On October 6, 1783, after thePennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 forced the capital to move briefly from Philadelphia to present-dayPrinceton University inPrinceton, New Jersey, Congress resolved to consider a new location for it.[19] The following day,Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts moved "that buildings for the use of Congress be erected on the banks of theDelaware nearTrenton, or of thePotomac, nearGeorgetown, provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for a federal town".[20]
InFederalist No. 43, published on January 23, 1788,James Madison argued that the newfederal government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance and safety.[21] The Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 emphasized the need for the national government to not rely on any state for its own security.[22]: 66
Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution permits the establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States".[23] The Constitution, however, does not specify a location for the capital. In theCompromise of 1790, Madison,Alexander Hamilton, andThomas Jefferson agreed that the federal government would pay each state's remainingRevolutionary War debts in exchange for establishing the new national capital in theSouthern United States.[22]: 124–127 [b]
On July 9, 1790, Congress passed theResidence Act, which approved creating a national capital on thePotomac River. Under the Residence Act, the exact location was to be selected by PresidentGeorge Washington, who signed the bill into law on July 16, 1790. Formed from land donated by Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side and totaling 100 square miles (259 km2).[22]: 89–92 [c]
Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory, the port ofGeorgetown, founded in 1751,[24] and theport city ofAlexandria, Virginia, founded in 1749.[25] In 1791 and 1792, a team led byAndrew Ellicott, including Ellicott's brothersJoseph andBenjamin and African AmericanastronomerBenjamin Banneker, whose parents had been enslaved, surveyed the borders of the federal district and placedboundary stones at every mile point; many of these stones are still standing.[26][27] Both Maryland and Virginia wereslave states, andslavery existed in the District from its founding. The building of Washington likely relied in significant part on slave labor, and slave receipts have been found for the White House, Capitol Building, and establishment ofGeorgetown University. The city became an importantslave market and a center of the nation'sinternal slave trade.[28][29]
After its survey, the newfederal city was constructed on the north bank of the Potomac River, east of Georgetown and centered onCapitol Hill. On September 9, 1791, three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction named the city in honor of President Washington. At the same time, the federal district was named Columbia,[22]: 101 a feminine form ofColumbus, which wasa poetic name for the United States commonly used at the time.[30] Congress held its first session there on November 17, 1800.[31]
Congress passed theDistrict of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, which officially organized the district and placed the entire territory under theexclusive control of the federal government. The area within the district was organized into two counties, theCounty of Washington to the east and north of the Potomac River and theCounty of Alexandria to the west and south.[22]: 717 After the Act's passage, citizens in the district were no longer considered residents of Maryland or Virginia, and their representation in Congress ended.[32]
After their victory at theBattle of Bladensburg in 1814, the British burned theWhite House and other federal buildings during a one-day occupation of Washington.
On August 24, 1814, during theWar of 1812,British forces occupied Washington after defeating an American army at theBattle of Bladensburg. In retaliation for acts of destruction by American troops in theCanadas, the British set fire to federal buildings in the city, gutting theCapitol,Library of Congress,Treasury Building, andWhite House in what became known as theburning of Washington. The damage of the city's burning could have been more extensive, but a storm forced the British to evacuate the city after just 24 hours.[33] Most federal buildings were repaired quickly, but the Capitol, which was then still under construction, was not completed in its current form until 1868.[34]
In the 1830s, the district's southern territory ofAlexandria declined economically, due in part to its neglect by Congress.[35] Alexandria was a major market in thedomestic slave trade and pro-slavery residents feared thatabolitionists in Congress would endslavery in the district. Alexandria's citizens petitioned Virginia to retake the land it had donated to form the district, a process known asretrocession.[36]
TheVirginia General Assembly voted in February 1846, to accept the return of Alexandria. On July 9, 1846, Congress went further, agreeing to return all territory that Virginia had ceded to the district during its formation. This left the district's area consisting only of the portion originally donated by Maryland.[35] Confirming the fears of pro-slavery Alexandrians, theCompromise of 1850 outlawed the slave trade in the district, although not slavery itself.[37]
The outbreak of theAmerican Civil War in 1861 led to the expansion of the federal government and notable growth in the city's population, including a large influx of freed slaves.[38] PresidentAbraham Lincoln signed theCompensated Emancipation Act in 1862, which ended slavery in the district, freeing about 3,100 slaves in the district nine months before theEmancipation Proclamation.[39] In 1868, Congress granted the district'sAfrican American male residents the right to vote in municipal elections.[38]
By 1870, the district's population had grown 75% in a decade to nearly 132,000 people,[40] yet the city still lacked paved roads and basic sanitation. Some members of Congress suggested moving the capital farther west, but PresidentUlysses S. Grant refused to consider the proposal.[41]
In theOrganic Act of 1871, Congress repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington andGeorgetown, abolishedWashington County, and created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia.[42] These steps made "the city of Washington...legally indistinguishable from the District of Columbia."[43]
In 1873, President Grant appointedAlexander Robey Shepherd as Governor of the District of Columbia. Shepherd authorized large projects that modernized the city but bankrupted its government. In 1874, Congress replaced the territorial government with an appointed three-member board of commissioners.[44]
In 1888, the city'sfirst motorized streetcars began service. Their introduction generated growth in areas of the district beyond the City of Washington's original boundaries, leading to an expansion of the district over the next few decades.[45] Georgetown's street grid and other administrative details were formally merged with those of the City of Washington in 1895.[46] However, the city had poor housing and strained public works; this led it to become the first city in the nation to undergourban renewal projects as part of theCity Beautiful movement in the early 20th century.[47]
The City Beautiful movement built heavily upon the already-implementedL'Enfant Plan, with the newMcMillan Plan leading urban development in the city throughout the movement. Much of the oldVictorianMall was replaced with modernNeoclassical andBeaux-Arts architecture; these designs are still prevalent in the city's governmental buildings today.
