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 for George Washington, the first president of the United States. The district is named for 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 and several international organizations, the city is an important world political capital. The city hosts the U.S. federal government and the buildings that house 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. Many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks are based in the city, including AARP, American Red Cross, Atlantic Council, Brookings Institution, National Geographic Society, The Heritage Foundation, Wilson Center, and others. The city is known as a lobbying hub, with K Street as the center of such activities. 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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Portrait c. 1835

Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States 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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John William Beschter (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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Portrait, c. 1890s

Joseph Havens Richards (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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Healy in 1882

Patrick Francis Healy (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 largely accepted as White, Healy was posthumously recognized as the first Black American to earn a Ph.D., as well as the first to Jesuit order and to become the president of a predominantly White university. (Full article...)
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Doonan in 1890

James Aloysius Doonan (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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Charles Henry Stonestreet (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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Francis Ignatius Neale (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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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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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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Jordan in April 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 fifteen 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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Thomas F. Mulledy (/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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William Feiner (born Wilhelm Feiner; December 27, 1792 – June 9, 1829) was a German Catholic priest and Jesuit who became a missionary to the United States and eventually the president of Georgetown College, now known as Georgetown University. (Full article...)
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The Nativity is a devotional mid-1450s oil-on-wood panel painting by the Early Netherlandish painter Petrus Christus. It shows a nativity scene with grisaille archways and trompe-l'œil sculptured reliefs. Christus was influenced by the first generation of Netherlandish artists, especially Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, and the panel is characteristic of the simplicity and naturalism of art of that period. Placing archways as a framing device is a typical van der Weyden device, and here likely borrowed from that artist's Altar of Saint John and Miraflores Altarpiece. Yet Christus adapts these painterly motifs to a uniquely mid-15th century sensibility, and the unusually large panel – perhaps painted as a central altarpiece panel for a triptych – is nuanced and visually complex. It shows his usual harmonious composition and employment of one-point-perspective, especially evident in the geometric forms of the shed's roof, and his bold use of color. It is one of Christus's most important works. Max Friedländer definitely attributed the panel to Christus in 1930, concluding that "in scope and importance, [it] is superior to all other known creations of this master." (Full article...)
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Giovanni Antonio Grassi (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...)
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David Hillhouse Buel in 1908

David Hillhouse Buel Jr. (July 19, 1862 – May 23, 1923) was an American priest who served as the president of Georgetown University. A Catholic priest and Jesuit for much of his life, he later left the Jesuit order to marry, and subsequently left the Catholic Church to become an Episcopal priest. Born at Watervliet, New York, he was the son of David Hillhouse Buel, a distinguished Union Army officer, and descended from numerous prominent New England families. While studying at Yale University, he formed an acquaintance with priest Michael J. McGivney, resulting in his conversion to Catholicism and joining the Society of Jesus after graduation. (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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John Early (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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William McSherry (July 19, 1799 – December 18, 1839) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of Georgetown College and a Jesuit provincial superior. The son of Irish immigrants, McSherry was educated at Georgetown College, where he entered the Society of Jesus. As one of the first Americans to complete the traditional Jesuit course of training, he was sent to Rome to be educated for the priesthood. There, he made several discoveries of significant, forgotten holdings in the Jesuit archives, which improved historians' knowledge of the early European settling of Maryland and of the language of Indian tribes there. (Full article...)
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Graham in 1959

Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Graham is regarded by critics as one of the most dominant players of his era and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, having taken the Browns to league championship games every year between 1946 and 1955, making ten championship appearances, and winning seven of them. With Graham at quarterback, the Browns posted a record of 105 wins, 17 losses, and 4 ties, including a 9–3 win–loss record in the AAFC and NFL playoffs. He holds the NFL record for career average yards gained per pass attempt, with 8.63. He also holds the record for the highest career winning percentage for an NFL starting quarterback, at 81.0%. Long-time New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a friend of Graham's, once called him "as great of a quarterback as there ever was." (Full article...)
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Howard as head coach of Michigan in 2020

Juwan Antonio Howard (first name /dʒuː.ˈwɑːn/, born February 7, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's team from 2019 to 2024 before joining the Nets in 2024. (Full article...)
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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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Whitney in 1906

John Dunning Whitney (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 sixteen, 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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Garfield in 1881

