Portal:Washington, D.C.

The Washington, D.C. portal

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, the first president of the United States. The district is named after Columbia, the female personification of the nation.

The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. As such, Washington, D.C., is not part of any state, and is not one itself. The Residence Act, adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. The city was founded in 1791, and the 6th Congress held the first session in the unfinished Capitol Building in 1800 after the capital moved from Philadelphia. In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria, was officially recognized as the federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia, including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it created a single municipality for the remaining portion of the district. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state since the 1880s; a statehood bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate.

Washington, D.C. anchors the southern end of the Northeast megalopolis. As the seat of the U.S. federal government, the city is an important world political capital. The city hosts the buildings that house federal government headquarters, including the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, and multiple federal departments and agencies. The city is home to many national monuments and museums, located most prominently on or around the National Mall, including the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. It hosts 177 foreign embassies and serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks, D.C. is known as a lobbying hub, with K Street as the industry center. The city had 20.7 million domestic visitors and 1.2 million international visitors, ranking seventh among U.S. cities as of 2022. (Full article...)

Featured article

This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

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  William Matthews (December 16, 1770 – April 30, 1854), occasionally spelled Mathews, was an American who became the fifth Roman Catholic priest ordained in the United States and the first such person born in British America. Born in the colonial Province of Maryland, he was briefly a novice in the Society of Jesus. After being ordained, he became influential in establishing Catholic parochial and educational institutions in Washington, D.C. He was the second pastor of St. Patrick's Church, serving for most of his life. He served as the sixth president of Georgetown College, later known as Georgetown University. Matthews acted as president of the Washington Catholic Seminary, which became Gonzaga College High School, and oversaw the continuity of the school during suppression by the church and financial insecurity. (Full article...)
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  Jordan in 2014

  
  Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon. His profile on the NBA website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." (Full article...)
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  Charles Henry Stonestreet SJ (November 21, 1813 – July 3, 1885) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who served in prominent religious and academic positions, including as provincial superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province and president of Georgetown University. He was born in Maryland and attended Georgetown University, where he co-founded the Philodemic Society. After entering the Society of Jesus and becoming a professor at Georgetown, he led St. John's Literary Institution and St. John the Evangelist Church in Frederick, Maryland. He was appointed president of Georgetown University in 1851, holding the office for two years, during which time he oversaw expansion of the university's library. The First Plenary Council of Baltimore was held at Georgetown during his tenure. (Full article...)
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  James A. Ryder SJ (October 8, 1800 – January 12, 1860) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of several Jesuit universities in the United States. Born in Ireland, he immigrated with his widowed mother to the United States as a child, to settle in Georgetown, in the District of Columbia. He enrolled at Georgetown College and then entered the Society of Jesus. Studying in Maryland and Rome, Ryder proved to be a talented student of theology and was made a professor. He returned to Georgetown College in 1829, where he was appointed to senior positions and founded the Philodemic Society, becoming its first president. (Full article...)
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  Stephen Colbert and his wife Evelyn McGee at the Time 100 most influential people awards for 2006

  
  On April 29, 2006, American comedian Stephen Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington hotel. Colbert's performance, consisting of a 16-minute podium speech and a 7-minute video presentation, was broadcast live across the United States on the cable television networks C-SPAN and MSNBC. Standing a few feet from U.S. President George W. Bush, in front of an audience of celebrities, politicians, and members of the White House Press Corps, Colbert delivered a controversial, searing routine targeting the president and the media. He spoke in the persona of the character he played on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a parody of conservative pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. (Full article...)
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  Doonan in 1890