Increased federal spending under theNew Deal in the 1930s led to the construction of new government buildings, memorials, and museums in the district,[48] though the chairman of the House Subcommittee on District Appropriations,Ross A. Collins ofMississippi, justified cuts to funds for welfare and education for local residents by saying that "my constituents wouldn't stand for spending money on niggers."[49]
World War II led to an expansion of federal employees in the city;[50] by 1950, the district's population reached its peak of 802,178 residents.[40]
Since the 1980s, theD.C. statehood movement has grown in prominence. In 2016, areferendum on D.C. statehood resulted in an 85% support among Washington, D.C., voters for it to become the nation's51st state. In March 2017, the city's congressional delegateEleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill for statehood. Reintroduced in 2019 and 2021 as theWashington, D.C., Admission Act, theU.S. House of Representatives passed it in April 2021.[55] After not progressing in the Senate, the statehood bill was introduced again in January 2023.[56]The bill would have made D.C. into a state with one representative and two senators, with the name Washington, Douglass Commonwealth (thus keeping the abbreviation Washington, D.C.).[57] The legalities, reasons, and impact of statehood have been heavily debated in the 2020s.[58]
There are many parks, gardens, squares, and circles throughout Washington. The city has 683 parks and greenspaces, comprising 7,464 acres (30.21 km2), about 20% of its land area. Consequently, 99% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. According to the nonprofitTrust for Public Land, in 2023 Washington ranked first among the 100 largest U.S. cities for its public parks, based on indicators such as accessibility, the share of land reserved for parks, and the amount invested in green spaces.[71][72][73]
Washington's climate is temperatehumid subtropical (Köppen:Cfa).[86][87][unreliable source?] Winters are cool to cold with some snow of varying intensity, while summers are hot and humid. The district is in planthardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city.[88][89]
Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort. Heat indices regularly approach 100 °F (38 °C) at the height of summer.[90] The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.[91]
Blizzards affect Washington once every four to six years on average. The most violent storms, known asnor'easters, often impact large regions of theEast Coast.[92] FromJanuary 27 to 28, 1922, the city officially received 28 inches (71 cm) of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885.[93] According to notes kept at the time, the city received between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm) from a snowstorm in January 1772.[94][unreliable source?]
Hurricanes or their remnants occasionally impact the area in late summer and early fall. However, they usually are weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location.[95][unreliable source?] Flooding of thePotomac River, however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in theGeorgetown neighborhood of the city.[96] Precipitation occurs throughout the year.[97]
The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 6, 1918, and on July 20, 1930.[98] The lowest recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) onFebruary 11, 1899, right before theGreat Blizzard of 1899.[92] During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above 90 °F (32 °C) and 64 nights at or below the freezing mark (32 °F or 0 °C).[99] On average, the first day with a minimum at or below freezing is November 18 and the last day is March 27.[100][101]
Washington, D.C., was aplanned city, and many of the city'sstreet grids were developed in that initial plan. In 1791, PresidentGeorge Washington commissionedPierre Charles L'Enfant, a French-born military engineer and artist, to design the new capital. He enlisted the help of Isaac Roberdeau,Étienne Sulpice Hallet and Scottish surveyorAlexander Ralston to help lay out the city plan.[105] TheL'Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping.[106]
L'Enfant was also provided a roll of maps byThomas Jefferson depicting Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Turin, and Milan.[107] L'Enfant's design also envisioned a garden-lined grand avenue about 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 400 feet (120 m) wide in an area that is now theNational Mall inspired by the grounds atVersailles andTuileries Gardens.[108] In March 1792, President Washington dismissed L'Enfant due to conflicts with the three commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction.Andrew Ellicott, who worked with L'Enfant in surveying the city, was then tasked with completing its design. Though Ellicott revised the original L'Enfant plans, including changing some street patterns, L'Enfant is still credited with the city's overall design.[22]: 101–103
By the early 20th century, however, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital was marred by slums and randomly placed buildings in the city, including a railroad station on National Mall. Congress formed a special committee charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core.[47] What became known as theMcMillan Plan was finalized in 1901 and included landscaping the Capitol grounds and National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new citywide park system. The plan is thought to have largely preserved L'Enfant's intended design for the city.[106]
By law, the city's skyline is low and sprawling. The federalHeight of Buildings Act of 1910 limits building height based on the width of the adjacent street, with maxima of 90 feet (27 m) on residential streets and 130 feet (40 m) on commercial ones.[109][110] Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the 555-foot (169 m)Washington Monument,[70] which remains the district's tallest structure. City leaders have cited the height restriction as a primary reason that the district has limited affordable housing and its metro area has suburban sprawl and traffic problems.[109]
