Geography of Washington, D.C.

Map showing Washington, D.C.'s location in relation to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia

Washington, D.C., USA, is located at 38°53′42″N 77°02′11″W (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on the Ellipse). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 177.0 km² (68.3 mi²). 159.0 km² (61.4 mi²) of it is land and 18.0 km² (6.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 10.16% water.

Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia (on its southwest side) and Maryland (on its southeast, northeast, and northwest sides); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the south shore of the Potomac River both upstream and downstream from the District. The portion of the Potomac River that passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District's border, as the District extends to the south bank. The city contains the historic "federal city", the territory of which was formerly part of those two adjacent states before they respectively ceded it for the national capital. The land ceded from Virginia was returned by Congress in 1847, so what remains of the modern District was all once part of Maryland.

Topography

Washington, D.C. from space

The topography of the District of Columbia is very similar to the physical geography of much of Maryland. The District has three major natural flowing bodies of water: the Potomac River and two tributaries, the Anacostia River and Rock Creek. The District also has the Washington Channel, which flows into the junction of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. There are also three man-made reservoirs: Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District from Maryland, McMillan Reservoir near Howard University, and Georgetown Reservoir upstream of Georgetown. A fourth, minor reservoir is at Fort Reno in Tenleytown.

The highest point in the District of Columbia is 410 feet (125 m) above sea level at Fort Reno in Tenleytown. The lowest point is sea level, which occurs along all of the Anacostia shore and all of the Potomac shore except the uppermost mile (the Little Falls-Chain Bridge area). The sea level Tidal Basin rose eleven feet during Hurricane Isabel on September 18, 2003. The geographic center of the District of Columbia is located near 4th Street NW, L Street NW, and New York Avenue NW, not under the Capitol dome as is sometimes stated.

Geographical features of Washington, D.C., include Theodore Roosevelt Island, Columbia Island, the Three Sisters, and Hains Point.

Some areas, especially around the National Mall and parts of Foggy Bottom, were marshes or parts of the river that have been filled in.

Natural history

During the 18th century, significant portions of the region were forested, with species including hares, turkey, pheasants, woodcocks, turtles, and partridges, as well as numerous bird species including mockingbirds, bluebirds, hummingbirds, and Orioles. Other indigenous species include black snake, garter snake, rattle snake, viper, bullfrog and other types of frogs, ground squirrels, flying squirrels, skunks, opossums, raccoons, foxes, beavers, deer, wolves, and bears. Snipes and various types of ducks inhabited swampy areas, as well as soruses.

Native tree species include willow, birch, cedar, and oak. Other plant species found along the Potomac during the early 19th century include yellow jessamine, prickly pear cactus, white horehound, sweet fennel, wild cherries, and wild strawberries.

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson called the Potomac River a "national disgrace" and used the river to illustrate the need for the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966. The river is now home to a vibrant warm-water fishery and naturally reproducing Bald Eagles have returned to its banks. Despite its intensely urbanized landscape, the District of Columbia is a center for research on urban wildlife management, invasive species management, urban stream restoration, and the aquatic ecology of urban streams. The National Park Service's Center For Urban Ecology is a regional source of expertise and applied science for the region.

City plan

L'Enfant's plan for Washington, D.C., as revised by Andrew Ellicott. 1792.

Washington, D.C., was created to serve as the national capital from its inception. The choice of the exact site on the Potomac River was left to the first president, George Washington. He chose a 10 mile (16 km) square area that included the existing villages of Georgetown and Alexandria, and another called Hamburgh in the Foggy Bottom area. A new city, eventually named Washington City, was laid out in undeveloped area within the district. The remainder of the territory was designated Washington County (on the Maryland side of the Potomac) and Alexandria County (on the Virginia side). The original street layout was designed by Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant and revised by Andrew Ellicott at the time of the city's founding.