James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was an American politician who served from March 1881 until his death the following September as the 20th president of the United States; he was assassinated in July. A preacher, lawyer, and Civil War general, Garfield served nine terms in the United States House of Representatives and is the only sitting member of the House to be elected president. Before his candidacy for the presidency, he had been elected to the U.S. Senate by the Ohio General Assembly—a position he declined when he became president-elect. (Full article...)
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Samuel A. Mulledy (/mʌˈleɪdi/ muh-LAY-dee; March 27, 1811 – January 8, 1866) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who served as president of Georgetown College in 1845. Born in Virginia, he was the brother of Thomas F. Mulledy, who was a prominent 19th-century Jesuit in the United States and a president of Georgetown. As a student at Georgetown, Samuel was one of the founding members of the Philodemic Society, and proved to be a distinguished student, which resulted in his being sent to Rome to complete his higher education and be ordained to the priesthood. Upon his return to the United States, he became the master of novices at the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland, before being named president of Georgetown. He sought to be relieved of the position after only a few months, and returned to teaching and ministry. (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...)

Neighboorhoods

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The U Street Corridor or Greater U Street, sometimes known as Cardozo/Shaw, is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. Centered along U Street, the neighborhood is one of Washington's most popular nightlife and entertainment districts, as well as one of the most significant African American heritage districts in the country. (Full article...)
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Garfield Heights within the District of Columbia

Garfield Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., bordering Prince George's County, Maryland. Garfield Heights contains both apartment units and single-family detached houses. (Full article...)
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Kenilworth within the District of Columbia

Kenilworth is a residential neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C., located on the eastern bank of the Anacostia River and just inside the D.C.-Maryland border. A large public housing complex, Kenilworth Courts, dominates the area. The neighborhood is famous for the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, a national park whose centerpiece is a series of ponds carved out of Anacostia River marshland. Visitors come especially during June and July to see the beautiful blooming water lilies and lotus flowers. In 1895 the name “Kenilworth” was first applied to the area by white real estate developer Allen Mallery, who named this neighborhood after Kenilworth Castle in England, the ruins of which can still be seen today in Warwickshire. Kenilworth Park, which includes the Kenilworth-Parkside Recreation Center, also carries the neighborhood name, though most of the park's area is actually located adjacent to the modern neighborhoods of Parkside and Eastland Gardens. (Full article...)
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Sursum Corda (Latin: "lift up your hearts") is a small neighborhood located in Washington, D.C., bounded by North Capitol Street on the east, K Street NW to the south, New Jersey Avenue NW to the west, and New York Avenue NW to the north. (Full article...)
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Fort Totten within the District of Columbia

Fort Totten is a neighborhood located in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington, D.C. (Full article...)
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Chinatown's Friendship Archway, as seen looking east on H Street NW in November 2023

Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown is a small, historic area of Downtown Washington, D.C. along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets, Northwest. The area was once home to thousands of Chinese immigrants, but fewer than 300 remained in 2017. The current neighborhood was the second in Washington to be called “Chinatown” since 1931. Originally, the first Chinatown was built in the Federal Triangle on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue some time after 1851, but was moved to the H Street area when a new federal building was built there. In 1986, a Chinese gate was built over H Street at 7th Street. By 1997, prominent landmarks such as the Capital One Arena, a sports and entertainment arena, occupied the area. The neighborhood is served by the Gallery Place station of the Washington Metro. (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. (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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Petworth is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. While largely residential, Petworth is home to a notable commercial corridor of shops and restaurants, primarily along Georgia Avenue and Upshur Street, as well as a portion of 14th Street. The neighborhood is accessible via the Georgia Ave–Petworth station on the Green Line of the Washington Metro. (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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An American Craftsman-style home in Berkley (2008)

Berkley is a neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. (Full article...)
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Pleasant Plains within the District of Columbia

Pleasant Plains is a neighborhood in central Washington, D.C. largely occupied by Howard University. For this reason it is also sometimes referred to as Howard Town or, less frequently, Howard Village. (Full article...)
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Map of Washington, D.C. with Swampoodle highlighted in red

Swampoodle was a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. on the border of Northwest and Northeast in the second half of 19th and early 20th century. This neighborhood is no longer known as Swampoodle and has been replaced in large part by NoMa. (Full article...)
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Michigan Park is a neighborhood in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington, D.C. in the Upper Northeast area element. The boundaries of Michigan Park and North Michigan Park neighborhoods are contested due to the history of racial disparity between the two, but in general Michigan Park is considered to be contained between South Dakota Avenue to the west, Eastern Avenue to the east, Galloway Street NE to the north and Taylor Street NE to the South. Both neighborhoods are in DC Neighborhood Cluster 20 along with the University Heights neighborhood. Michigan Park is home to two established Civic Associations: the North Michigan Park Civic Association which has its established boundaries that include both Michigan Park and North Michigan Park and the Queens Chapel Civic Association (that is separate from the Queens Chapel neighborhood which borders Michigan Park to the north). The Queens Chapel association meets regularly at Union Wesley African Methodist Zion Church and its boundaries are between 16th Street NE and Webster Street NE to the north, Michigan Avenue NE to the south, and South Dakota Avenue NE to the west. (Full article...)
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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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Arboretum within the District of Columbia

Arboretum is a predominantly residential neighborhood located in Northeast Washington, D.C., tucked into the corner of the National Arboretum. (Full article...)