Washington, D.C., is divided intofour quadrants of unequal area:Northwest (NW),Northeast (NE),Southeast (SE), andSouthwest (SW). The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol.[111] All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location. House numbers generally correspond with the number of blocks away from the Capitol. Most streets are set out in a grid pattern with east–west streets named with letters (e.g., C Street SW), north–south streets with numbers (e.g., 4th Street NW), and diagonal avenues, many of which arenamed after states.[111]
Notablecontemporary residential buildings, restaurants, shops, and office buildings in the city includethe Wharf on theSouthwest Waterfront,Navy Yard along theAnacostia River, andCityCenterDC inDowntown. The Wharf has seen the construction of several high-rise office and residential buildings overlooking thePotomac River. Additionally, restaurants, bars, and shops have been opened at street level. Many of these buildings have a modern glass exterior and heavy curvature.[124][125] CityCenterDC is home to Palmer Alley, a pedestrian-only walkway, and houses several apartment buildings, restaurants, and luxury-brand storefronts with streamlined glass and metal facades.[126]
TheU.S. Census Bureau estimates that the district's population was 705,749 as of July 2019, up more than 100,000 people since the2010 United States census. When measured decade-over-decade, this shows growth since 2000, following a half-century of population decline.[137] Washington was the24th-most populous place in the United States as of 2010[update].[138] According to data from 2010, commuters from the suburbs boost the district's daytime population past one million.[139] If the district were a state, it would rank49th in population, ahead ofVermont andWyoming.[140]
According toDepartment of Housing and Development'sAnnual Homeless Assessment Report in 2022, there were an estimated 4,410homeless people in Washington, D.C.[143][144] The city passed a law in 2013 that requires shelter to be provided to everyone in need when the temperature drops below freezing.[145] Since D.C. does not have enough shelter units available, every winter it books hotel rooms in the suburbs with an average cost of around $100 for a night. According to the D.C. Department of Human Services, during the winter of 2012 the city spent $2,544,454 on putting homeless families in hotels,[146] and budgeted $3.2 million on hotel beds in 2013.[147][needs update]
According to 2020 Census Bureau data, the population of Washington, D.C., was 41.4% Black or African American, 39.6% White (37.9% non-Hispanic White), 4.9%Asian, 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 5.4% Some Other Race. Individuals from two or more races made up 8.1% of the population. Hispanics of any race made up 11.3% of the district's population.[131]
The city's African American population has declined since the1968 riots.
Washington, D.C. has had a relatively largeAfrican American population since the city's foundation.[148] African American residents composed about 30% of the district's total population between 1800 and 1940.[40] The black population reached a peak of 70% by 1970 and has since declined as African Americans moved to the surrounding suburbs. Partly as a result ofgentrification, there was a 31.4% increase in the non-Hispanic white population and an 11.5% decrease in the black population between 2000 and 2010.[149] According to a study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, the city has experienced more gentrification than any other U.S. city, with 40% of neighborhoods gentrified.[150]
As of 2010, about 17% of Washington, D.C. residents were age 18 or younger, which is lower than the U.S. average of 24%. However, at 34 years old, the district had the lowest median age compared to the 50 states as of 2010.[151] As of 2010[update], there were an estimated 81,734immigrants living in Washington, D.C.[152] Major sources of immigration includeEl Salvador,Ethiopia,Mexico,Guatemala, andChina, with a concentration of Salvadorans in theMount Pleasant neighborhood.[153]
As of 2010, there were 4,822 same-sex couples in the city, about 2% of total households, according toWilliams Institute.[154] Legislationauthorizing same-sex marriage passed in 2009, and the district began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in March 2010.[155]
As of 2007, about one-third of Washington, D.C., residents werefunctionally illiterate, greater than the national rate of about one-fifth. The city's relatively high illiteracy rate is attributed partly to immigrants who are not proficient inEnglish.[156] As of 2011[update], 85% of D.C. residents age5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language.[157] Half of residents had at least a four-year college degree in 2006.[152] In 2017, the median household income in D.C. was $77,649;[158] also in 2017, D.C. residents had apersonal income per capita of $50,832 (higher than any of the 50 states).[158][159] However, 19% of residents were below the poverty level in 2005, higher than any state exceptMississippi. In 2019, the poverty rate stood at 14.7%.[160][i][162]
As of 2010[update], more than 90% of Washington, D.C., residents had health insurance coverage, the second-highest rate in the nation. This is due in part to city programs that help provide insurance to low-income individuals who do not qualify for other types of coverage.[163][better source needed] A 2009 report found that at least three percent of Washington, D.C., residents haveHIV orAIDS, which theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterizes as a "generalized and severe" epidemic.[164]
As of 2011,[update] theWashington metropolitan area, including the District of Columbia as well as parts ofVirginia,Maryland, andWest Virginia, was the nation's eighth-largest metropolitan economy. Its growing and diversified economy has an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs in addition to more traditional jobs rooted in tourism, entertainment, and government.[168][obsolete source]
