Portal:Washington, D.C.

The Washington, D.C. portal

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. 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, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation, through which human form and attributes are applied to the United States.

The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under 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, and is considered the city's founding date. In 1800, when the capital was moved from Philadelphia, the 6th Congress started meeting in the then-unfinished Capitol Building, and the second president, John Adams, moved into the newly finished White House. In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria, was officially made the federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress reduced the size of the district when it returned the land that Virginia had ceded, including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it made the entire district into a single municipality. There have been several failed efforts to reduce the district further and admit the rest as a state since the 1880s, including a statehood bill that 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 buildings that house federal government headquarters, including the White House, U.S. Capitol, 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, Lincoln Memorial, and Washington Monument. It hosts 177 foreign embassies and the global headquarters of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States, and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks, the city is known as a lobbying hub, which is centered on and around K Street. It is also among the country's top tourist destinations; in 2022, it had an estimated 20.7 million domestic and 1.2 million international visitors, the seventh-most among U.S. cities. (Full article...)

Featured article

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

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Joseph Anton Lopez (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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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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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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Garfield c. 1881

James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot 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 he ran for president, the Ohio General Assembly had elected him to the U.S. Senate, a position he declined upon becoming president-elect. (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 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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Howard as head coach of Michigan in 2020

Juwan Antonio Howard (/dʒuːˈwɑːn/ joo-WAWN; 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). Howard was a collegiate All-American, had a 19-year NBA career with eight different teams (including All-Star and All-NBA nods and two NBA championships), and served as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. (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 American expansionism and Jacksonian democracy. Polk saw Texas join the Union in his first year in office, one of the precipitating causes that soon led the U.S. into the Mexican–American War. The settlement of that war expanded American territory to the Pacific Ocean. During his term, the dispute over the Oregon Territory with the United Kingdom was resolved as well, creating the present U.S.-Canadian boundary. (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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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 the most viewed inauguration since that of Ronald Reagan in 1981. (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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Maguire in 1866

Bernard A. Maguire (February 11, 1818 – April 26, 1886) was an Irish-American Catholic priest and Jesuit who served twice as the president of Georgetown University. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United States at the age of six, and his family settled in Maryland. Maguire attended Saint John's College in Frederick, Maryland, and then entered the Society of Jesus in 1837. He continued his studies at Georgetown University, where he also taught and was prefect, until his ordination to the priesthood in 1851. (Full article...)
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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 satirical 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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Graham in 1959

Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback 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. 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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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 player as a 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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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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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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Enoch Fenwick (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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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James A. Ryder (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...)

Neighboorhoods

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Sursum Corda (Latin: "lift up your hearts") is a small neighborhood located in Washington, D.C. It is located in the city’s Northeast and Northwest quadrants. The irregularly shaped neighborhood is 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, and the train tracks (both Amtrak/freight and Metro) at NoMa-Gallaudet-U station. (Full article...)
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Map of Washington, D.C., with Wakefield highlighted in red

Wakefield is a neighborhood in the Upper Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., bounded by Albemarle Street NW to the south, Nebraska Avenue NW to the west, and Connecticut Avenue to the east. It is served by the Van Ness-UDC and Tenleytown-AU station on the Washington Metro's Red Line. (Full article...)
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Stronghold is a neighborhood in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington D.C. Stronghold is contained between Michigan Avenue N.E. to the north, North Capitol Street N.W. to the west, and Glenwood Cemetery to both the south and east. Stronghold borders the adjacent neighborhoods of Edgewood, University Heights, and Brookland in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington D.C. (Full article...)
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Palisades sign (2011)

The Palisades, or simply Palisades, is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River, running roughly from the edge of the Georgetown University campus (at Foxhall Road) to the D.C.-Maryland boundary (near Dalecarlia Treatment Plant). (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 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, established around 1931, was the second in Washington to be called “Chinatown.” The first Chinatown began on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1880's, but was moved to the H Street area with the development of the Federal Triangle in the early 1930's. In 1986, a Chinese gate designed by Chinese-American architect Alfred H. Liu 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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The Douglass neighborhood at the intersection of 15th Place and Shippen Lane SE