  
  James Aloysius Doonan SJ (November 8, 1841 – April 12, 1911) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit, who was the president of Georgetown University from 1882 to 1888. During that time he oversaw the naming of Gaston Hall and the construction of a new building for the School of Medicine. Doonan also acquired two historic cannons that were placed in front of Healy Hall. His presidency was financially successful, with a reduction in the university's burdensome debt that had accrued during the construction of Healy Hall. (Full article...)
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  John Early SJ (July 1, 1814 – May 23, 1873) was an Irish-American Catholic priest and Jesuit educator who was the president of the College of the Holy Cross and Georgetown University, as well as the founder and first president of Loyola College in Maryland. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United States at the age of nineteen. Upon his arrival, he enrolled at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland and entered the Society of Jesus, completing his education at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. (Full article...)
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  Look Mickey (also known as Look Mickey!) is a 1961 oil on canvas painting by Roy Lichtenstein. Widely regarded as the bridge between his abstract expressionism and pop art works, it is notable for its ironic humor and aesthetic value as well as being the first example of the artist's employment of Ben-Day dots, speech balloons and comic imagery as a source for a painting. The painting was bequeathed to the Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art upon Lichtenstein's death. (Full article...)
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  Barack Obama takes the oath of office as the
  44th president of the United States.

  
  The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was one of the most-observed events ever by the global audience at the time. (Full article...)
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  John William Beschter SJ (born Johann Wilhelm Beschter; German: [ˈjoːhan ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈbɛʃtɐ]; May 20, 1763 – January 6, 1842) was a Catholic priest and Jesuit from the Duchy of Luxembourg in the Austrian Netherlands. He emigrated to the United States as a missionary in 1807, where he ministered in rural Pennsylvania and Maryland. Beschter was the last Jesuit pastor of St. Mary's Church in Lancaster, as well as the pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a priest at several other German-speaking churches in Pennsylvania. (Full article...)
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  Coveleski with the Senators in 1925

  
  Stanley Anthony Coveleski (born Stanislaus Kowalewski, July 13, 1889 – March 20, 1984) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four American League (AL) teams between 1912 and 1928, primarily the Cleveland Indians. The star of the Indians pitching staff, he won over 20 games each year from the war-shortened 1918 season through 1921, leading the AL in shutouts twice and in strikeouts and earned run average (ERA) once each during his nine years with the club. The star of the 1920 World Series, he led the Indians to their first title with three complete-game victories, including a 3–0 shutout in the Game 7 finale. Traded to the Washington Senators after the 1924 season, he helped that club to its second AL pennant in a row with 20 victories against only 5 losses, including a 13-game winning streak, while again leading the league in ERA. (Full article...)
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  Francis Ignatius Neale SJ (June 3, 1756 – December 20, 1837), also known as Francis Xavier Neale, was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who led several academic and religious institutions in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. He played a substantial role in the Jesuit order's resurgence in the United States. (Full article...)
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  Portrait, c. 1890s

  
  Joseph Havens Richards SJ (born Havens Cowles Richards; November 8, 1851 – June 9, 1923) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became a prominent president of Georgetown University, where he instituted major reforms and significantly enhanced the quality and stature of the university. Richards was born to a prominent Ohio family; his father was an Episcopal priest who controversially converted to Catholicism and had the infant Richards secretly baptized as a Catholic. (Full article...)
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  1816 portrait

  
  James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. (Full article...)
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  The stolen helicopter, now on display

  
  On February 17, 1974, U.S. Army Private First Class Robert Kenneth Preston (1953–2009) took off in a stolen Bell UH-1B Iroquois "Huey" helicopter from Tipton Field, Maryland, and landed it on the South Lawn of the White House in a significant breach of security. Preston had enlisted in the Army to become a helicopter pilot. However, he did not graduate from the helicopter training course and lost his opportunity to attain the rank of warrant officer pilot. His enlistment bound him to serve four years in the Army, and he was sent to Fort Meade as a helicopter mechanic. Preston believed this situation was unfair and later said he stole the helicopter to show his skill as a pilot. (Full article...)
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  Killebrew with the Minnesota Twins in 1962

  
  Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr. (/ˈkɪlɪbruː/; June 29, 1936 – May 17, 2011), nicknamed "the Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. He spent most of his 22-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Minnesota Twins. A prolific power hitter, Killebrew had the fifth-most home runs in major league history at the time of his retirement. He was second only to Babe Ruth in American League (AL) home runs, and was the AL career leader in home runs by a right-handed batter. Killebrew was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. (Full article...)
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  Portrait, c. 1849

