Washington metropolitan area National Capital Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nicknames: | ||
 Interactive Map of Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WVMSA
| ||
| Country |  United States | |
| States |  District of Columbia Virginia Maryland West Virginia | |
| Principal municipalities | Washington, D.C. Arlington, VA Alexandria, VA Dale City, VA Centreville, VA Reston, VA Leesburg, VA Manassas, VA Fredericksburg, VA Tysons, VA Germantown, MD Silver Spring, MD Waldorf, MD Frederick, MD Gaithersburg, MD Rockville, MD Bethesda, MD Bowie, MD Charles Town, WV | |
| Area (2010) | ||
| • Urban | 1,407.0 sq mi (3,644.2 km2) | |
| • Metro | 5,565 sq mi (14,412 km2) | |
| Elevation | 0–2,349 ft (0–716 m) | |
| Population | ||
| 6,385,162 (6th) | ||
| • Density | 972/sq mi (375.4/km2) | |
| • Urban | 4,586,770 (8th) | |
| • CSA(2016) | 9,546,579 (4th) | |
| Urban pop as of 2016 | ||
| GDP | ||
| • MSA | $660.6 billion (2022) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
TheWashington metropolitan area, also referred to as theNational Capital Region,Greater Washington, or locally as theDMV (short forDistrict of Columbia,Maryland, andVirginia), is themetropolitan area comprisingWashington, D.C., the federal capital of theUnited States, and its surroundings. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland, Virginia and even West Virginia. The U.S. Government defines the area as the Washington–DC, VA–MD–WV metropolitan statistical area. It anchors the southern end of the densely populatedNortheast megalopolis and is part of theWashington–Baltimore combined statistical area, the country's third-largest. The area's estimated total population of 6,304,975[8] (as of 2023) makes it the country'sseventh-most populous metropolitan area.[9][10] It is one of the country's most educated and affluent metropolitan areas.[11]
The U.S.Office of Management and Budget defines the area as the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metropolitan statistical area, ametropolitan statistical area used for statistical purposes by theUnited States Census Bureau and other agencies. The region's three largest cities are the federal city of Washington, D.C., the county (andcensus-designated place) ofArlington, and theindependent city ofAlexandria. The Office of Management and Budget also includes the metropolitan statistical area as part of the largerBaltimore–Washington metropolitan area, which has a population of 9,546,579 as of the 2014 Census Estimate.[citation needed]
The Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia[12] portions of the metropolitan area are sometimes referred to as the National Capital Region, particularly by federal agencies such as the military,[13]Department of Homeland Security,[14] and some local government agencies. The National Capital Region portion of the Washington metropolitan area is also colloquially known by the abbreviation "DMV", which stands for the "District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia."[15]Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway, is at the center of the region. This is the source of the termInside the Beltway, referring to Federal government insiders and related interests. Washington, D.C. is colloquially referred to as simply "the District" due to its status as a federal district. The Virginian portion of the region is known asNorthern Virginia. The Maryland portion of the region is sometimes called the Maryland-National Capital Region by local authorities but rarely by the general public.[16][17]
Composition
The U.S. Census Bureau divides the Washington metropolitan statistical area into three (formerly two) metropolitan divisions:[18]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,464,089 | — | |
| 1960 | 2,001,897 | 36.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,861,123 | 42.9% | |
| 1980 | 3,060,922 | 7.0% | |
| 1990 | 3,923,574 | 28.2% | |
| 2000 | 4,923,153 | 25.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,636,232 | 14.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,385,162 | 13.3% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 6,373,756 | −0.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| County | 2020 Census | 2010 Census | Change | Area | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County, Virginia | 1,150,309 | 1,081,726 | +6.34% | 391 sq mi (1,010 km2) | 2,942/sq mi (1,136/km2) |
| Montgomery County, Maryland | 1,062,061 | 971,777 | +9.29% | 491 sq mi (1,270 km2) | 2,163/sq mi (835/km2) |
| Prince George's County, Maryland | 967,201 | 863,420 | +12.02% | 483 sq mi (1,250 km2) | 2,002/sq mi (773/km2) |
