 Pennsylvania Avenue with theU.S. Capitol in the background in June 2022 | ||||
 Interactive map of Pennsylvania Avenue | ||||
| Maintained by | DDOT andMDSHA | |||
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| Width | 160 feet | |||
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| Location | Washington, D.C. andPrince George's County, Maryland in the United States | |||
| West end | M Street NW / 29th Street NW in Washington, DC | |||
| Major junctions |
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| East end |  MD 717 in Upper Marlboro, MD | |||
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Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street inWashington, D.C., that connects theUnited States Capitol with theWhite House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C., toGeorgetown. Traveling throughsoutheast Washington from the Capitol, it entersPrince George's County, Maryland, and becomesMD Route 4 (MD 4) and thenMD 717 inUpper Marlboro, and finally Stephanie Roper Highway.
The section of the avenue between the White House, which is sometimes referred to by its address "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue", and the Capitol forms the basis for thePennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site and is sometimes referred to as "America's Main Street";[1] it is the location of official parades and processions, and periodic protest marches. Pennsylvania Avenue is an important commuter road and is part of theNational Highway System.[2][3]
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The avenue runs for 5.8 miles (9.3 km) inWashington, D.C., but the 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of Pennsylvania Avenue from theWhite House to theUnited States Capitol building is far and away the most famed section of the avenue. It continues within the city for 3.5 miles (5.6 km), from the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds through theCapitol Hill neighborhood, and over theAnacostia River on theJohn Philip Sousa Bridge. Crossing most ofPrince George's County, Maryland, it ends 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from the Washington, D.C., border inMaryland at the junction with MD 717 inUpper Marlboro, where the name changes to Stephanie Roper Highway, for a total length of 15.3 miles (24.6 km). Stephanie Roper Highway used to be Pennsylvania Avenue, but was renamed in 2012. In addition to itsstreet names, in Maryland it is designated asMaryland Route 4.
Northwest of the White House, Pennsylvania Avenue runs for 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to its end atM Street N.W. inGeorgetown, just beyond thePennsylvania Avenue Bridge overRock Creek. From 1862 to 1962,streetcars ran the length of the avenue fromGeorgetown to theAnacostia River.
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Although Pennsylvania Avenue extends six miles (10 km) inWashington, D.C., the expanse between theWhite House and theUnited States Capitol constitutes the ceremonial heart of the nation. It was designed byPierre Charles L'Enfant, and was one of the earliest streets constructed in the city. The width of the avenue was set at 160 feet, identical to the narrowest points of theChamps Elysees in Paris that L'Enfant is likely to have examined. The first documented reference to the street as Pennsylvania Avenue was in a 1791 letter fromThomas Jefferson. One theory behind the avenue's name is that it was named forPennsylvania as consolation for moving the capital fromPhiladelphia in 1800 and in recognition of Pennsylvania's historical significance in the nation's founding.[4] Both Jefferson and Washington considered Pennsylvania Avenue an important feature of the new capital. The stretch outside theWhite House was established in 1804 when President Jefferson ordered the road to be cut through President's Park. For decades, Pennsylvania Avenue was a wide dirt road ridiculed by Jefferson as "The GreatSerbonian Bog", he planted it with rows of fast-growingPopulus nigra.[citation needed]
In 1832, in an effort to tame dust and dirt on Pennsylvania Avenue, it was paved using themacadam method. But over the years, other pavement methods were trialed on the avenue:cobblestones in 1849 followed byBelgian blocks and then, in 1871, wooden blocks.
Pennsylvania Avenue once provided an unobstructed view between the White House and the Capitol. The construction of an expansion to theTreasury Building blocked this view, and supposedly PresidentAndrew Jackson did this on purpose. Relations between the president and Congress were strained, and Jackson did not want to see the Capitol out his window,[5] though in reality the Treasury Building was simply built on what was cheap government land.
In 1876, as part of an initiative begun by PresidentUlysses S. Grant to see the city's streets improved, Pennsylvania Avenue was paved withasphalt byCivil War veteranWilliam W. Averell[6] usingTrinidad and Guanoco lakes asphalt.[7]
 District of Columbia Route 4 | |
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| Location | Washington, District of Columbia[where?] |
In 1959, Pennsylvania Avenue was extended from the Washington, D.C., border withMaryland to Dower House Road inUpper Marlboro, Maryland.[8]
On September 30, 1965, portions of the avenue and surrounding area were designated thePennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. TheNational Park Service administers this area which includes theUnited States Navy Memorial,Old Post Office Tower, andPershing Park.[4] After theGreat Depression in the 1930s and the move of affluent families tosuburbs in the 1950s, Pennsylvania Avenue became increasingly blighted.John F. Kennedy andLyndon B. Johnson tried to redevelop the street as part of theNew Frontier andGreat Society reforms, but the avenue further declined after the1968 Washington, D.C., riots in the aftermath of theassassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[9]
In 1972,Congress created the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) to rehabilitate the street between the Capitol and the White House, an area seen as blighted. The new organization was given the mandate of developing Pennsylvania Avenue "in a manner suitable to its ceremonial, physical, and historic relationship to the legislative and executive branches of thefederal government".[4]
In the 1980s, renovations were made to theWillard Hotel, theOld Post Office, andWashington Union Station, each located on or adjacent to Pennsylvania Avenue.[9]
In 2010, the District of Columbia designated Pennsylvania Avenue from the southwestern terminus ofJohn Philip Sousa Bridge to the Maryland state line to be a "D.C. Great Street". The city spent $430 million to beautify the street and improve the roadway.[10]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, businesses along Pennsylvania Avenue faced significant challenges and closures. With reduced tourism, remote work trends keeping office buildings quieter, and a historical lack of the avenue itself being a primary destination, many establishments struggled to sustain operations. The combination of decreased foot traffic and shifting consumer behavior further strained local businesses, leading to closures as they struggled to adapt to the new economic realities.