  
  James Knox Polk (/poʊk/; November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protégé of Andrew Jackson and a member of the Democratic Party, he was an advocate of Jacksonian democracy and extending the territory of the United States. Polk led the U.S. into the Mexican–American War, and after winning the war he annexed the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the Mexican Cession. (Full article...)
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  M Street elevation in December 2018

  
  The Georgetown Car Barn, historically known as the Capital Traction Company Union Station, is a building in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Designed by the architect Waddy Butler Wood, it was built between 1895 and 1897 by the Capital Traction Company as a union terminal for several Washington and Virginia streetcar lines. The adjacent Exorcist steps, later named after their appearance in William Friedkin's 1973 horror film The Exorcist, were built during the initial construction to connect M Street with Prospect Street. (Full article...)
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  Healy in 1882

  
  Patrick Francis Healy SJ (February 27, 1834 – January 10, 1910) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who was an influential president of Georgetown University, becoming known as its "second founder". The university's flagship building, Healy Hall, bears his name. Though he considered himself and was widely accepted as White, Healy was posthumously recognized as the first Black American to earn a PhD, as well as the first to enter the Jesuit order and to become the president of a predominantly White university. (Full article...)
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  Whitney in 1906

  
  John Dunning Whitney SJ (July 19, 1850 – November 27, 1917) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of Georgetown University in 1898. Born in Massachusetts, he joined the United States Navy at the age of 16, where he was introduced to Catholicism by way of a book that accidentally came into his possession and prompted him to become a Catholic. He entered the Society of Jesus and spent the next twenty-five years studying and teaching mathematics at Jesuit institutions around the world, including in Canada, England, Ireland, and around the United States in New York, Maryland, Boston, and Louisiana. He became the vice president of Spring Hill College in Alabama before being appointed the president of Georgetown University. (Full article...)
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  Joseph Anton Lopez SJ (born José Antonio López; October 4, 1779 – October 5, 1841) was a Mexican Catholic priest and Jesuit. Born in Michoacán, he studied canon law at the Colegio de San Nicolás and the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. He became acquainted with the future Empress consort Ana María Huarte and was made chaplain to the future imperial family. He was later put in charge of the education of all the princes in Mexico. Lopez was a close ally of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide, residing in Madrid for four years as his attorney and political informant, and accompanying him during his exile to Italy and England. (Full article...)
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  Thomas F. Mulledy SJ (/mʌˈleɪdi/ muh-LAY-dee; August 12, 1794 – July 20, 1860) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of Georgetown College, a founder of the College of the Holy Cross, and a Jesuit provincial superior. His brother, Samuel Mulledy, also became a Jesuit and president of Georgetown. (Full article...)
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  Portrait c. 1835

  
  Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. Before his presidency, he gained fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses of the U.S. Congress. Often praised as an advocate for ordinary Americans and for his work in preserving the union of states, Jackson has also been criticized for his racial policies, particularly his treatment of Native Americans. (Full article...)
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  Enoch Fenwick SJ (May 15, 1780 – November 25, 1827) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who ministered throughout Maryland and became the twelfth president of Georgetown College. Descending from one of the original Catholic settlers of the Province of Maryland, he studied at Georgetown College in what is now Washington, D.C. Like his brother and future bishop, Benedict Joseph Fenwick, he entered the priesthood, studying at St. Mary's Seminary before entering the Society of Jesus, which was suppressed at the time. He was made rector of St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral in Baltimore by Archbishop John Carroll, and remained in the position for ten years. Near the end of his pastorate, he was also made vicar general of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which involved traveling to say Mass in remote parishes throughout rural Maryland. (Full article...)
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  Giovanni Antonio Grassi SJ (anglicized as John Anthony Grassi; 10 September 1775 – 12 December 1849) was an Italian Catholic priest and Jesuit who led many academic and religious institutions in Europe and the United States, including Georgetown College in Washington, D.C., and the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide in Rome. (Full article...)