| Washington, District of Columbia | 689,545 | 601,723 | +14.60% | 61.05 sq mi (158.1 km2) | 11,295/sq mi (4,361/km2) |
| Prince William County, Virginia | 482,204 | 402,002 | +19.95% | 336 sq mi (870 km2) | 1,435/sq mi (554/km2) |
| Loudoun County, Virginia | 420,959 | 312,311 | +34.79% | 516 sq mi (1,340 km2) | 816/sq mi (315/km2) |
| Frederick County, Maryland | 271,717 | 233,385 | +16.42% | 660 sq mi (1,700 km2) | 412/sq mi (159/km2) |
| Arlington County, Virginia | 238,643 | 207,627 | +14.94% | 26 sq mi (67 km2) | 9,179/sq mi (3,544/km2) |
| Charles County, Maryland | 166,617 | 146,551 | +13.69% | 458 sq mi (1,190 km2) | 364/sq mi (140/km2) |
| City of Alexandria, Virginia | 159,467 | 139,966 | +13.93% | 14.93 sq mi (38.7 km2) | 10,681/sq mi (4,124/km2) |
| Stafford County, Virginia | 156,927 | 128,961 | +21.69% | 269 sq mi (700 km2) | 583/sq mi (225/km2) |
| Spotsylvania County, Virginia | 140,032 | 122,397 | +14.41% | 401 sq mi (1,040 km2) | 349/sq mi (135/km2) |
| Calvert County, Maryland | 92,783 | 88,737 | +4.56% | 213 sq mi (550 km2) | 436/sq mi (168/km2) |
| Fauquier County, Virginia | 72,972 | 65,203 | +11.92% | 647 sq mi (1,680 km2) | 113/sq mi (44/km2) |
| Jefferson County, West Virginia | 57,701 | 53,498 | +7.86% | 210 sq mi (540 km2) | 275/sq mi (106/km2) |
| Culpeper County, Virginia | 52,552 | 46,689 | +12.56% | 379 sq mi (980 km2) | 139/sq mi (54/km2) |
| City of Manassas, Virginia | 42,772 | 37,821 | +13.09% | 9.84 sq mi (25.5 km2) | 4,347/sq mi (1,678/km2) |
| Warren County, Virginia | 40,727 | 37,575 | +8.39% | 213 sq mi (550 km2) | 191/sq mi (74/km2) |
| City of Fredericksburg, Virginia | 27,982 | 24,286 | +15.22% | 10.45 sq mi (27.1 km2) | 2,678/sq mi (1,034/km2) |
| City of Fairfax, Virginia | 24,146 | 22,565 | +7.01% | 6.24 sq mi (16.2 km2) | 3,870/sq mi (1,494/km2) |
| City of Manassas Park, Virginia | 17,219 | 14,273 | +20.64% | 3.03 sq mi (7.8 km2) | 5,683/sq mi (2,194/km2) |
| Clarke County, Virginia | 14,783 | 14,034 | +5.34% | 176 sq mi (460 km2) | 84/sq mi (32/km2) |
| City of Falls Church, Virginia | 14,658 | 12,332 | +18.86% | 2.05 sq mi (5.3 km2) | 7,150/sq mi (2,761/km2) |
| Madison County, Virginia | 13,837 | 13,308 | +3.98% | 321 sq mi (830 km2) | 43/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Rappahannock County, Virginia | 7,348 | 7,373 | −0.34% | 266 sq mi (690 km2) | 28/sq mi (11/km2) |
| Total | 6,385,162 | 5,649,540 | +13.02% | 6,563.59 sq mi (16,999.6 km2) | 973/sq mi (376/km2) |
| State/district | Population (2020) | % of total | Area in sq mi | % of total | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | 689,545 | 11% | 61 | 1% | 11,295 |
| Maryland | 2,560,379 | 40% | 2,305 | 35% | 1,111 |
| Virginia | 3,077,537 | 48% | 3,987 | 61% | 772 |
| West Virginia | 57,701 | 1% | 210 | 3% | 275 |
Founded in 1957, theMetropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is a regional organization of 21 Washington-area local governments, as well as area members of theMaryland andVirginia state legislatures, theU.S. Senate, and theU.S. House of Representatives. MWCOG provides a forum for discussion and the development of regional responses to issues regarding the environment, transportation, public safety, homeland security, affordable housing, community planning, and economic development.[20]
TheNational Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a component of MWCOG, is the federally designatedmetropolitan planning organization for the metropolitan Washington area.[21]
Chartered in 1964, theConsortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area is a regional organization of 20 colleges and universities in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, theSmithsonian Institution, theU.S. Department of Defense (DoD), theOffice of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), theUnited States Institute of Peace, and theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts representing nearly 300,000+ students.[22][23][24][25][26] The consortium facilitates course cross registration between all member universities, and universalizes library access across some of its member universities through theWashington Research Library Consortium. It additionally offers joint procurement programs, joint academic initiatives, and campus public safety training.[27]
Formed in 1967 as an interstate compact betweenMaryland, Virginia, andthe District of Columbia, theWMATA is a tri-jurisdictional government agency with a board composed of representatives from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the United States Federal government that operates transit services in the Washington Metropolitan Area.
TheMetropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is a multi-jurisdictional independent airport authority, created with the consent of the United States Congress and the legislature of Virginia to oversee management, operations, and capital development ofRonald Reagan Washington National Airport andDulles International Airport.[28]
Founded in 1889, theGreater Washington Board of Trade is a network of regional businesses that work to advance the culture, economy, and resiliency of the Washington metropolitan area.[29]
TheCultural Alliance of Greater Washington (CAGW) works to increase appreciation, support, and resources for arts and culture in the Washington metropolitan area.
The metropolitan area is defined as including the following principal cities (not all of which are incorporated as cities; one, Arlington, is actually a county, while Bethesda, Reston, McLean, and North Bethesda are unincorporated census-designated places).[18]
The Washington metropolitan area is considered a Democratic stronghold. The last Republican to win it wasRichard Nixon in his 1972 landslide reelection. SinceBill Clinton was elected in 1992, Democratic candidates have easily won the area by double-digits.
| Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 68.4%2,176,825 | 28.4%901,886 | 3.2%101,645 |
| 2020 | 72.3%2,320,658 | 25.5%818,418 | 2.2%70,283 |
| 2016 | 69.0%1,860,678 | 25.7%692,743 | 5.4%145,269 |
| 2012 | 67.5%1,813,963 | 30.9%829,567 | 1.7%44,708 |
| 2008 | 68.0%1,603,902 | 31.0%728,916 | 1.0%25,288 |
| 2004 | 61.0%1,258,743 | 38.0%785,144 | 1.4%19,735 |
| 2000 | 58.5%1,023,089 | 37.9%663,590 | 3.6%62,437 |
| 1996 | 57.0%861,881 | 37.0%558,830 | 6.0%89,259 |
| 1992 | 53.0%859,889 | 34.1%553.369 | 12.9%209,651 |
| 1988 | 50.4%684,453 | 48.6%659,344 | 1.0%14,219 |
| 1984 | 51.0%653,568 | 48.5%621,377 | 0.4%5,656 |
| 1980 | 44.7%484,590 | 44.6%482,506 | 11.1%115,797 |
| 1976 | 54.2%590,481 | 44.9%488,995 | 1.0%10,654 |
| 1972 | 44.2%431,257 | 54.8%534,235 | 1.1%10,825 |
| 1968 | 49.4%414,345 | 39.1%327,662 | 11.5%96,701 |
| 1964 | 69.8%495,490 | 30.2%214,293 | 0.1%462 |
| 1960 | 52.5%204,614 | 47.3%184,499 | 0.1%593 |
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The area has been a magnet for internationalimmigration since the late 1960s. It is also a magnet for internal migration (persons moving from one region of the U.S. to another).[30][dubious –discuss]
Racial composition of the Washington metropolitan area.
| Hispanic origin | Asian origin |
|---|---|
| 5.2% Salvadoran | 2.9% Indian |
| 2.3% Mexican | 1.9% Chinese |
| 1.6% Guatemalan | 1.2% Korean |
| 1.2% Puerto Rican | 1.2% Vietnamese |
| 0.9% Honduran | 1.0% Filipino |
| 0.9% Peruvian | 0.5% Pakistani |
| 0.8% Bolivian | 0.2% Japanese |
| 0.5% Colombian | 0.2% Thai |
| 0.5% Dominican | 0.2% Bangladeshi |
| 5.6% Other | 1.0% Other |
Source: Census Reporter[32]
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The Washington metropolitan area has ranked as the highest-educated metropolitan area in the nation for four decades.[35] As of the 2006–2008American Community Survey, the three most educated places with 200,000 people or more in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria bybachelor's degree attainment (population 25 and over) areArlington, Virginia (68.0%),Fairfax County, Virginia (58.8%), andMontgomery County, Maryland (56.4%).[36]Forbes magazine stated in its 2008 "America's Best- And Worst-Educated Cities" report: "The D.C. area is less than half the size of L.A., but both cities have around 100,000 Ph.D.'s."[37]
The Washington metropolitan area has held the top spot in theAmerican College of Sports Medicine's annualAmerican Fitness Index ranking of the United States' 50 most populous metropolitan areas for two years running. The report cites, among other things, the high average fitness level and healthy eating habits of residents, the widespread availability of health care and facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and parks, low rates of obesity and tobacco use relative to the national average, and the high median household income as contributors to the city's community health.[38]
In the 21st century, the Washington metropolitan area has overtaken theSan Francisco Bay Area as the highest-income metropolitan area in the nation.[11] Themedian household income of the region is US$72,800. The twohighest median household income counties in the nation –Loudoun andFairfax County, Virginia – are components of the MSA (and No. 3 isHoward County, officially inBaltimore's sphere but strongly connected with Washington's); measured in this way,Alexandria ranks 10th among municipalities in the region – 11th if Howard is included – and 23rd in the entire United States. 12.2% of Northern Virginia's 881,136 households, 8.5% of suburban Maryland's 799,300 households, and 8.2% of Washington's 249,805 households have an annual income in excess of $200,000, compared to 3.7% nationally.[39]
