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.

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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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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Portrait, 1816

James Madison (March 16, 1751 [O.S. March 5, 1750] – 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 as 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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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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The stolen helicopter, now on display at NASJRB Willow Grove

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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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 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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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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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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Formal portrait, c. 1835

Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. He rose to fame as a U.S. Army general and served in both houses of the U.S. Congress. His political philosophy, which dominated his presidency, became the basis for the rise of Jacksonian democracy. His legacy is controversial: he has been praised as an advocate for white working Americans and preserving the union of states, and criticized for his racist policies, particularly towards Native Americans. (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...)
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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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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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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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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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Coveleski with the Washington 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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Isabel making landfall in North Carolina on September 18

In Maryland and Washington, D.C., the effects of Hurricane Isabel were among the most damaging from a tropical cyclone in the respective metropolitan area. Hurricane Isabel formed from a tropical wave on September 6, 2003, in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters, it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 165 miles per hour (266 km/h) on September 11. After fluctuating in intensity for four days, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day. (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 retired professional basketball player who is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. By acclamation, Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and he was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. He is one of the world's richest celebrities, with a $3.8 billion net worth as of 2025. (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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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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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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Nativity, c. mid-1450s. Oil on wood, 127.6 cm × 94.9 cm (50.2 in × 37.4 in), National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

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 Saint John Altarpiece 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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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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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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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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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...)

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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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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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 late 19th and early 20th centuries. This neighborhood is no longer known as Swampoodle and has been replaced in large part by NoMa. (Full article...)
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Taussig Place and 2nd Street NE, Pleasant Hill, February 2018

Pleasant Hill is a neighborhood located in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington, D.C. Pleasant Hill is contained between Allison Street NE and Bates Road NE to the north, Taylor Street NE to the south, the Washington Metropolitan Area Red Line tracks to the east, and North Capitol Street NW to the west. Pleasant Hill borders the adjacent neighborhoods of Fort Totten (north), North Michigan Park (northeast), Michigan Park (east), University Heights (south), Petworth (west), Brightwood Park (northwest), and Park View (southwest). It is adjacent to the Catholic University of America and houses CUA's soccer and football fields as well as its Raymond A. DuFour Athletic Center. (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...)
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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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Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.

Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States, are distinguished by their history, culture, architecture, demographics, and geography. The names of the 131 neighborhoods are unofficially defined by the D.C. Office of Planning. Though the neighborhoods can be defined by the boundaries of wards, historic districts, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, civic associations, and business improvement districts (BIDs), these boundaries will overlap. The eight wards each elect a member to the Council of the District of Columbia and are redistricted every ten years. (Full article...)
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Mount Pleasant is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with restaurants and stores centered along a commercial corridor on Mt. Pleasant Street. Mount Pleasant is known for its unique identity and multicultural landscape, home to diverse groups such as the punk rock, the Peace Corps and Hispanic Washingtonian communities. (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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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 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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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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First Street N.E. in "NoMa" with the Washington Metro's Red Line visible (on the right)

NoMa (short for "north of Massachusetts Avenue") is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Ward 6 of the city. The neighborhood encompasses the region north of Massachusetts Avenue located north and east of Union Station. It includes the Sursum Corda, Eckington, and Near Northeast areas, as well as a section known as Swampoodle. (Full article...)
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Intersection of 8th St and Crittenden St, NE, Michigan Park, February 2018

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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Skyland within the District of Columbia

Skyland is a neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Good Hope Road to the northeast, Alabama Avenue to the southeast, and Fort Stanton Park to the south and west. It is part of Ward 8. (Full article...)
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Woodridge is a primarily residential neighborhood.

