper=Wtop News |publisher=WTOP}}</ref> In 2016, the district's [[Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia|Metropolitan Police Department]] tallied 135 homicides, a 53% increase from 2012 but a 17% decrease from 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=District Crime Data |url=http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/district-crime-data-glance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103063228/http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/district-crime-data-glance |archive-date=January 3, 2016 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |publisher=Mpdc.dc.gov}}</ref> Violent crime per-capita has steadily declined since 2012, aside from a spike in 2023 (when D.C. recorded 274 homicides, a 20-year high);<ref>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Emily |last2=Harden |first2=John D. |last3=Hermann |first3=Peter |date=January 1, 2024 |title=2023 was District's deadliest year in more than two decades |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2024/dc-crime-homicide-victims-shooting-violence/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> in 2024, violent crimes per-capita reached their lowest levels since 2010,<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 11, 2025 |title=Trump expands L.A. military tactics by sending National Guard to Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-08-11/trump-expands-l-a-military-tactics-by-sending-national-guard-to-washington-d-c |access-date=August 13, 2025 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Fact check: Violent crime in DC has fallen in 2024 and 2025 after a 2023 spike {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/politics/violent-crime-dc-fact-check-vis |access-date=August 13, 2025 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> and as of August 2025 police statistics had so far recorded a 7% decrease in overall crime year-over-year, and a 26% decrease in violent crime.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" /><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |last=Padinger |first=Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, Germán |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Trump claims Washington's murder rate is higher than Bogotá or Mexico City. Here's what the stats from those countries say |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/12/americas/trump-washington-bogota-dc-mexico-city-crime-intl-latam |access-date=August 13, 2025 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Levin |first=Sam |date=August 11, 2025 |title='Hyperbolic and false': Trump's portrayal of crime in Washington DC has little to do with facts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/11/trump-washington-dc-crime-los-angeles |access-date=August 13, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

According to a 2018 report, 67,000 residents, or about 10% of the population, are ex-convicts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2018 |title=Obstacles to employment for returning citizens in D.C. |url=https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/barriers-to-employment-for-returning-citizens-in-d-c/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121203200/https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/barriers-to-employment-for-returning-citizens-in-d-c/ |archive-date=January 21, 2023 |access-date=January 21, 2023 |publisher=D.C. Policy Center |language=en-US}}</ref> An estimated 2,000–2,500 offenders return to the city from prison every year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reentry in the District of Columbia: Supporting Returning Citizens' Transitions into the Community {{!}} cjcc |url=https://cjcc.dc.gov/page/reentry-district-columbia-supporting-returning-citizens-transitions-community |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=cjcc.dc.gov}}</ref>

Many D.C. residents began to press the city government for refusing to prosecute nearly 70% of arrested offenders in 2022. After months of criticism, the rate of unprosecuted cases dropped to 56% by October 2023—albeit still higher than nine of the past 10 years and almost twice what it was in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last=Oberg |first=Ted |date=October 19, 2023 |title=More DC arrests prosecuted as US attorney pushes back on criticism |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/more-dc-arrests-prosecuted-as-us-attorney-pushes-back-on-criticism/3448952/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |work=[[WRC-TV]]}}</ref> In February 2024, the [[Council of the District of Columbia]] passed a major bill meant to reduce crime in the city by introducing harsher penalties for arrested offenders.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bernard |first1=Bob |last2=Smith |first2=Jillian |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Secure DC Crime Bill: Council unanimously passes legislation to reduce crime in the District |url=https://www.fox5dc.com/news/secure-dc-crime-bill-council-unanimously-passes-legislation-to-reduce-crime-in-the-district |access-date=February 11, 2024 |work=[[WTTG]]}}</ref> Rising crime and gang activities contributed to some local businesses leaving the city.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsMkRrhRsO8 |title=Crime, costs continue to push businesses out of the District |date=November 10, 2023 |type=Television production |access-date=February 11, 2024 |via=YouTube |work=WTTG}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Mullins |first1=Luke |last2=Hruby |first2=Patrick |date=December 12, 2023 |title=The Caps and Wizards Are Leaving DC: Who's to Blame? |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/12/21/the-caps-and-wizards-are-leaving-dc-whos-to-blame/ |access-date=February 11, 2024 |magazine=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]]}}</ref>

In 2008, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] held in ''[[District of Columbia v. Heller]]'' that the city's 1976 [[Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975|handgun ban]] violated the [[Right to keep and bear arms in the United States|right to keep and bear arms]] as protected under the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Robert |date=June 26, 2008 |title=Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Ban on Handguns |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062600615.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627080423/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062600615.html |archive-date=June 27, 2008 |access-date=June 27, 2008 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> However, [[Gun laws in the District of Columbia|a number of gun control measures]] remain in place, including those requiring firearm registration and banning assault weapons.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nakamura |first=David |date=June 26, 2008 |title=D.C. Attorney General: All Guns Must Be Registered |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/06/dc_attorney_general_all_guns_m.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011085230/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/06/dc_attorney_general_all_guns_m.html |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |access-date=June 26, 2008 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

In addition to the Metropolitan Police Department, several [[Federal law enforcement in the United States|federal law enforcement agencies]] have jurisdiction in the city, including the [[United States Park Police|U.S. Park Police]], founded in 1791.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 13, 2011 |title=U.S. Park Police Authority and Jurisdiction |url=http://www.nps.gov/uspp/tauthorit.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620140714/http://www.nps.gov/uspp/tauthorit.htm |archive-date=June 20, 2008 |access-date=August 13, 2011 |publisher=[[National Park Service]]}}</ref> Because the [[D.C. National Guard]] serves a federal district, the president of the United States—and not city officials—has power to deploy it. Under Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, the president also has the power to temporarily take over the police force in emergency situations for a maximum of 30 days; this period can be extended with congressional approval.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last1=Bennett |first1=Brian |last2=Popli |first2=Nik |date=August 11, 2025 |title=Citing 'Emergency,' Trump Puts Washington, D.C. Police Under Federal Control and Deploys National Guard |url=https://time.com/7308788/trump-washington-dc-national-guard/ |access-date=August 13, 2025 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Bowman |first=Tom |date=August 11, 2025 |title=President Trump deploys National Guard to D.C., takes control of Police Department |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/08/11/nx-s1-5498755/president-trump-deploys-national-guard-to-d-c-takes-control-of-police-department |access-date=August 13, 2025 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hermann |first1=Peter |last2=Stein |first2=Perry |date=October 26, 2024 |title=Trump nearly took over the D.C. police force. City leaders pushed back. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/25/trump-security-dc-police-force/ |access-date=November 21, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In August 2025, [[Donald Trump]] invoked Section 740 to declare a public safety emergency.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

== See also ==
* [[Index of Washington, D.C.–related articles]]
* [[List of people from Washington, D.C.]]
* [[Outline of Washington, D.C.]]
* [[USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826)|USS ''District of Columbia'']]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|voy=Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.}}
* {{official website|https://dc.gov/}}
* {{OSM relation|162069}}
* {{GNIS|1702382|District of Columbia (civil)}}
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/dc/home.html Guide to Washington, D.C.] from the [[Library of Congress]]
{{externalvideo|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYbfGcAIWTA 1960s Washington DC, 4K from 35&nbsp;mm Kinolibrary]}}

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