According to a report by theAmerican Human Development Project, women in the Washington metropolitan area are ranked as having the highest income and educational attainment among the 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation, while Asian American women in the region had the highest life expectancy, at 92.3 years.[40]
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The Washington metropolitan area has the largest science and engineering work force of any metropolitan area in the nation in 2006 according to the Greater Washington Initiative at 324,530, ahead of the combinedSan Francisco Bay Area work force of 214,500, andChicago metropolitan area at 203,090, citing data from U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Claritas Inc., and other sources.[11]
The Washington metropolitan area was ranked as the second best High-Tech Center in a statistical analysis of the top 100 Metropolitan areas in the United States by American City Business Journals in May 2009, behind theSilicon Valley and ahead of theBoston metropolitan area.[43] Fueling the metropolitan area's ranking was the reported 241,264 tech jobs in the region, a total eclipsed only byNew York,Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the highest master's or doctoral degree attainment among the 100 ranked metropolitan areas.[43] ADice.com report showed that the Washington–Baltimore area had the second-highest number of tech jobs listed: 8,289, after the New York metro area with 9,195 jobs.[44] In 2020, the totalgross domestic product for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV(MSA) was $561,027,941,000.[45]
Changes inhouse prices for the Washington metropolitan area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using theCase–Shiller index; the statistic is published byStandard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-citycomposite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market.
McLeanZIP code 22102 had the highest median home prices among ZIP codes within the Washington metropolitan area as of 2013.[46]
The economy of the Washington metropolitan region is characterized by significantwealth disparities, which were heightened by theGreat Recession and the2007–09 housing crisis, which adversely affected black and Hispanic households more than other households.[47][48]
A 2016Urban Institute report found that the median net worth (i.e., assets minus debt) for white households in the D.C. region was $284,000, while the median net worth for Hispanic–Latino households was $13,000, and forAfrican American households as $3,500.[47][48]Asian Americans had the highest median net worth in the Washington area ($220,000 forChinese American households, $430,000 forVietnamese American households, $496,000 forKorean American households, and $573,000 forIndian American households).[47][48]
Although the median net worth for white D.C.-area households was 81 times that of black D.C.-area households, the two groups had comparable rates of business ownership (about 9%). The Urban Institute report suggests that this "may be driven by the presence of a large federal government and a local district government whose membership and constituents have been largely Black, coupled with government policies designed to increase contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses."[47][48]
The Washington metropolitan area has a significantbiotechnology industry; companies with a major presence in the region as of 2011 includeMerck,Pfizer,Human Genome Sciences,Martek Biosciences, andQiagen.[49] Additionally, many biotechnology companies such asUnited Therapeutics,Novavax,Emergent BioSolutions,Parabon NanoLabs andMedImmune have headquarters in the region. The area is also home to branch offices of manycontract research organizations. Firms with a presence in the area includeFortrea,IQVIA,Charles River Laboratories, andICON plc. The area's medical research is driven by government and non-profit health institutions, such as theHoward Hughes Medical Institute,J. Craig Venter Institute, and theNational Institutes of Health.
Local consumer goods companies includeNestle USA andMars, Incorporated.
Many defense contractors are based in the region to be close tothe Pentagon in Arlington. Local defense contractors includeLockheed Martin, the largest, as well asGeneral Dynamics,BAE Systems Inc.,Northrop Grumman,[50]Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC),Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC),CACI,ManTech International,DynCorp, andLeidos.
The Washington metropolitan area contains the headquarters of numerous companies in the hospitality and hotel industries. Major companies with headquarters in the region includeMarriott International,The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company,Hilton Worldwide,Park Hotels and Resorts,Choice Hotels,Host Hotels and Resorts, andHMSHost.