Woodridge is a residential neighborhood located in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington, D.C. Woodridge is contained between Eastern Avenue N.E. to the east, Taylor Street N.E. to the north, South Dakota Avenue N.E. to the west, and Bladensburg Road N.E. to the south. Its central commercial strips are Rhode Island Avenue NE (Route 1) and Bladensburg Road N.E. Woodridge borders the adjacent neighborhoods of Brookland, Langdon, North Michigan Park, and Fort Lincoln in Northeast Washington D.C. In addition to these neighborhoods in the District of Columbia, Woodridge borders the city of Mount Rainier and town of Cottage City in Maryland. In terms of public transportation, residents of Woodridge have access to the Brookland-CUA and Rhode Island Avenue Metro stations. (Full article...)
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Map of Washington, D.C., with the River Terrace neighborhood highlighted in red

River Terrace is an urban cul-de-sac neighborhood in Northeast Bounded by Anacostia Riverwalk Trail NE, East Capitol Street NE, Kenilworth Avenue NE, and Benning Road NE.Washington, D.C., on the eastern bank of the Anacostia River. River Terrace is Washington, DC's only planned unit development that has an unimpeded connection to and relationship with the Anacostia River. (Full article...)
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Burrville within the District of Columbia

Burrville is a neighborhood located in Northeast Washington, D.C., east of the Anacostia River. (Full article...)
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Map of Washington, D.C., with Kent highlighted in red

Kent is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. It is a triangular section of land bounded by Loughboro Road NW to the north, MacArthur Boulevard NW to the southwest, and Chain Bridge Road NW and Battery Kemble Park to the southeast. It is a suburban neighborhood, home to some of the most expensive homes in the city with an average home sales price in 2012 of $1.7 million ($2.38 million today). (Full article...)
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Brentwood within the District of Columbia

Brentwood is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C., Bounded by Rhode Island Avenue NE, the train tracks of the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metro station, Montana Avenue NE, and New York Avenue NE. And is named after the Brentwood Mansion built at Florida Avenue and 6th Street NE in 1817 by Robert Brent, the first mayor of Washington City. He built it as a wedding present for his daughter Eleanor on her marriage as second wife to Congressman Joseph Pearson, and it stood for a hundred years before burning down in 1917. (Full article...)