Between 2009 and 2016,gross domestic product per capita in Washington, D.C., consistently ranked at the very top among U.S. states.[169] In 2016, at $160,472, its GDP per capita was almost three times greater than that ofMassachusetts, which was ranked second in the nation (seeList of U.S. states and territories by GDP).[169]As of 2022[update], the metropolitan statistical area's unemployment rate was 3.1%, ranking 171 out of the 389 metropolitan areas as defined by the U.S.Bureau of Economic Analysis.[170] The District of Columbia itself had an unemployment rate of 4.6% during the same time period.[171] In 2019, Washington, D.C., had the highest median household income in the U.S. at $92,266.[172]
The city is the country's primary location for international development firms, many of which contract with the D.C.-basedUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. federal government's aid agency. TheAmerican Red Cross, a humanitarian agency focused on emergency relief, is also based in the city.[180]
Tourism is the city's second-largest industry, after the federal government. In 2012, some 18.9 million visitors contributed an estimated $4.8 billion to the local economy.[184] In 2019, the city saw 24.6 million tourists, including 1.8 million from foreign countries, who collectively spent $8.15 billion during their stay.[185] Tourism helps many of the region's other industries, such as lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, shopping, and transportation.[185]
The city and the largerWashington metropolitan area have an array of attractions for tourists, including monuments, memorials, museums, sports events, and trails. Within the city, theNational Mall serves as the center of the tourism industry. It is there that many of the city's museums and monuments are located. Adjacent to the mall sits theTidal Basin, where several major national memorials and monuments are located, including the popularJefferson Memorial.Washington Union Station is a popular tourist spot with its multitude of restaurants and shops.[citation needed]
U Street Corridor in Northwest is home toHoward Theatre andLincoln Theatre, which hosted music legends such as Washington, D.C. nativesDuke Ellington,John Coltrane, andMiles Davis.[198] Just east of U Street isShaw, which also served as a major cultural center during thejazz age. Intersecting with U Street isFourteenth Street, which was an extension of the U Street cultural corridor during the 1920s through the 1960s. The collection of Fourteenth Street, U Street, and Shaw was the location of theBlack Renaissance in D.C., which was part of the largerHarlem Renaissance. The area starting at Fourteenth Street downtown going north through U Street and east to Shaw boasts a high concentration of bars, restaurants, and theaters, and is among the city's most notable cultural and artistic areas.[citation needed]
Columbia Records, a major music record label in the U.S., was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1889.[200]: 105
The city grew into being one of America's most important music cities in the earlyjazz age.Duke Ellington, among the most prominent jazz composers and musicians of his time, was born and raised in Washington, and began his music career in the city. The center of the city's jazz scene during those years wasU street andShaw. Among the city's major jazz locations were theLincoln Theatre and theHoward Theatre.[201]
Washington has its own native music genre calledgo-go; a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of rhythm and blues that was popularized in the late 1970s by D.C. band leaderChuck Brown.[202]
The district is an important center forindie culture and music in the United States. The DC-based labelDischord Records, formed byIan MacKaye, frontman ofFugazi, was one of the most crucial independent labels in the genesis of 1980s punk and eventually indie rock in the 1990s.[203] Modernalternative and indie music venues likeThe Black Cat and the9:30 Club bring popular acts to the U Street area.[204] The hardcore punk scene in the city, known asD.C. hardcore, is an important genre of D.C.'s contemporary music scene. Starting in the 1970s and flourishing in theAdams Morgan neighborhood, it is considered to be one of the most influential punk music movements in the country.[205]
Cuisine
Washington, D.C., is rich in fine and casual dining; some consider it among the country's best cities for dining.[206] The city has a diverse range ofrestaurants, including a wide variety of international cuisines. The city'sChinatown, for example, has more than a dozen Chinese-style restaurants. The city also has many Middle Eastern, European, African, Asian, and Latin American cuisine options.[citation needed] D.C. is known as one of the best cities in the world forEthiopian cuisine, due largely toEthiopian immigrants who arrived in the 20th century.[207] A part of theShaw neighborhood in central D.C. is known as "Little Ethiopia" and has a high concentration of Ethiopian restaurants and shops.[208] The diversity of cuisine is also reflected in the city's manyfood trucks, which are particularly heavily concentrated along theNational Mall, which has few other dining options.[citation needed]
Among the city's signature restaurants isBen's Chili Bowl, located onU Street since its founding in 1958. The restaurant rose to prominence as a peaceful escape during the violent1968 race riots in the city. Famous for itschili dogs and half-smokes, it has been visited by numerous presidents and celebrities over the years.[216] TheGeorgetown Cupcake bakery became famous through its appearance on the reality T.V. showDC Cupcakes. Another culinary hotspot isUnion Market inNortheast D.C., a former farmer's market and wholesale that now houses a large, gourmetfood hall.[217]