Douglass is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., on the eastern side of St. Elizabeths Hospital, on the border of the Congress Heights Metro Station. It is bounded by Suitland Parkway SE, Alabama Avenue SE, and Saint Elizabeth's Hospital Campus. (Full article...)
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East River Heights is a residential and mixed use neighborhood located in Ward 7 of Washington, DC. It is considered the "downtown" area of the ward and has high walkability ratings. Its borders are East Capital Street, Minnesota Ave, Benning Road up to 41st Street. It is a neighborhood of retired and working people and many children. There is quite a bit of development occurring. The houses are small but have large yards. It is centrally located.
It is located between the Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road stations on the Washington Metro. (Full article...)
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Map of Washington, D.C., with the Fairlawn neighborhood highlighted in red

Fairlawn is a working class and middle class residential neighborhood in southeast Washington, D.C., United States. It is bounded by Interstate 295, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Minnesota Avenue SE (between Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Naylor Road SE), Naylor Road SE (between Minnesota Avenue SE Good Hope Road SE), and Good Hope Road SE. (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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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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Bank of Brightwood building

Brightwood is a neighborhood in the northwestern quadrant of Washington, D.C. Brightwood is part of Ward 4. (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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An ammunition magazine similar to those built at Fort Stanton.

Fort Stanton was a Civil War-era fortification constructed in the hills above Anacostia in the District of Columbia, USA, and was intended to prevent Confederate artillery from threatening the Washington Navy Yard. It also guarded the approach to the bridge that connected Anacostia (then known as Uniontown) with Washington. Built in 1861, the fort was expanded throughout the war and was joined by two subsidiary forts: Fort Ricketts and Fort Snyder. Following the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, it was dismantled and the land returned to its original owner. It never saw combat. Abandoned after the war, the site of the fort was planned to be part of a grand "Fort Circle" park system encircling the city of Washington. Though this system of interconnected parks never was fully implemented, the site of the fort is today a park maintained by the National Park Service, and a historical marker stands near the fort's original location. (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 which includes North Michigan Park are bounded by Taylor Street NE, Michigan Avenue NE, Fort Totten Metro Train Tracks, Gallatin Street NE, Eastern Avenue NE. (Full article...)
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The West End is a neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., bounded by K Street NW to the south, Rock Creek Park to the west and north, and New Hampshire Avenue NW and 23rd Street NW to the east. The West End is so named because it was the westernmost part of the original L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington, before the annexation of Georgetown. It is home to the embassies of Spain and Qatar as well as the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. The George Washington University and George Washington University Hospital are on the edge of the West End, at Washington Circle. (Full article...)
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Chevy Chase (/ˈtʃɛviː tʃeɪs/) is a neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C. It borders Chevy Chase, Maryland. (Full article...)
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Lincoln Park looking west from Mary McLeod Bethune Statue

Lincoln Park, historically known as Lincoln Square, is the largest urban park located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. From 1862 to 1865, during the American Civil War, it was the site of Lincoln Hospital, then the largest hospital in Washington, D.C. It is located along East Capitol Street, which surrounds the park. (Full article...)