Neighboorhoods

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  Shaw is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in the Northwest quadrant. Shaw is a major entertainment and retail hub, and much of the neighborhood is designated as a historic district, including the smaller Blagden Alley-Naylor Court Historic District. Shaw and the U Street Corridor have historically have been the city's hub for African-American social, cultural, and economic life. (Full article...)
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  Trinidad is a neighborhood located in Ward 5, in the northeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., and is a largely residential area. Bounded by West Virginia Avenue NE, Florida Avenue NE, Mount Olivet Road NE, and Bladensburg Road NE (Full article...)
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  Edgewood within the District of Columbia

  
  Edgewood is a neighborhood located in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington, D.C. Edgewood is bounded by Michigan Avenue NE to the north, Rhode Island Avenue NE to the south, North Capitol Street to the west, and the Washington Metro's Red Line to the east. The eastern boundary originates with the establishment of the former Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1873, creating the physical barrier which today separates Edgewood from Brookland to the east. (Full article...)
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  Capitol View within the District of Columbia

  
  Capitol View is a neighborhood located in southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is bounded by East Capitol Street to the north, Central Avenue SE to the southwest and south, and Southern Avenue SE to the southeast. (Full article...)
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  Houses in Eckington (2013)

  
  Eckington is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C., located south of the Prospect Hill and Glenwood Cemeteries. Eckington is less than one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Howard University and exactly one mile north of the United States Capitol. Eckington is also the home of the District of Columbia office of Sirius XM Radio. (Full article...)
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  South Korean ambassador's residence on Glenbrook Road

  
  Spring Valley is a largely residential neighborhood in Ward 3, Northwest Washington, D.C. As of July 2021, it was the most expensive neighborhood in the District, with homes selling at a median price of $1.465 million. (Full article...)
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  Map of Washington, D.C., with the Good Hope neighborhood highlighted in red

  
  Good Hope is a residential neighborhood in southeast Washington, D.C., near Anacostia. The neighborhood is generally middle class and is dominated by single-family detached and semi-detached homes. The year-round Fort Dupont Ice Arena skating rink and the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum are nearby. Good Hope is bounded by Fort Stanton Park(Fort Circle Hiker-Biker Trail) SE, Alabama Avenue SE, Naylor Road SE, and U Street SE. The proposed Skyland Shopping Center redevelopment project is within the boundaries of the neighborhood. (Full article...)
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  Map of Washington, D.C., with Sursum Corda highlighted in red

  
  Sursum Corda (Latin: "lift up your hearts") is a small neighborhood located in Washington, D.C., Located in Northeast and Northwest. Bounded by New Jersey Avenue NW, New York Avenue NW & NE, Massachusetts Avenue NW & NE,
  First Street NW, N Street NW, Florida Avenue NE, Delaware Avenue NE, 2nd Street NE, NoMa-Gallaudet-New York Avenue Metro Train Tracks, (Full article...)
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  Navy Yard is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Southeast D.C. Navy Yard, situated along the Anacostia Riverfront south of Capitol Hill, takes its name from Washington Navy Yard, the administrative seat of the U.S. Navy. Historically an industrial area, today Navy Yard is a popular entertainment district, home to Nationals Park, a notable nightlife scene, and numerous waterfront esplanades. (Full article...)
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  Map of Washington, D.C., with the Marshall Heights neighborhood highlighted in red

  
  Marshall Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by East Capitol Street, Central Avenue SE, Southern Avenue, Fitch Street SE, and Benning Road SE. It was an undeveloped rural area occupied by extensive African American shanty towns, but the neighborhood received nationwide attention after a visit by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1934, which led to extensive infrastructure improvements and development for the first time. In the 1950s, Marshall Heights residents defeated national legislation designed to raze and redevelop the neighborhood. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited the area in 1991, at a time when Marshall Heights was in the throes of a violent crack cocaine epidemic. Limited redevelopment has occurred in the neighborhood, which was the site of two notorious child murders in 1973. (Full article...)
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  Map of Washington, D.C., with Potomac Heights highlighted in red