The media industry is a significant portion of metropolitan Washington's economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Washington DC region has the second largest concentration of journalists and media personnel in the United States after theNew York metropolitan area.[51] Washington's industry presence includes major publications with national audiences such asThe Washington Post,U.S. News & World Report, andUSA Today, as well as new media publishers such asVox Media,RealClearPolitics,Axios, andPolitico. A secondary portion of this market is made up of periodicals such asNational Affairs, those byThe Slate Group,Foreign Policy,National Geographic,The American Prospect, and those byAtlantic Media, includingThe Atlantic. There are also many smaller regional publications present, such asThe Washington Diplomat,The Hill,Hill Rag,Roll Call,Washington City Paper and theWashington Examiner.
Anchored by theDulles Technology Corridor, the telecommunications and tech industry in DC spans a diverse range of players across internet infrastructure, broadcasting, satellite communications, and datacenters. Firms headquartered in the area includeCogent Communications,GTT Communications,Hughes Network Systems,iCore Networks,Iridium Communications,Intelsat,Ligado Networks,NII Holdings,Oceus Networks,OneWeb,Tegna Inc.,Transaction Network Services,Verisign,WorldCell, andXO Communications.
Tourism is a significant industry in the Washington metropolitan region. In 2015, more than 74,000 tourism-sector jobs existed in the District of Columbia, a record-setting 19.3 million domestic tourists visited the city, and domestic and international tourists combined spent $7.1 billion.[52][53] The convention industry is also significant; in 2016, D.C. hosted fifteen "city-wide conventions" with an estimated total economic impact of $277.9 million.[52]
Tourism is also significant outside the District of Columbia; in 2015, a record-setting $3.06 billion in tourism spending was reported inArlington, Virginia, and $2.9 billion inFairfax County, Virginia.[54] A 2016National Park Service report estimated that there were 56 million visitors to national parks in the National Capital Region, sustaining 16,917 and generating close to $1.6 billion in economy impact.[55]
Most of the following companies are located alongInterstate 66 andDulles Toll Road from Washington, D.C. toDulles International Airport.Amazon is dual-headquartered inSeattle andsecondarily in Arlington.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(January 2013) |
The2005 Base Realignment and Closure resulted in a significant shuffling of military, civilian, and defense contractor employees in the Washington metropolitan area. The largest individual site impacts of the time are as follows:[58]
BRAC 2005 was the largest infrastructure expansion by theArmy Corps of Engineers sinceWorld War II, resulting in theMark Center, tallest building they have ever constructed, as well asNational Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus East, which at 2.4 million square feet is the largest building the Corps have constructed since thePentagon.[59]
"WMATA"-indicated systems are run byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and always accept Washington Metro fare cards; others may or may not.
Listing of the professional sports teams in the Washington metropolitan area:
| Club | Sport | League | Founded | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | Hockey | NHL | 1974 | Capital One Arena |
| Washington Nationals | Baseball | MLB | 2005[a] | Nationals Park |
| Washington Wizards | Basketball | NBA | 1973[a] | Capital One Arena |
| Washington Commanders | Football | NFL | 1932[a] | Northwest Stadium |
| D.C. United | Soccer | MLS | 1996 | Audi Field |
| Washington Mystics | Basketball | WNBA | 1998 | CareFirst Arena |
| DC Defenders | Football | XFL | 2018 | Audi Field |
| Washington Spirit | Soccer | NWSL | 2011[b] | Audi Field |
| Capital City Go-Go | Basketball | NBA G League | 2018 | CareFirst Arena |
| Old Glory DC | Rugby | MLR | 2018 | Segra Field |
| Loudoun United FC | Soccer | USL Championship | 2018 | Segra Field |
| DC Hawks | Cricket | MiLC | 2020 | Veterans Memorial Park, Woodbridge, VA |
| Fredericksburg Nationals | Baseball | MiLB | 2020 | Virginia Credit Union Stadium |
| Chesapeake Baysox | Baseball | MiLB | 1993 | Prince George's Stadium |
| Southern Maryland Blue Crabs | Baseball | ALPB | 2006 | Regency Furniture Stadium |
| Washington Justice | esports | Overwatch League | 2019 | CareFirst Arena |
The Washington metropolitan area is home toDCTV,USA Today,C-SPAN,PBS,NPR,Politico,BET,TV One andDiscovery Communications. The two main newspapers areThe Washington Post andThe Washington Times. Local television channels includeWRC-TV 4 (NBC),WTTG 5 (FOX),WJLA 7 (ABC),WUSA 9 (CBS),WDCA 20 (MyNetworkTV),WETA-TV 26 (PBS),WDCW 50 (CW), andWPXW 66 (Ion).WJLA 24/7 News is a local news provider available only to cable subscribers. Radio stations serving the area include:WETA-FM,WIHT,WSBN, andWTOP.
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38°53′24″N77°02′48″W / 38.89000°N 77.04667°W /38.89000; -77.04667