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Image 1Map 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 2Federal Triangle, a historic hub of executive departments of the U.S. federal government (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 3The 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 4A 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, and parts of the recently created "Tidal Reservoir" and "Proposed Park". (from National Mall)
Image 5The Sylvan Theater in 2011 (from National Mall)
Image 6The Cascading Waterfall at Meridian Hill Park in Meridian Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 7An aerial view of Northwest Washington, D.C. in June 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 8Britney Spears performs during the "NFL Kickoff Live from the National Mall Presented by Pepsi Vanilla" concert, September 4, 2003 (from National Mall)
Image 9Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool before reconstruction (April 2010) (from National Mall)
Image 10John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from National Mall)
Image 11The Concert for Valor on the National Mall on November 11, 2014, looking west from the U.S. Capitol grounds (from National Mall)
Image 12Capitol Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 13
^{Library of Congress}
The "Grand Avenue" or Mall as proposed by Pierre L'Enfant, 1791
(from National Mall)
Image 14The Washington Monument viewed from the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 15An aerial photo of Washington, D.C. in 2007 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 16Edgewood (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 17Construction of the Washington Metro on Connecticut Avenue in 1973 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 18A Capital Bikeshare rental station near McPherson Square (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 19General 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 20The first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, facing west from the Capitol (from National Mall)
Image 21City 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 22The Eccles Building on Constitution Avenue, home of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 23The National Mall viewed from the Lincoln Memorial, July 2023 (from National Mall)
Image 24The April 9, 1939, concert by Marian Anderson, facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
Image 25The National Museum of Natural History, the third-most visited museum in the U.S. in 2023, with 4.4 million visitors (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 26After their victory at the Battle of Bladensburg in 1814, the British burned the White House and other federal buildings during a one-day occupation of Washington. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 27Chuck Brown performing go-go music (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 28Westward 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 29The 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 30CNN reporting from the city during the 2016 U.S. presidential election (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 31Bloomingdale (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 32Reserve area designated by the Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act (from National Mall)
Image 33Civil rights marchers during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 34Muriel Bowser, the city's mayor since 2015 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 35The March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on August 28, 1963 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 36With over 30,000 participants as of 2024, the annual Marine Corps Marathon, held annually in October in Washington, D.C. and Arlington County, is the largest non-prize money marathon in the country. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 37A major bus strike in May 1974 caused huge traffic jams throughout the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 38Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, known for its half-smoke, a historic staple of the city's cuisine (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 39The Smithsonian station of the Washington Metro in 2021 (from National Mall)
Image 40The 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 41On September 18, 1793, 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 42The 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 43Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial in April 2017. (from National Mall)
Image 44The National Gallery of Art, the fourth-most visited art museum in the United States in 2023 with nearly four million visitors (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 45Independence Day fireworks display on the National Mall, July 4, 2022 (from National Mall)
Image 46Pool after reconstruction (May 2016) (from National Mall)
Image 47The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a two-acre (8,100 m²) site featuring two black granite walls engraved with the names of those service members who died or remain missing in the Vietnam War designed by Maya Lin, was initially controversial for its lack of heroic iconography, a departure from earlier memorial designs. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 48Navy Yard (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 49Constitution Gardens in 2016 (from National Mall)
Image 50Memorial Bridge, connecting the city across the Potomac River with Arlington County (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 51Metrobus, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 52Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the city's most prominent streets, connects the U.S. Capitol and White House. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 53The Jefferson Memorial and many of the city's other major monuments are built in the Neoclassical style. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 54The U.S. Capitol during the February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 55The National Building Museum (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 56A portrait of the Mall and vicinity looking northwest from southeast of the U.S. Capitol, circa 1846–1855. Stables are 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)
Image 57President Abraham Lincoln insisted that construction of the United States Capitol continue during the Civil War. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 58Due to limited dining options on the Mall, food trucks are often parked next to tourist-dense locations. (from National Mall)
Image 59Contemporary architecture at CityCenterDC in Downtown (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 60Reagan 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 61Washington, D.C. is located on the north side of the Potomac River. It is bordered on three sides by Maryland and by Northern Virginia to its southwest. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 62The L'Enfant Plan for the city, developed in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 63The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in D.C. is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the world. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 64The Abraham Lincoln Statue at the Lincoln Memorial in September 2016 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 65Protesters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building in June 2022 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 66Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 67Facing 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 68Map of the District of Columbia in 1835, prior to the retrocession (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 69The Washington Monument stood in this unfinished form for 25 years before being completed in 1884. Upon its completion, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 70The United States Capitol in 1846, prior to the addition of the current rotunda (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 71The American Enterprise Institute, one of the city's many think tanks (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 72Axis undergoing restoration (October 2015) (from National Mall)
Image 73The Andrew Jackson Downing Urn in May 2012 (from National Mall)
Image 74Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public magnet school in the city (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 75Capital One Arena in the city's Chinatown section hosts the Washington Capitals, an NHL team (pictured), and the Washington Wizards, an NBA team (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 76Washington 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.)
Image 77Georgetown University, founded in 1789, the city's oldest university (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 78Anacostia (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 79The Mall following a snow storm (from National Mall)
Image 80Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 81Reading Room at the Library of Congress (from National Mall)
Image 82Axis after restoration (September 2016) (from National Mall)
Image 83In 1830, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was extended to Georgetown. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 84An 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 85The National Mall was the centerpiece of the 1902 McMillan Plan. A central open vista traversed the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
Image 86Rock Creek Park, the city's largest park, stretches across Northwest. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 871963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on the National Mall facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
Image 88Columbia Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 89The French ambassador's residence in the Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 90The southern portion of the National Mall in 1863 during the American Civil War (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 91Washington, D.C., police on Harley-Davidson motorcycles escorting the March for Life protest on Constitution Avenue in January 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 92The L'Enfant Plan for the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 93Logan Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 94Looking east from the top of the Washington Monument towards the Mall and the U.S. Capitol, 2023 (from National Mall)
Image 95A performance of Moulin Rouge! at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 96A 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)
Image 97Eastward 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 98The World War II Memorial, one of many popular tourist sites located on the National Mall (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 99Rows of young American elm trees on the National Mall, looking east from the top of the Washington Monument, circa 1942 (from National Mall)
Image 100Chinatown (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 101Demonstrators marching down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 102The 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)
Image 103The Library of Congress, the world's largest library, has more than 173 million items. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 104The city's African American population has declined since the 1968 riots. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 105Victorian houses in Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 106The Pentagon following the September 11 attacks with the Washington Monument visible in the background (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 107National Mall, a landscaped park extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 108One Franklin Square in Downtown houses the headquarters of The Washington Post, the nation's third-largest newspaper by circulation as of 2023 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 109Territorial progression of Washington, D.C. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 110The National Mall, including a central pathway through it, the centerpiece of the 1901 McMillan Plan (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 111The West side of the U.S. Capitol building, March 2019 (from National Mall)
Image 112The city's license plate, which calls for an end to taxation without representation (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 113The John A. Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, 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 114This view from the top of the Washington Monument shows rows of elm trees lining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool (November 2014). (from National Mall)
Image 115Eisenhower Memorial at night, 2021 (from National Mall)
Image 116The Washington Monument (forefront) and White House (center) in September 2003. Since 1961, the city's residents can vote for the U.S. president and vice president, who also serves as President of the Senate. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 117In 1800, the United States Congress began assembling in the new United States Capitol after the nation's capital was moved from Philadelphia, which served as the capital during the American Revolution and again from 1790 to 1800. (from Washington, D.C.)