Washington, D.C. is home to several of thecountry's andworld's most visited museums. In 2022, theNational Museum of Natural History and theNational Gallery of Art were the two most visited museums in the country. Overall, Washington had eight of the 28 most visited museums in the U.S. in 2022. The same year, the National Museum of Natural History was the fifth-most-visited museum in the world and the National Gallery of Art was the eleventh.[225]
TheNational Gallery of Art is on the National Mall near the Capitol and features American and European artworks. The U.S. government owns the gallery and its collections. However, they are not a part of the Smithsonian Institution.[231] TheNational Building Museum, which occupies the former Pension Building nearJudiciary Square, was chartered by Congress and hosts exhibits on architecture, urban planning, and design.[232] TheBotanic Garden is abotanical garden and museum operated by the U.S. Congress that is open to the public.[233]
TheSouthwest Waterfront along the Potomac River has been redeveloped in recent years and now serves as a popular cultural center.The Wharf, as it is called, contains the city's historicMaine Avenue Fish Market. This is the oldest fish market currently in operation in the entire United States.[254] The Wharf also has many hotels, residential buildings, restaurants, shops, parks, piers, docks and marinas, and live music venues.[124][125]
The city's teams have won a combined 14 professional league championships over their respective histories. The Washington Commanders have won two NFL Championships and threeSuper Bowls;[257] D.C. United has won four;[258] and the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics, Washington Nationals, and Washington Spirit have each won a single championship.[259][260][additional citation(s) needed]
Each of the city's eightwards elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the district as a whole. The council chair is also elected at-large.[265] There are 37Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration.[266] Theattorney general of the District of Columbia is elected to a four-year term.[267]
The idiom "Inside the Beltway" is a reference used to describe discussions of national political issues inside of Washington, D.C., by way of geographically demarcating the region inside theCapital Beltway, the city's highway loop constructed in 1964. The phrase is used as a title for a number of political columns and news items by publications, includingThe Washington Times.[270]
The mayor and council set local taxes and a budget, which Congress must approve. TheGovernment Accountability Office and other analysts have estimated that the city's high percentage of tax-exempt property and the Congressional prohibition of commuter taxes create a structural deficit in the district's local budget of anywhere between $470 million and over $1 billion per year. Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such asMedicaid and the operation of thelocal justice system; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.[271][272]
The district regained control over its finances in 2001 and the oversight board's operations were suspended.[276]
The district has a federally funded "Emergency Planning and Security Fund" to cover security related to visits by foreign leaders and diplomats, presidential inaugurations, protests, and terrorism concerns. During the Trump administration, the fund has run with a deficit. Trump's January 2017 inauguration cost the city $27 million; of that, $7 million was never repaid to the fund. Trump's 2019 Independence Day event, "A Salute to America", cost six times more than Independence Day events in past years.[277]
As the national capital, Washington, D.C. hosts about 185 foreign missions, including embassies, ambassador's residences, and international cultural centers.[278] Many are concentrated along a stretch ofMassachusetts Avenue known informally asEmbassy Row.[279] Washington, D.C., hosts a number of internationally themed festivals and events, often in collaboration with foreign missions or delegations.[citation needed] The city government maintains an Office of International Affairs to liaise with the diplomatic community and foreign delegations.[280] D.C. has 15 officialsister city agreements or protocols of friendship.[l]
Washington, D.C. is not a state and therefore has no federal voting representation inCongress. The city's residents elect anon-voting delegate to theHouse of Representatives (D.C. at-large), who may sit on committees, participate in debate, and introduce legislation, but cannot vote on theHouse floor. The district has no official representation in theUnited States Senate. Neither chamber seats the district's elected"shadow" representative or senators. Unlike residents ofU.S. territories such asPuerto Rico orGuam, which also have non-voting delegates, D.C. residents are subject to all federal taxes.[282] In the financial year 2012, D.C. residents and businesses paid $20.7 billion in federal taxes, more than the taxes collected from 19 states and the highestfederal taxes per capita.[283]
A 2005 poll found that 78% of Americans did not know residents of Washington, D.C., have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states.[284] Efforts to raise awareness about the issue have included campaigns bygrassroots organizations and featuring the city's unofficial motto, "End Taxation Without Representation", onD.C. vehicle license plates.[285] There is evidence of nationwide approval for D.C. voting rights; various polls indicate that 61 to 82% of Americans believe D.C. should have voting representation in Congress.[284][286]
Opponents of federal voting rights for Washington, D.C., propose that theFounding Fathers never intended for District residents to have a vote in Congress, since the Constitution makes clear that representation must come from the states. Those opposed to making the District of Columbia a state say such a move would destroy the notion of a separate national capital and that statehood would unfairly grant Senate representation to a single city.[287]