Selected image

Image 1The 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.)
Image 2The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in D.C. is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the world. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 3Yetsom beyaynetu at Das Ethiopian Cuisine, one of D.C.'s many Ethiopian restaurants (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 4Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 5Axis undergoing restoration (October 2015) (from National Mall)
Image 6The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was extended to Georgetown in 1830. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 7The Washington Monument stood in this unfinished form for 25 years before being completed in 1884. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 8An 1814 watercolor illustration of the United States Capitol after the burning of Washington during the War of 1812 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 9The Smithsonian station of the Washington Metro in 2005 (from National Mall)
Image 10The Washington Monument viewed from the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 11Washington, D.C., police on Harley-Davidson motorcycles escort the March for Life protest on Constitution Avenue in January 2018. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 12Chuck Brown performing go-go music (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 13The Mall following a snow storm. (from National Mall)
Image 14Key Bridge (background) and an iced-over Potomac River (foreground) in February 2004 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 15L'Enfant Promenade (August 2013) (from National Mall)
Image 16June 2004 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)
Image 17Map 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.)
Image 18Edgewood (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 19On 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.)
Image 20National Park Service map showing the National Mall's designated reserve area referenced in the 2003 Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act (from National Mall)
Image 21National Mall, a landscaped park extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 22Civil rights marchers during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 23Westward 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)
Image 24A major bus strike in May 1974 caused huge traffic jams throughout the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 25Rows of young American elm trees on the National Mall, looking east from the top of the Washington Monument circa 1942 (from National Mall)
Image 26National Christmas Tree (November 28, 2018) (from National Mall)
Image 27Logan Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 28The National World War II Memorial is among the many popular tourist sites located on the National Mall. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 29Cathedral Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 30Andrew Jackson Downing Urn in May 2012 (from National Mall)
Image 31John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from National Mall)
Image 32The city's African American population has declined since the 1968 riots. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 33CNN reporting from D.C. during the 2016 U.S. presidential election (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 34Washington Metro, the second-busiest rapid rail system in the U.S. based on average weekday ridership after the New York City Subway (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 35The National Building Museum (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 36Inlay of L'Enfant Plan in Freedom Plaza, looking northwest in June 2005 from the observation deck in the Old Post Office Building Clock Tower (from National Mall)
Image 37One Franklin Square, located on Franklin Square in Downtown, includes the headquarters of The Washington Post. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 38The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in May 2016, facing east towards the Washington Monument (from National Mall)
Image 39The west side of the Jefferson Pier in April 2011, with the Washington Monument in the background. (from National Mall)
Image 40A performance of Moulin Rouge! at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 41Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 42After 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.)
Image 43The Washington Capitals, an NHL team, and the Washington Wizards, an NBA team, both play at Capital One Arena. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 44A Christmas tree in front of the Capitol in December 2013. (from National Mall)
Image 45The first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, facing west from the Capitol (from National Mall)
Image 46The Concert for Valor on the National Mall on November 11, 2014, looking west from the United States Capitol grounds (from National Mall)
Image 471963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on the National Mall facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
Image 48The Lockkeeper's House in 2018, looking northwest (from National Mall)
Image 49Map 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)
Image 50The 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.)
Image 51The April 9, 1939, concert by Marian Anderson, facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
Image 52The L'Enfant Plan for the city, developed in 1791 by Pierre L'Enfant (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 53The Pentagon following the September 11 attacks with the Washington Monument visible in the background (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 54Due to limited dining options on the mall, food trucks are often parked next to tourist-dense locations. (from National Mall)
Image 55National World War II Memorial (July 2017) (from National Mall)
Image 56
^{Library of Congress}
The Mall as proposed by Pierre L'Enfant 1790
(from National Mall)
Image 57K Street, historically a hub for lobbying firms and advocacy groups, has become a metonym for the American lobbying industry. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 58The Jefferson Memorial and many of D.C.'s other monuments are built in the Neoclassical motif. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 59Ben's Chili Bowl, known for its half-smoke, a historic staple of the city's cuisine (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 60Capitol Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 61Chinatown (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 62Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial in April 2017. (from National Mall)
Image 63The 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.)
Image 64Looking east from the top of the Washington Monument towards the Mall and the US Capitol, 2023 (from National Mall)