Did you know...

... that the Washington D.C. Temple was moved 60 feet (18 m) to exactly align with a nearby road?
... that new employees of a business headquartered in the Editors Building chose their office decorations from a 7,000-piece collection of historic memorabilia of Washington, D.C.?
... that in one neighborhood commission district, the voters and officeholders are all inmates at the D.C. Jail?
... that, under O'Donoghue v. United States, Washington, D.C.'s courts are the only tribunals in the United States that might be both constitutional and legislative courts at the same time?
... that a coconut tree meme drove sales of piña coladas in the Washington, D.C., area?
... that residents reported the first cycling club in Washington, D.C., to the police over concerns that bicycles posed a danger to pedestrians?

In the news

6 March 2026 – Immigration policy of the second Trump administration: A United States appeals court declines to allow Donald Trump's administration to end temporary protected status for more than 350,000 Haitian nationals, leaving in place a lower court order that blocks the policy while the case proceeds. (Reuters)
2 March 2026 – Rwanda–United States relations, Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda conflict: The U.S. Department of State imposes sanctions on the Rwandan military for allegedly supporting the March 23 Movement and violating a peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via Barron's)
17 February 2026 –: An 18-year-old is arrested after running towards the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., with a loaded shotgun, multiple rounds of ammunition and a tactical vest. (Reuters) (WJLA-TV)
9 December 2025 – M23 campaign, Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda conflict: M23 enter Uvira, with at least 20,000 people fleeing across the Burundi–DRC border and reach Bujumbura. (Actualité in French) (TRT World)

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