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Image 1The 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 2Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, known for its half-smoke, a historic staple of the city's cuisine (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 3A performance of Moulin Rouge! at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 4Axis after restoration (September 2016) (from National Mall)
Image 5The United States Capitol in 1846, prior to the addition of the current rotunda (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 6The city's license plate, which calls for an end to taxation without representation (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 7The U.S. Capitol during the February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 8The Concert for Valor on the National Mall on November 11, 2014, looking west from the U.S. Capitol grounds (from National Mall)
Image 9Facing 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 10Westward 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 11Due to limited dining options on the Mall, food trucks are often parked next to tourist-dense locations. (from National Mall)
Image 12Map of the District of Columbia in 1835, prior to the retrocession (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 13Reagan 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 14Metrobus, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 15The 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 16Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 17Anacostia (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 18Civil rights marchers during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 19A 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 20The March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on August 28, 1963 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 21Georgetown University, founded in 1789, the city's oldest university (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 22In 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.)
Image 23A 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 24Chinatown (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 25Memorial Bridge, connecting the city across the Potomac River with Arlington County (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 26Reserve area designated by the Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act (from National Mall)
Image 27Victorian houses in Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 28The American Enterprise Institute, one of the city's many think tanks (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 29The Washington Monument viewed from the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 30Washington, D.C., police on Harley-Davidson motorcycles escorting the March for Life protest on Constitution Avenue in January 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 31Edgewood (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 32The West side of the U.S. Capitol building, March 2019 (from National Mall)
Image 33The southern portion of the National Mall in 1863 during the American Civil War (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 34Protesters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building in June 2022 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 35The 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 36The 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 37Capital 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 38The Smithsonian station of the Washington Metro in 2021 (from National Mall)
Image 39
^{Library of Congress}
The "Grand Avenue" or Mall as proposed by Pierre L'Enfant, 1791
(from National Mall)
Image 40Demonstrators marching down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 41Columbia Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 42On 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 43The Jefferson Memorial and many of the city's other major monuments are built in the Neoclassical style. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 44Logan Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 45Territorial progression of Washington, D.C. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 46The Sylvan Theater in 2011 (from National Mall)
Image 47John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from National Mall)
Image 48Eastward 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 49Federal Triangle, a historic hub of executive departments of the U.S. federal government (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 50Contemporary architecture at CityCenterDC in Downtown (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 51The city's African American population has declined since the 1968 riots. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 52The 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 531963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on the National Mall facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
Image 54Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the city's most prominent streets, connects the U.S. Capitol and White House. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 55An aerial photo of Washington, D.C. in 2007 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 56The Abraham Lincoln Statue at the Lincoln Memorial in September 2016 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 57Map 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 58Britney Spears performs during the "NFL Kickoff Live from the National Mall Presented by Pepsi Vanilla" concert, September 4, 2003 (from National Mall)
Image 59Navy Yard (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 60Pool after reconstruction (May 2016) (from National Mall)
Image 61The Library of Congress, the world's largest library, has more than 173 million items. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 62One 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 63The first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, facing west from the Capitol (from National Mall)
Image 64The April 9, 1939, concert by Marian Anderson, facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
Image 65This 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 66Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 67The L'Enfant Plan for the city, developed in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 68Constitution Gardens in 2016 (from National Mall)
Image 69Construction of the Washington Metro on Connecticut Avenue in 1973 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 70Rock Creek Park, the city's largest park, stretches across Northwest. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 71The 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 72The National Mall, including a central pathway through it, the centerpiece of the 1901 McMillan Plan (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 73The Pentagon following the September 11 attacks with the Washington Monument visible in the background (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 74Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public magnet school in the city (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 75With 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 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 77General 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 78After 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 79The L'Enfant Plan for the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 80The 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 81The 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 82Muriel Bowser, the city's mayor since 2015 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 83A Capital Bikeshare rental station near McPherson Square (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 84President Abraham Lincoln insisted that construction of the United States Capitol continue during the Civil War. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 85The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in D.C. is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the world. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 86The National Mall was the centerpiece of the 1902 McMillan Plan. A central open vista traversed the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
Image 87The National Building Museum (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 88A major bus strike in May 1974 caused huge traffic jams throughout the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
Image 89The Eccles Building on Constitution Avenue, home of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 90The 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 91An 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 92An aerial view of Northwest Washington, D.C. in June 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 93The Cascading Waterfall at Meridian Hill Park in Meridian Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 94In 1830, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was extended to Georgetown. (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 95CNN reporting from the city during the 2016 U.S. presidential election (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 96Axis undergoing restoration (October 2015) (from National Mall)
Image 97The Mall following a snow storm (from National Mall)
Image 98Rows of young American elm trees on the National Mall, looking east from the top of the Washington Monument, circa 1942 (from National Mall)
Image 99A 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 100City 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 101Looking east from the top of the Washington Monument towards the Mall and the U.S. Capitol, 2023 (from National Mall)
Image 102Independence Day fireworks display on the National Mall, July 4, 2022 (from National Mall)
Image 103The Andrew Jackson Downing Urn in May 2012 (from National Mall)
Image 104The World War II Memorial, one of many popular tourist sites located on the National Mall (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 105The 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 106National Mall, a landscaped park extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 107The National Mall viewed from the Lincoln Memorial, July 2023 (from National Mall)
Image 108Eisenhower Memorial at night, 2021 (from National Mall)
Image 109The 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 110Washington, 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 111Bloomingdale (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 112Chuck Brown performing go-go music (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 113Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool before reconstruction (April 2010) (from National Mall)
Image 114Capitol Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
Image 115Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial in April 2017. (from National Mall)
Image 116Reading Room at the Library of Congress (from National Mall)
Image 117The French ambassador's residence in the Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District (from Washington, D.C.)

Did you know...

... 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 Leonardo DiCaprio was set to star in the film adaptation of Leonardo da Vinci?
... that Nobody is the highest-grossing 2D Chinese animated film?
... that the Washington D.C. Temple was moved 60 feet (18 m) to exactly align with a nearby road?
... that a coconut tree meme drove sales of piña coladas in the Washington, D.C., area?
... 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.?

In the news

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)
4 December 2025 – Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda conflict: Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda formally sign a peace agreement in Washington, D.C., hosted by U.S. president Donald Trump. (Newsweek)
4 December 2025 – Planning of the January 6 United States Capitol attack: A 30-year-old man is arrested and charged with transporting an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials after planting pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic parties' headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States, a day before the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack in 2021. (NBC News)
4 December 2025 – 2025 Texas redistricting: The U.S. Supreme Court permits Texas to use its redrawn congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections, staying a lower court ruling that found the plan relied on racial considerations. (AFP via France 24)
27 November 2025 – 2025 deployment of federal forces in the United States: 2025 Washington, D.C., National Guard shooting

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