  
  Potomac Heights is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., overlooking the Potomac River from MacArthur Boulevard westward. Potomac Heights is the part of the Palisades bounded to the north by Loughboro Road and to the south by Chain Bridge and Arizona Avenue NW. It is part of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D in Ward 3, the far northwest corner of the Northwest Quadrant just north of Georgetown. (Full article...)
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  Fort Lincoln within the District of Columbia

  
  Fort Lincoln is a neighborhood located in northeastern Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Bladensburg Road to the northwest, Eastern Avenue to the northeast, New York Avenue NE to the south, and South Dakota Avenue NE to the southwest. The town of Colmar Manor, Maryland, is across Eastern Avenue from the Fort Lincoln neighborhood, as is the Fort Lincoln Cemetery. (Full article...)
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  Benning within the District of Columbia

  
  Benning is a residential neighborhood located in Ward 7 of Northeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by East Capitol Street to the south, Minnesota Avenue to the west, and Benning Road (for which the neighborhood is named) on the north and east. It is served by the Benning Road station on the Blue and Silver Lines of the Washington Metro. (Full article...)
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  Map of Washington, D.C., with Crestwood highlighted in maroon

  
  Crestwood is an entirely residential neighborhood located in Northwest Washington, D.C., and bordered on three sides by Rock Creek Park. Heading north from the White House on 16th Street, Crestwood is among the first neighborhoods that features single-family homes with larger lawns. It has many mature trees, and it is not uncommon to see deer and other wildlife from the park crossing the streets there. (Full article...)

Selected image

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  A panel discussion at the American Enterprise Institute, one of D.C.'s many think tanks (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool before reconstruction (April 2010) (from National Mall)
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  Map of racial distribution in the Washington metropolitan area, according to the 2010 U.S. census; each dot represents 25 people: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic or Other (yellow) (from Washington, D.C.)
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  An aerial photo of Washington, D.C. in 2007 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Map of the Mall in 1893 showing the Monument Grounds (with the Washington Monument), Agricultural Grounds (with the Dept. of Agriculture), Smithsonian Grounds (with the Castle and Arts and Industries museum), Armory Square, Public Grounds and Botanical Garden, as well as parts of the recently created "Tidal Reservoir" and "Proposed Park" (from National Mall)
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  The National Building Museum (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Territorial progression of Washington, D.C. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  On September 18, 1783, an engraving of George Washington, known as the First Cornerstone, was placed as the corner stone of the United States Capitol. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Constitution Gardens in 2016 (from National Mall)
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  A Capital Bikeshare rental station near McPherson Square (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Library of Congress, the world's largest library with more than 167 million cataloged items and the nation's oldest cultural institution (from Washington, D.C.)
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  ^{Library of Congress}
  The "Grand Avenue" or Mall as proposed by Pierre L'Enfant, 1791