Image 65Contemporary architecture at CityCenterDC in Downtown (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 66Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the city's most prominent streets (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 67An aerial photo of Washington, D.C. in 2007 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 68Reagan 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.)
Image 69Navy Yard (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 70Victorian houses in Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 71Construction of the Washington Metro on Connecticut Avenue in 1973 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 72Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool before reconstruction (April 2010) (from National Mall)
Image 73Eastward 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)
Image 74The 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.)
Image 75Britney Spears performs during the "NFL Kickoff Live from the National Mall Presented by Pepsi Vanilla" concert, September 4, 2003 (from National Mall)
Image 76The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 77Independence Day fireworks display on the mall, July 4, 2008 (from National Mall)
Image 78The National Mall was the centerpiece of the 1902 McMillan Plan. A central open vista traversed the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
Image 79The southern portion of the National Mall in 1863 during the American Civil War (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 80Route of the Washington City Canal, showing the Mall (1851) (from National Mall)
Image 81Rock Creek Park, the city's largest park, stretches across Northwest. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 82The Smithsonian Institution Building ("The Castle") in February 2007, looking north from the Enid A. Haupt Garden (from National Mall)
Image 83The 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.)
Image 84The Cascading Waterfall at Meridian Hill Park in Meridian Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 85Columbia Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 862007 aerial view of Capitol Hill and the National Mall, facing west (from National Mall)
Image 87The National Gallery of Art was the most visited art museum in the United States in 2022. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 88The 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.)
Image 89The Federal Triangle, a historic hub of executive departments of the U.S. federal government (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 90Axis after restoration (September 2016) (from National Mall)
Image 91The 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.)
Image 92This view from the top of the Washington Monument shows rows of elm trees lining the Reflecting Pool (November 2014). (from National Mall)
Image 93Memorial Bridge connects the city across the Potomac River with Arlington, Virginia. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 94Demonstrators marching down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 95The French ambassador's residence (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 96Constitution Gardens in 2016. (from National Mall)
Image 97The March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on August 28, 1963 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 98Pool after reconstruction (May 2016) (from National Mall)
Image 99The L'Enfant Plan for the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 100Muriel Bowser, D.C.'s mayor, took office in 2015. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 101Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public magnet school in the city (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 102Metrobus, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 103The 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.)
Image 104Territorial progression of Washington, D.C. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 105President Abraham Lincoln insisted that construction of the United States Capitol continue during the Civil War. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 106A panel discussion at the American Enterprise Institute, one of D.C.'s many think tanks (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 107Georgetown University, founded in 1789, is the city's oldest university. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 108The United States Capitol in 1846, prior to the addition of the current rotunda (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 109The National Mall, including a central pathway through it, the centerpiece of the 1901 McMillan Plan (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 110A Capital Bikeshare rental station near McPherson Square (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 111The city's license plate calls for an end to taxation without representation. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 112City 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.)
Image 113The 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.)
Image 114An aerial view of Northwest Washington, D.C. in 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 115The Sylvan Theater in 2011. (from National Mall)
Image 116Facing 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)
Image 117National 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)
Image 118Map of the District of Columbia in 1835, prior to the retrocession (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 119With 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.)
Image 120West side of the U.S. Capitol building (March 2019) (from National Mall)
Image 121General 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.)
Image 122Protesters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building (from Washington, D.C.)

Did you know...

... that a TV station in Washington, D.C., held on-air monkey races as part of its children's programming?
... that prior to attorney Stanley Woodward representing Donald Trump aide Walt Nauta and Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs, he represented tenants in D.C. who were facing eviction?
... that Josephine Gates Kelly of the Standing Rock Reservation once hitchhiked to Washington, D.C., to protest portions of the Indian Reorganization Act?
... that in one neighborhood commission district, the voters and officeholders are all inmates at the D.C. Jail?
... that as municipal architect, Albert L. Harris led the design of all city buildings in Washington, D.C., from 1921 until his sudden death in 1934?
... that Roland Jefferson, the first African-American botanist to work at the U.S. National Arboretum, helped preserve the famous flowering cherry trees in Washington, D.C.?

In the news

22 June 2024 – 2021–2024 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks: At least 23 people are killed by CODECO militia groups in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
8 May 2024 –: A statue of the late African American civil rights leader Daisy Bates is unveiled at the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, D.C., representing the state of Arkansas. (Reuters)

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