The District was granted presidential voting rights by the 23rd Amendment in 1961.[288] The23rd Amendment was ratified which granted the people of the Washington, D.C., the right to vote for the president. This was done by giving them the same number of Electoral College votes they would get if they were a state, but the number of votes must be no more than the least any state has; this works out to three Electoral College votes. The amendment reads, "A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State".[289] The 23rd Amendment could complicate statehood, because it would apply even if the federal district was shrunk, and undoing the amendment requires another amendment.[58] Congress must operate from a district it controls, but it can be no larger than ten miles on a side; the 2021 statehood bill got around this by proposing the federal district be shrunk to an area roughly the size of the National Mall.[58]
In 1978, theDistrict of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was passed, which would have granted D.C. Congressional representation, but it expired in 1986 without being ratified into law.[290] In 2021, a bill was introduced to Congress forretroceding the District to Maryland.[291] The idea was that by returning the area to Maryland, the residents would have normal representation as part of a state.[292]
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the sole public school district in the city,[293] operates the city's 123 public schools.[294] The number of students in DCPS steadily decreased for 39 years until 2009. In the 2010–11 school year, 46,191 students were enrolled in the public school system.[295] DCPS has one of the highest-cost, yet lowest-performing school systems in the country, in terms of both infrastructure and student achievement.[296] Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration made sweeping changes to the system by closing schools, replacing teachers, firing principals, and using private education firms to aid curriculum development.[297]
TheDistrict of Columbia Public Charter School Board monitors the 52 public charter schools in the city.[298] Due to the perceived problems with the traditional public school system, enrollment in publiccharter schools had by 2007 steadily increased.[299] As of 2010, D.C., charter schools had a total enrollment of about 32,000, a 9% increase from the prior year.[295] The district is also home to 92 private schools, which enrolled approximately 18,000 students in 2008.[300]
Washington, D.C., is a prominent center for national and international media.The Washington Post, founded in 1877, is the city's most-read local daily newspaper[citation needed] and one of the preeminent newspapers in the United States.[307] It had the sixth-highest readership of all news dailies in the country in 2011.[308] ThePost previously also published theSpanish-language newspaperEl Tiempo Latino, which it sold toEl Planeta Media in 2016.[309] The city is served by two local NPR affiliates,WAMU andWETA.[310]
The Washington Times is a general interest daily newspaper and popular amongconservatives.[311] Thealternative weeklyWashington City Paper, with a circulation of 47,000, is also based in the city and has a substantial readership in the Washington area.[312][313]The Atlantic magazine, which has covered politics, international affairs, and cultural issues since 1857, was previously headquartered at theWatergate complex but is now headquartered in a building atthe Wharf in Washington.[314] The headquarters ofVoice of America, the U.S. government's international news service, is near the Capitol in Southwest Washington, D.C.[315]
There are 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of streets, parkways, and avenues in the district.[320] Due to thefreeway revolts of the 1960s, much of the proposedinterstate highway system through the middle of Washington was never built.Interstate 95 (I-95), the nation's major east coast highway, therefore bends around the district to form the eastern portion of theCapital Beltway. A portion of the proposed highway funding was directed to the region's public transportation infrastructure instead.[321] The interstate highways that continue into Washington, includingI-66 andI-395, both terminate shortly after entering the city.[322]
According to a 2010 study, Washington-area commuters spent 70 hours a year in traffic delays, which tied with Chicago for having the nation's worst road congestion.[323] However, 37% of Washington-area commuters take public transportation to work, the second-highest rate in the country.[324] An additional 12% of D.C. commuters walked to work, 6% carpooled, and 3% traveled by bicycle in 2010.[325]
In May 2022, the city celebrated the expansion of itsbike lane network to 104 miles (167 km), a 60 percent increase from 2015. Of those miles, 24 miles (39 km) wereprotected bike lanes. It also boasted 62 miles (100 km) ofbike trails.[326] As of March 2023[update], the city has 108 miles (174 km) of bike lanes, with 30 miles (48 km) of them protected bike lanes.[327]
D.C. is part of the regionalCapital Bikeshare program. Started in 2010, it is one of the largestbicycle sharing systems in the country. As of February 2024[update], the program had 6,372 bicycles and 395 stations.[328] A precedingSmartBike DC pilot program had begun in 2008.[329]
Walkability
A 2021 study byWalk Score ranked Washington, D.C. the fifth-most walkable city in the country. According to the study, the most walkable neighborhoods areU Street,Dupont Circle, andMount Vernon Square.[330] In 2013, theWashington metropolitan area had the eighth lowest percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile (75.7 percent), with 8percent of area workers traveling via rail transit.[331]
Washington, D.C.'sstreetcars, which were a prominent form of transportation in the 19th and early 20th century, were dismantled in the 1960s. In 2016, however, the city brought back a streetcar line,DC Streetcar, which is a single line system in Northeast Washington, D.C., alongH Street andBenning Road, known as theH Street/Benning Road Line.[337]