  (from National Mall)
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  Columbia Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Axis after restoration (September 2016) (from National Mall)
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  West side of the U.S. Capitol building (March 2019) (from National Mall)
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  A major bus strike in May 1974 caused huge traffic jams throughout the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Facing east on the National Mall, as viewed near the 1300 block of Jefferson Drive, S.W. in April 2010. Rows of American elm trees line the sides of a path traversing the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
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  The National World War II Memorial is among the many popular tourist sites located on the National Mall. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Protesters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Washington Metro, the second-busiest rapid rail system in the U.S. based on average weekday ridership, is known for its iconic vaulted ceilings (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Northeast Boundary No. 4 marker stone of the original border between the District of Columbia and Prince George's County, Maryland (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  General Dwight D. Eisenhower received a hero's welcome in the city in June 1945 following the Allied victory in World War II (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, facing west from the Capitol (from National Mall)
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  The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was the most visited museum in the U.S. in 2022, with 3.9 million visits. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Aqueduct Bridge crossing the Potomac River, with Northern Virginia in the background and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in the foreground (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The Cascading Waterfall at Meridian Hill Park in Meridian Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Concert for Valor on the National Mall on November 11, 2014, looking west from the U.S. Capitol grounds (from National Mall)
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  1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on the National Mall facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
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  Rock Creek Park, the city's largest park, stretches across Northwest. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  With over 30,000 participants, the annual Marine Corps Marathon, held annually in October, is the largest non-prize money marathon in the country. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Rows of young American elm trees on the National Mall, looking east from the top of the Washington Monument, circa 1942 (from National Mall)
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  Eisenhower Memorial at night, 2021 (from National Mall)
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  This view from the top of the Washington Monument shows rows of elm trees lining the Reflecting Pool (November 2014). (from National Mall)
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  Capitol Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Demonstrators marching down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial in April 2017. (from National Mall)
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  CNN reporting from D.C. during the 2016 U.S. presidential election (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Navy Yard (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Logan Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Georgetown University, founded in 1789, is the city's oldest university. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on August 28, 1963 (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Edgewood (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The National Gallery of Art was the most visited art museum in the United States in 2022. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Contemporary architecture at CityCenterDC in Downtown (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The National Mall was the centerpiece of the 1902 McMillan Plan. A central open vista traversed the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
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  Washington, D.C., police on Harley-Davidson motorcycles escort the March for Life protest on Constitution Avenue in January 2018. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Due to limited dining options on the Mall, food trucks are often parked next to tourist-dense locations. (from National Mall)
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  The United States Congress began assembling in the new United States Capitol in 1800 after the nation's capital was moved from Philadelphia. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  After their victory at the Battle of Bladensburg in 1814, the British Army burned the White House and other buildings during a one-day occupation of Washington, D.C. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  National Mall, a landscaped park extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Looking east from the top of the Washington Monument towards the Mall and the U.S. Capitol, 2023 (from National Mall)
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  Portrait of the Mall and vicinity looking northwest from southeast of the U.S. Capitol, circa 1846–1855, showing stables in the foreground, the Washington City Canal behind them, the Capitol on the right and the Smithsonian "Castle", the Washington Monument and the Potomac River in the distant left. (from National Mall)
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  A performance of Moulin Rouge! at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Map of the District of Columbia in 1835, prior to the retrocession (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, was initially controversial for its lack of heroic iconography, a departure from earlier memorial designs. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The National Mall, including a central pathway through it, the centerpiece of the 1901 McMillan Plan (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the city's most prominent streets (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Federal Triangle, a historic hub of executive departments of the U.S. federal government (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The southern portion of the National Mall in 1863 during the American Civil War (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Washinton Monument and the White House. Since 1961 the city's residents can vote for the President and Vice President, who is also the President of the Senate (from Washington, D.C.)
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  An 1814 watercolor illustration of the United States Capitol after the burning of Washington during the War of 1812 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The Jefferson Memorial and many of D.C.'s other monuments are built in the Neoclassical style. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Victorian houses in Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Axis undergoing restoration (October 2015) (from National Mall)