In 2022, theNational Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) launched the Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative to revitalize the iconic thoroughfare by transforming it into a dynamic public space and transportation corridor. Accelerated by the changes brought about by remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative aims to re-imagine Pennsylvania Avenue from its current eight-lane design predominantly catering to cars to a more inclusive and equitable space. This vision includes accommodating a variety of activities and users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, buses, emergency vehicles, and delivery trucks, alongside hosting events and fostering community engagement.
To achieve this transformation, the initiative involves collaborative efforts between NCPC and consulting teams like HR&A Advisors. They are tasked with updating traffic studies to explore reallocating roadway space for new sidewalks, bike lanes, transit-only lanes, mid-block crossings, and other streetscape elements. Additionally, the initiative prioritizes refining early design concepts into preferred alternatives based on economic feasibility, stakeholder input, and environmental considerations. Ultimately, the goal is to elevate Pennsylvania Avenue's status as a premier public space in Washington, DC, comparable to other renowned urban boulevards around the world.
In 2024, NCPC is expected to announce a second consultant team to help develop the New Pennsylvania Avenue Plan that will address design and infrastructure improvements along the corridor and adjoining public spaces.
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Ever since an impromptu procession formed aroundJefferson's second inauguration, everyU.S. president exceptRonald Reagan andDonald Trump during their respective second inaugurations, (1985 and2025) have paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue after taking theoath of office. Reagan and Trump both paraded up the avenue for their respective first inaugurations (January 1981 andJanuary 2017) but not following their respective second inaugurations (1985 because freezing temperatures and high winds made it dangerous and 2025 because of polar vortex, extreme cold, and high winds).[11][12]
FromWilliam Henry Harrison toJimmy Carter, the funeral corteges of seven of the eight presidents who died in office and three former presidents followed this route.Franklin Roosevelt was the only president who died in office whose cortege did not follow this route.
Abraham Lincoln'sfuneral cortege solemnly proceeded along Pennsylvania Avenue in 1865; only weeks later, the end of theAmerican Civil War was celebrated with theGrand Review of the Armies when theArmy of the Potomac paraded more joyously along the avenue. The funeral processions ofLyndon B. Johnson, Ford, and Carter proceeded down Pennsylvania Avenue. For Lyndon Johnson, the cortege was along Pennsylvania Avenue fromU.S. Capitol toNational City Christian Church, where he often worshiped and where his funeral was held.Ford's funeral went up Pennsylvania Avenue, pausing at theWhite House en route toWashington National Cathedral, where his funeral was held.Carter's funeral procession went down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, with a casket transfer stop theUnited States Navy Memorial.
In addition to serving as a location for official functions, Pennsylvania Avenue is a traditional parade and protest route of ordinary citizens. During thedepression of the 1890s,Jacob Coxey marched 500 supporters down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol to demand federal aid for the unemployed. Similarly, on the eve ofWoodrow Wilson's1913 inauguration,Alice Paul masterminded a parade, theWoman Suffrage Procession, highlighting thewomen's suffrage movement. In July 1932, a contingent of theBonus Expeditionary Force carried flags up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where they formed picket lines.
Pennsylvania Avenue also has served as a background for more lighthearted celebrations, including a series ofShriner's parades in the 1920s and 1930s.Thomas andConcepcion Picciotto are the founders of theWhite House Peace Vigil, the longest-runninganti-nuclear peacevigil in the nation atLafayette Square on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue.[13][14]
After theOklahoma City bombing in April 1995, theSecret Service closed the portion of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of theWhite House permanently to all vehicular traffic. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic, however, was still permitted on the sidewalk. After theSeptember 11 attacks, all traffic in front of the White House was prohibited. Pedestrian traffic resumed in 2004. Vehicular traffic near the White House is now redirected toH Street orConstitution Avenue, both of which eventually link back with Pennsylvania Avenue.
In 2002, theNational Capital Planning Commission invited several prominent landscape architects to submit proposals for the redesign of Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House, with the intention that the security measures would be woven into an overall plan for the precinct and a more welcoming public space might be created. The winning entry by a firm run byMichael Van Valkenburgh proposed a very simple approach to planting, paving, and the integration of required security steps. Construction was completed in 2004.[15]
From east to west:
TheNational Theatre andWarner Theatre use Pennsylvania Avenue mailing addresses, although the theaters are nearby on E Street and 13th Street respectively.
The followingMetrobus routes travel along the street (listed from west to east):
TheDC Circulator travels along the street:
The followingMTA Maryland Commuter Bus routes travel along the street:
The following routes ofTheBus serve Pennsylvania Ave. in Prince George's County:
The followingWashington Metro stations have entrances located near Pennsylvania Avenue:
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
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