Two main public bus systems operate in Washington, D.C.Metrobus, operated by theWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), is the primary public bus system in Washington, D.C. Serving more than 400,000 riders each weekday, it is one of the nation'slargest bus systems by annual ridership.[338] The city also operates its ownDC Circulator bus system, which connects commercial and touristic areas within central Washington.[339] The DC Circulator costs only $1 to ride and is composed of six distinct routes that cover central D.C. and suburbanRosslyn, Virginia. The DC Circulator is run via a public-private partnership between theDistrict of Columbia Department of Transportation, WMATA, and DC Surface Transit, Inc. (DCST). The bus system services each stop approximately every 10 minutes.[340]
There are also numerous commuter buses that residents of the wider Washington region take to commute into the city for work or other events, such as theLoudoun County Transit Commuter Bus and theMaryland Transit Administration Commuter Bus.[341] The city also has several bus lines used by tourists and others visiting the city, includingBig Bus Tours, Old Town Trolley Tours, and DC Trails. Many tourists also arrive via charter buses.[citation needed] Following renovations in 2011, Union Station became Washington's primaryintercity bus transit center.[342]
TheDistrict of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, also known as WASA or DC Water, is an independent authority of the Washington, D.C., government that provides drinking water and wastewater collection in the city. WASA purchases water from the historicWashington Aqueduct, which is operated by theArmy Corps of Engineers. The water, sourced from thePotomac River, is treated and stored in the city'sDalecarlia,Georgetown, andMcMillan reservoirs. The aqueduct provides drinking water for a total of 1.1 million people in the district and Virginia, including Arlington, Falls Church, and a portion of Fairfax County.[351]
Pepco is the city's electric utility and services 793,000 customers in the district and suburban Maryland.[352] An 1889 law prohibits overhead wires within much of the historic City of Washington. As a result, all power lines and telecommunication cables are located underground in downtown Washington, and traffic signals are placed at the edge of the street.[353] TheD.C. Public Service Commission approved a seven-year, $500 million plan in 2017 to bury more lines underground; construction started in 2019.[354][355]
Washington has historically endured high crime, particularly violent offences. The city was once described as the "murder capital" of the United States during the early 1990s.[357] The number of murders peaked in 1991 at 479, but then began to decline,[358] reaching a historic low of 88 in 2012, the lowest total since 1961.[359] In 2016, the district'sMetropolitan Police Department tallied 135 homicides, a 53% increase from 2012 but a 17% decrease from 2015.[360] Violent crime per-capita has steadily declined since 2012, aside from a spike in 2023 (when D.C. recorded 274 homicides, a 20-year high);[361] in 2024, violent crimes per-capita reached their lowest levels since 2010,[362][363] and as of August 2025 police statistics had so far recorded a 7% decrease in overall crime year-over-year, and a 26% decrease in violent crime.[364][365][366][367]
According to a 2018 report, 67,000 residents, or about 10% of the population, are ex-convicts.[368] An estimated 2,000–2,500 offenders return to the city from prison every year.[369]
Many D.C. residents began to press the city government for refusing to prosecute nearly 70% of arrested offenders in 2022. After months of criticism, the rate of unprosecuted cases dropped to 56% by October 2023—albeit still higher than nine of the past 10 years and almost twice what it was in 2013.[370] In February 2024, theCouncil of the District of Columbia passed a major bill meant to reduce crime in the city by introducing harsher penalties for arrested offenders.[371] Rising crime and gang activities contributed to some local businesses leaving the city.[372][373]
In addition to the Metropolitan Police Department, severalfederal law enforcement agencies have jurisdiction in the city, including theU.S. Park Police, founded in 1791.[376] Because theD.C. National Guard serves a federal district, the president of the United States—and not city officials—has power to deploy it. Under Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, the president also has the power to temporarily take over the police force in emergency situations for a maximum of 30 days; this period can be extended with congressional approval.[377][378][379] In August 2025,Donald Trump invoked Section 740 to declare a public safety emergency.[377][378][366][367]
^While both the city and federal district have operated as a single entity since1871, "Washington" historically referred specifically to the city, and "District of Columbia" referred specifically to the federal district.
^By 1790, the Southern states had largely repaid their overseas debts from the Revolutionary War. The Northern states had not and wanted the federal government to take over their outstanding liabilities. Southern Congressmen agreed to the plan in return for establishing the new national capital at their preferred site on the Potomac River.[22]: 124
^The Residence Act allowed the President to select a location within Maryland as far east as theAnacostia River. However, Washington shifted the federal territory's borders to the southeast and rotated them to includeAlexandria at the district's southern tip. In 1791, Congress amended the Residence Act to approve the new site, including territory ceded by Virginia.[22]: 89–92
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Washington, D.C. were kept at 24th and M StreetsNW from January 1872 to June 1945, and at Reagan National Airport since July 1945.[102]
^Apportionment totals are collected by combining Resident and Overseas population. (For D.C., this is 689545 residents and 1988 overseas population.)