The Residence Act granted President Washington the authority to select the exact location of the new national capital as far east as the mouth of the Anacostia River. However, Washington shifted the federal territory's borders to the southeast in order to include the city of Alexandria at the District's southern tip. In 1791, Congress amended the Residence Act to approve President Washington's new site, including the territory ceded by Virginia. The location of the city had many natural advantages: the Potomac is navigable up to the District, allowing for boat traffic; the established ports at Alexandria and Georgetown provided an important economic base for the city; and the District's inland location was close to the Northwest Territory. During 1791–1792, Andrew Ellicott and several assistants, including Benjamin Banneker, surveyed the border of the District with both states, placing boundary stones at every mile point. Many of the stones are still standing.

Further information: Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.

Alexandria

The land from the State of Virginia was eventually returned to the state in 1846, effective 1847. This land in Virginia makes up the modern area of Arlington County and the old part of Alexandria, Virginia, both which are considered suburbs of Washington. In fact, the Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon complex are both located in Arlington but are largely tied to the federal government in Washington. Between 1790 and 1846, Alexandria was referred to as "Alexandria, D.C."

Georgetown

The Georgetown neighborhood was originally part of Maryland and was the only significant population in the area that would become the District of Columbia. Georgetown became part of the District in 1790 when the Federal City was first created, but Georgetown remained an independent city, referred to as "Georgetown, D.C.," until 1871, when it was merged with Washington City and Washington County, completing the process of Washington and the District of Columbia occupying the same geographic borders.

McMillan plan

The monumental core of the city consists of the National Mall and many key federal buildings, monuments, and museums, including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the National Air and Space Museum. Its layout is based on that proposed by the McMillan Commission report in 1901.

Building heights

To preserve the grandeur of the National Mall, the White House, the Capitol, and various other key locations, the entire city is subject to strict building height limits. This limitation was placed in effect just prior to the 20th century when government officials realized that structural steel "skyscrapers" could overwhelm the city. In 1899, Congress enacted a height limit for the District prohibiting private buildings from topping out higher than the Capitol, which reaches 288 feet above Capitol Hill at the crest of the Statue of Freedom.

A revised height law in 1910 did away with that fixed maximum. The newer legislation, still in effect today, states that no new building may be more than 20 feet taller than the width of the street in front of it. The current law is codified as D.C. CODE ANN. § 6-601.05. Thus, Washington has a relatively modest skyline in comparison to the majority of American cities. However the District is ringed by high-rise buildings in many nearby suburbs like Arlington, Silver Spring, and Bethesda.

Neighborhoods

File:2002 dc ward map.jpg

D.C. Ward Boundaries

Main article: List of neighborhoods of the District of Columbia by ward

The District of Columbia is divided into eight wards and 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) within these wards. The total number of named neighborhoods is 127. The ANCs serve to advise the D.C. Council on neighborhood matters. The Council is required by law to give their opinions "great weight," though what that means is up to the Council to decide.

Since 2000 the demographics of many neighborhoods have changed markedly.

Adjacent communities

The District of Columbia is bordered by various cities, towns, villages, and unincorporated CDPs in the states of Maryland and Virginia. Following is a list of those adjacent communities.

• Bethesda, Maryland
• Brookmont, Maryland
• Capitol Heights, Maryland
• Chevy Chase (CDP), Maryland
• Chevy Chase Village, Maryland
• Chillum, Maryland
• Colmar Manor, Maryland
• Coral Hills, Maryland
• Cottage City, Maryland
• Fairmount Heights, Maryland

• Hillcrest Heights, Maryland
• Mount Rainier, Maryland
• Oxon Hill-Glassmanor, Maryland
• Seat Pleasant, Maryland
• Silver Spring, Maryland
• Suitland-Silver Hill, Maryland
• Takoma Park, Maryland
• Alexandria, Virginia
• Arlington, Virginia
• McLean, Virginia (touches Washington, D.C. at one corner only)

In addition to the above named places, there are other small unincorporated parts of Prince George's County, Maryland which also border the District.

See also

• List of Circles in Washington, D.C.
• Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.
• Quadrants of Washington, D.C.