Washington DC

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Capital city, federal district

• Borders

  Maryland, Virginia

• Designer

  Pierre Charles L'Enfant

• Location

  Potomac River, United States

• Land Area

  61.05 square miles (158.1 km2)

• Total Area

  68.34 square miles (177 km2)

• Water Area

  7.29 square miles (18.9 km2)

• Named After

  George Washington, Columbia (nation's female personification)

• Common Names

  Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.

• Economic Role

  Major lobbying hub (K Street)

• Official Name

  District of Columbia

• Tourism (2022)

  20.7 million domestic visitors, 1.2 million international visitors

• Daytime Population

  Over 1 million (due to commuters)

• Internal Divisions

  Divided into quadrants, 131 neighborhoods

• Major Institutions

  White House, U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court Building, federal departments and agencies, national monuments and museums (National Mall), 177 foreign embassies

• Government Structure

  Locally elected mayor and 13-member council with Congressional oversight

• Presidential Electors

  Elects three presidential electors

• Population (2020 Census)

  689,545

• Congressional Representation

  Non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives

• Metropolitan Area Population (2023)

  6.3 million

• International Organizations Headquarters

  World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States

Timeline

• The U.S. Constitution called for the creation of a federal district under exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. (Source: wikipedia)

  1789

• The Residence Act was adopted, approving the creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. (Source: wikipedia)

  1790-07-16

• The city of Washington was founded and designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. (Source: wikipedia)

  1791

• The seat of the federal government moved to the new city from Philadelphia, and the 6th Congress held its first session in the unfinished Capitol Building. (Source: wikipedia)

  1800

• The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 officially recognized the District of Columbia as the federal district and placed it under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. (Source: wikipedia)

  1801-02-27

• The City of Washington was granted a municipal government. (Source: web_search_results)

  1802-05-03

• Congress reduced the size of the district by returning the land originally ceded by Virginia, including the city of Alexandria. (Source: wikipedia)

  1846

• Outbreak of the American Civil War led to significant population growth due to federal government expansion. (Source: web_search_results)

  1861

• A single municipality was created for the district. (Source: wikipedia)

  1871

• First of several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state began. (Source: wikipedia)

  1880

• Washington formally absorbed Georgetown, which had maintained a nominal separate identity. (Source: web_search_results)

  1895

• The Twenty-third Amendment was passed, allowing the city's voters to choose three presidential electors. (Source: wikipedia)

  1961

• Washingtonians were first allowed to vote in Presidential elections. (Source: web_search_results)

  1964

• A locally elected mayor and 13-member council began governing the district. (Source: wikipedia)

  1973

• Donald Trump invoked the DC Home Rule Act of 1973 to deploy the National Guard and take federal control of the police. (Source: d21d43bf-4b55-4adb-9584-8c298d6baf45)

  1973

• The city's population was 689,545 according to the census. (Source: wikipedia)

  2020

• A statehood bill passed the House of Representatives but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate. (Source: wikipedia)

  2021

• The city drew an estimated 20.7 million domestic and 1.2 million international visitors. (Source: wikipedia)

  2022

• The Washington metropolitan area had a population of 6.3 million residents. (Source: wikipedia)

  2023

Washington, D.C.

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, 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. The city was founded in 1791, and the 6th Congress held the first session in the unfinished Capitol Building in 1800 after the capital moved from Philadelphia. In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria, was officially recognized as 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 originally ceded by Virginia, including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it created a single municipality for the district. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into 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. Designed in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the city is divided into quadrants, which are centered on the Capitol Building and include 131 neighborhoods. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 689,545. Commuters from the city's Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city's daytime population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area, which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, is the country's seventh-largest metropolitan area, with a 2023 population of 6.3 million residents. A locally elected mayor and 13-member council have governed the district since 1973, though Congress retains the power to overturn local laws. Washington, D.C., residents do not have voting representation in Congress, but elect a single non-voting congressional delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The city's voters choose three presidential electors in accordance with the Twenty-third Amendment, passed in 1961. 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 drew an estimated 20.7 million domestic and 1.2 million international visitors, seventh-most among U.S. cities.

Web Search Results

• Washington, D.C.

  Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as 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, the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia "Columbia (personification)"), the female personification of the nation. [...] Wikimedia Commons Wikibooks Wikinews Wikiquote Wikivoyage Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide Coordinates: 38°54′17″N 77°00′59″W / 38.90472°N 77.01639°W / 38.90472; -77.01639 (District of Columbia) Image 4: Page semi-protected From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Capital city of the United States [...] Washington, D.C., is located in the Mid-Atlantic region "Mid-Atlantic (United States)") of the U.S. East Coast. The city has a total area of 68.34 square miles (177 km 2), of which 61.05 square miles (158.1 km 2) is land and 7.29 square miles (18.9 km 2) (10.67%) is water.( The district is bordered by Montgomery County, Maryland, to the northwest; Prince George's County, Maryland, to the east; Arlington County, Virginia, to the west; and Alexandria, Virginia, to the south.

• The History of Washington, DC

  Founded on July 16, 1790, Washington, DC is unique among American cities because it was established by the Constitution of the United States to serve as the nation’s capital. You can read the actual line at the National Archives. From its beginning, it has been embroiled in political maneuvering, sectional conflicts and issues of race, national identity, compromise and, of course, power. [...] After more than 200 years as the nation’s capital, Washington has developed as a complex and layered city, with a distinctive character: both a town for locals, an international center of power and an amazing place to visit. Today, you can have the best of both worlds by delving into the nation’s past with a visit on the National Mall and museums or adventuring into very modern, exciting neighborhoods. Related Topics ##### You may also like... Things to Do July 2025 in Washington, DC [...] Though a capital city, it is ironic that residents of Washington lack full self-governance. Representation in Congress is limited to a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives and a shadow senator. In 1964, Washingtonians were first allowed to vote in Presidential elections; the city was allowed to elect its own mayor only in 1973.

• History of Washington, D.C. - Wikipedia

  in 1893. An additional law passed in 1895 mandated that Washington formally absorb Georgetown, which until then had maintained a nominal separate identity, and renamed its streets. With a consolidated government and the transformation of suburban areas within the District into urban neighborhoods, the entire city eventually took on the name Washington, D.C. [...] Washington remained a small city of a few thousand residents, virtually deserted during the summertime, until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. President Abraham Lincoln created the Army of the Potomac to defend the federal capital, and thousands of soldiers came to the area. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war—and its legacies, such as veterans' pensions—led to notable growth in the city's population – from 75,000 in 1860 to 132,000 in 1870. [...] In 1800, the seat of the federal government was moved to the new city, and on February 27, 1801, the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 placed the District under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. The act also organized the unincorporated territory within the District into two counties: the County of Washington on the northeast bank of the Potomac and the County of Alexandria on the southwest bank. On May 3, 1802, the City of Washington was granted a municipal government consisting of

• [Street map of central Washington D.C. showing parklands ...

  Washington DC Scale not given. Folded title: Welcome to Washington. Covers Washington central business district. Includes text, tourist information, and col. ill. Text, tourist information, map of Washington region, and col. ill. on verso.… Contributor: United States. National Park Service Date:1977-01-01 Image 10 Map [...] Washington, D.C., city of the Constitution "This map locates sites chosen to illustrate the Constitution and Bill of Rights." Shows selected historic sites and government buildings in the central business district and federal enclave. Panel title. Text and… Contributor: United States. National Park Service - Parks and History Association Date:1987-01-01 Image 7 Map Washington, the nation's capital [...] Washington DC Scale not given. Folded title: Welcome to Washington. "Reprint 1979." Covers Washington central business district. Selected buildings shown pictorially. Includes text, tourist information, and col. ill. Text, tourist information, map of Washington… Contributor: United States. National Park Service Date:1979-01-01 Image 9 Map

• Official Tourism Site of Washington DC | Washington DC

  All Things to Do Attractions Free Things to Do Monuments & Memorials Museums Arts & Culture Theater & Performing Arts Smithsonian Museums History & Heritage Tours & Sightseeing Waterfront & Activities Shopping Spas & Salons Entertainment & Nightlife Sports & Outdoor Recreation [...] All Things to Do Attractions Free Things to Do Monuments & Memorials Museums Arts & Culture Theater & Performing Arts Smithsonian Museums History & Heritage Tours & Sightseeing Waterfront & Activities Shopping Spas & Salons Entertainment & Nightlife Sports & Outdoor Recreation [...] Image 170: Home Footer Menu Top --------------- Free Visitors Guide Member Login The District Blog Footer Menu Middle ------------------ 901 7th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001-3719 202-789-7000 Fax: 202-533-0103 Footer menu ----------- Privacy Policy Cookie Settings About Careers Sitemap Contact Research © 2025 Washington.org. All Rights Reserved