^Until 1890, the Census Bureau counted the City of Washington,Georgetown, and unincorporated portions ofWashington County as three separate areas. The data provided in this article from before 1890 are calculated as if the District of Columbia were a single municipality as it is today. Population data for each city prior to 1890 are available.[133]
^Listed in the order each agreement was first established, D.C.'s sister cities areBangkok, Thailand;Dakar, Senegal;Beijing, China;Brussels, Belgium;Athens, Greece;Paris, France;Pretoria, South Africa;Seoul, South Korea;Accra, Ghana;Sunderland, United Kingdom;Rome, Italy;Ankara, Turkey;Brasília, Brazil;Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; andSan Salvador, El Salvador. Each of the listed cities is a national capital except for Sunderland, which includes the town ofWashington, the ancestral home of George Washington's family.[281]
^The collection includes: 25 million catalogued books, 15.5 million other print items, 4.2 million recordings, 74.5 million manuscripts, 5.6 million maps, and 8.2 million sheet music pieces.[305]
^CouncilmembersArchived March 20, 2023, at theWayback Machine, Washington, D.C. Accessed March 20, 2023. "Thirteen Members make up the Council: a representative elected from each of the eight wards; and five members, including the Chairman, elected at-large."
^Madison, James."The Federalist No. 43".The Independent Journal. Library of Congress. Archived fromthe original on September 14, 2013. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2011.
^Tikkanen, Amy; Campbell, Heather; Goldberg, Maren; Wallenfeldt, Jeff; Augustyn, Adam (May 4, 2023)."Washington, D.C."Encyclopedia Britannica.Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. RetrievedMay 5, 2023.
^abKathryn Schneider Smith, ed. (2010).Washington at Home: An Illustrated History of Neighborhoods in the Nation's Capital (2 ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1–11.ISBN978-0-8018-9353-7.
^"Twenty-third Amendment".CRS Annotated Constitution. Legal Information Institute (Cornell University Law School).Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. RetrievedAugust 28, 2012.
^Schwartzman, Paul; Robert E. Pierre (April 6, 2008)."From Ruins To Rebirth".The Washington Post.Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. RetrievedJune 6, 2008.
^abWatson, Barbara McNaught (November 17, 1999)."Washington Area Winters". National Weather Service. Archived fromthe original on December 31, 2010. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2010.
^Coleman, Christopher Bush (1920).Indiana Magazine of History. Indiana Historical Society. p. 109.Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. RetrievedDecember 13, 2020.
^"Age and Sex Composition: 2010"(PDF). United States Census Bureau. May 2011. p. 7.Archived(PDF) from the original on January 16, 2021. RetrievedAugust 17, 2011.
^Vargas, Jose Antonio; Darryl Fears (March 15, 2009)."HIV/AIDS Rate in D.C. Hits 3%".The Washington Post. pp. A01.Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. RetrievedMarch 21, 2009.
^"Unemployment Rates for States". United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. November 2022.Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2023.
^"Who We Are". United States Marine Band. Archived fromthe original on October 19, 2012. RetrievedJuly 23, 2011.
^Davison, Marjorie Risk (1969). "Excerpts from the History of Music in the District of Columbia".Records of the Columbia Historical Society.66–68: 183.JSTOR40067254.
^"History". United States Navy Band. Archived fromthe original on July 16, 2011. RetrievedJuly 23, 2011.
^Haynes, V. Dion; Theola Labbe (April 25, 2007)."A Boom for D.C. Charter Schools".The Washington Post. pp. A01.Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. RetrievedJuly 25, 2008.
^Edmonds, Rick; Emily Guskin; Tom Rosenstiel; Amy Mitchell."Newspapers: By the Numbers".The State of the News Media 2012. Pew Research Center. Archived fromthe original on September 7, 2012. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2012.
^"About VOA". Voice of America.Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. RetrievedDecember 2, 2012.
^"District of Columbia, 2010–2011".Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. RetrievedAugust 17, 2011.
^"Public Road Length".Highway Statistics 2006. Federal Highway Administration. Archived fromthe original on November 22, 2012. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2012.
BMI (February 1999).I-95/i-395 Hov Restriction Study(PDF). Virginia Department of Transportation. p. 70. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 25, 2017. RetrievedApril 22, 2017.
^"MWAA Air Traffic Statistics"(PDF),Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, December 1, 2018,archived(PDF) from the original on March 18, 2019, retrievedAugust 16, 2019
Core cities are metropolitan core cities of at least a million people. The other areas are urban areas of cities that have an urban area of 150,000+ or of a metropolitan area of at least 250,000+. Satellite cities are in italics.
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