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  The United States Capitol in 1846, prior to the addition of the current rotunda (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Ben's Chili Bowl, known for its half-smoke, a historic staple of the city's cuisine (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in D.C. is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the world. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Construction of the Washington Metro on Connecticut Avenue in 1973 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  President Abraham Lincoln insisted that construction of the United States Capitol continue during the Civil War. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The French ambassador's residence (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Chuck Brown performing go-go music (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Anacostia (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Metrobus, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (from Washington, D.C.)
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  2009 view from the United States Capitol facing west, over the Grant Memorial and Capitol Reflecting Pool in the foreground, and across the National Mall towards the Washington Monument (from National Mall)
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  John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from National Mall)
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  Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia is the closest airport to the city among the three major Washington metropolitan area airports. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The John A. Wilson Building is the headquarters for much of the Government of the District of Columbia, including the offices of the mayor and D.C. Council. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Chinatown (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The April 9, 1939, concert by Marian Anderson, facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
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  The Washington Monument stood in this unfinished form for 25 years before being completed in 1884. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Yetsom beyaynetu at Das Ethiopian Cuisine, one of D.C.'s many Ethiopian restaurants (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The city's license plate calls for an end to taxation without representation. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  An aerial view of Northwest Washington, D.C. in 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Andrew Jackson Downing Urn in May 2012 (from National Mall)
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  Reading Room at the Library fo Congress (from National Mall)
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  The Washington Monument viewed from the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Independence Day fireworks display on the National Mall, July 4, 2022 (from National Mall)
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  One Franklin Square, located in Downtown, hosts the headquarters of The Washington Post. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The Sylvan Theater in 2011 (from National Mall)
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  Eastward view of the National Mall from the top of the Washington Monument in 1918. The three structures and two chimneys crossing the Mall are temporary World War I buildings A, B and C and parts of their central power plant. (from National Mall)
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  The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was extended to Georgetown in 1830. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Bloomingdale (from Washington, D.C.)
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  The U.S. Capitol dome was under construction during Lincoln's first inauguration on March 4, 1861, five weeks before the start of the American Civil War. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard, an 1833 portrait by George Cooke in the Oval Office in the White House (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The Smithsonian station of the Washington Metro in 2021 (from National Mall)
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  US Capitol in the 2010 blizzard (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Britney Spears performs during the "NFL Kickoff Live from the National Mall Presented by Pepsi Vanilla" concert, September 4, 2003 (from National Mall)
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  The Pentagon following the September 11 attacks with the Washington Monument visible in the background (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  Civil rights marchers during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
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  The L'Enfant Plan for the city, developed in 1791 (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Pool after reconstruction (May 2016) (from National Mall)
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  The Washington Capitals, an NHL team, and the Washington Wizards, an NBA team, both play at Capital One Arena. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  National Mall proper and adjacent areas (April 2002). The Mall had a grassy lawn flanked on each side by unpaved paths and rows of American elm trees as its central feature. (Numbers in the image correspond to numbers in the list of landmarks, museums and other features below.) (from National Mall)
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  The city's African American population has declined since the 1968 riots. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Memorial Bridge connects the city across the Potomac River with Arlington, Virginia. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  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. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Muriel Bowser, D.C.'s mayor, took office in 2015. (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public magnet school in the city (from Washington, D.C.)
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  Westward view from the top of the Washington Monument in 1943 or 1944 during World War II. In the foreground, temporary buildings on the Washington Monument grounds house the Navy's Bureau of Ships. The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings stand to the right of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Temporary buildings to the left of the Reflecting Pool house the Navy's Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. (from National Mall)
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  The Mall following a snow storm (from National Mall)
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  The L'Enfant Plan for the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)

Did you know...

• ... that a coconut tree meme drove sales of piña coladas in the Washington, D.C., area?
• ... that the music for the Norse Lands DLC of Kingdom Two Crowns utilizes the hurdy-gurdy and moraharpa?
• ... that Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, modeled on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the statehood of Tennessee in 1996?
• ... that residents reported the first cycling club in Washington, D.C., to the police over concerns that bicycles posed a danger to pedestrians?
• ... that health economist Selma Mushkin estimated in the early 1970s that up to 50 percent of poor children in Washington, D.C., were affected by lead poisoning?
• ... that after Michael Jordan was fired by the Washington Wizards, he wanted to move the Capital Classic from the Washington, D.C., area to New York?

In the news

6 November 2024 – 2024 U.S. elections

U.S. Vice President and Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris concedes defeat to Donald Trump in a speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C., stating that she and U.S. President Joe Biden will commit to a peaceful transition of power. (Time)

17 September 2024 – Ituri conflict

CODECO militants kill ten civilians in an overnight attack on a Hema village in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of the victims were beheaded, according to local authorities. (Reuters)

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