📰 Washington, D.C. · page 2

Increased federal spending under the New Deal in the 1930s led to the construction of new government buildings, memorials, and museums in the district,[52] though the chairman of the House Subcommittee on District Appropriations, Ross A. Collins of Mississippi, justified cuts to funds for welfare and education for local residents by saying that "my constituents wouldn't stand for spending money on niggers."[53]78

World War II led to an expansion of federal employees in the city;[54] by 1950, the district's population reached its peak of 802,178 residents.[42]79

Civil rights and home rule era

See also: 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, District of Columbia home rule

The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1961, granting the district three votes in the Electoral College for the election of president and vice president, but still not affording the city's residents representation in Congress.[55]80

After the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, riots broke out in the city, primarily in the U Street, 14th Street, 7th Street, and H Street corridors, which were predominantly black residential and commercial areas.81 The riots raged for three days until more than 13,600 federal troops and Washington, D.C., Army National Guardsmen stopped the violence.82 Many stores and other buildings were burned, and rebuilding from the riots was not completed until the late 1990s.[56]83

In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act providing for an elected mayor and 13-member council for the district.[57]84 In 1975, Walter Washington became the district's first elected and first black mayor.[58]85

Statehood movement

Main article: District of Columbia statehood movement

Since the 1980s, the D.C. statehood movement has grown in prominence.86 In 2016, a referendum on D.C. statehood resulted in an 85% support among Washington, D.C., voters for it to become the nation's 51st state.87 In March 2017, the city's congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill for statehood.88 Reintroduced in 2019 and 2021 as the Washington, D.C., Admission Act, the U.S. House of Representatives passed it in April 2021.[59]89 After not progressing in the Senate, the statehood bill was introduced again in January 2023.[60]90 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.).[61]91 The legalities, reasons, and impact of statehood have been heavily debated in the 2020s.[62]92

2025 federal takeover

Main article: Executive Order 14333

See also: 2025 deployment of federal forces in the United States

On August 11, 2025, President Donald Trump switched control of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia from the city government of Washington, D.C., to the federal government, invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.93 Trump also deployed federal law enforcement agencies and the District of Columbia National Guard in response to what he said was "rampant crime" in the city.[63][64]94

Geography

Main article: Geography of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast.95 The city has a total area of 68.34 sqmi, of which 61.05 sqmi is land and 7.29 sqmi (10.67%) is water.[65]96 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.97

The south bank of the Potomac River forms the district's border with Virginia and has two major tributaries, the Anacostia River and Rock Creek.[66]98 Tiber Creek, a natural watercourse that once passed through the National Mall, was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s.[67]99 The creek also formed a portion of the now-filled Washington City Canal, which allowed passage through the city to the Anacostia River from 1815 until the 1850s.[68]100 The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts in Georgetown and was used during the 19th century to bypass the Little Falls of the Potomac River, located at the northwest edge of the city at the Atlantic Seaboard fall line.[69]101

The highest natural elevation in the district is 409 ft above sea level at Fort Reno Park in upper northwest Washington, D.C.[70] The lowest point is sea level at the Potomac River.[71]102 The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L streets NW.[72][73][74]103

Parks

There are many parks, gardens, squares, and circles throughout Washington.104 The city has 683 parks and greenspaces, comprising 7464 acre, about 20% of its land area.105 Consequently, 99% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.106 According to the nonprofit Trust 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.[75][76][77]107

The National Park Service manages most of the 9122 acre of city land owned by the U.S. government.[78]108 Rock Creek Park, located in Northwest D.C., is the largest park in the city, with 1754 acre of urban forest extending 9.3 mi through a stream valley that bisects the city.109 Established in 1890, it is the country's fourth-oldest national park and is home to a variety of plant and animal species, including raccoon, deer, owls, and coyotes.[79]110 Other National Park Service properties include the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Fort Dupont Park, Meridian Hill Park, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, and Anacostia Park.[80]111 The District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the city's 900 acres of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers.[81]112 The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates the 446 acre United States National Arboretum, a dense arboretum in Northeast D.C. filled with gardens and trails.113 Its most notable landmark is the National Capitol Columns monument.[82][83][84]114

There are several river islands in Washington, D.C., including Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River, which hosts the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial and a number of trails.[85]115 Columbia Island, also in the Potomac, is home to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove, the Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial, and a marina.116 Kingman Island, in the Anacostia River, is home to Langston Golf Course and a public park with trails.[86]117

West Potomac Park includes the parkland that extends south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, from the Lincoln Memorial to the grounds of the Washington Monument.[87]118 Located on the northern side of the White House, Lafayette Square is a historic public square.119 It has been the site of many protests, marches, and speeches.120 The houses bordering Lafayette Square have served as the home to many notable figures.[88]121 Other parks, gardens, and squares include Dumbarton Oaks, Meridian Hill Park, the Yards, Lincoln Park, Franklin Square, McPherson Square, and Farragut Square.[89]122 There are a large number of traffic circles and circle parks in Washington, D.C., including Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and Thomas Circle.[90]123

Climate

See also: Climate change in Washington, D.C.

Washington's climate is temperate humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), or oceanic (Trewartha: Do bordering Cf downtown)[91][92] Winters tend to be chilly, with some snow of varying intensity, while summers are hot and humid.124 The district is in plant hardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city.[93][94]125

Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.8 °F and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort.126 Heat indices regularly approach 100 °F at the height of summer.[95]127 The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.[96]128

Blizzards affect Washington once every four to six years on average.129 The most violent storms, known as nor'easters, often impact large regions of the East Coast.[97]130 From January 27 to 28, 1922, the city officially received 28 in of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885.[98]131 According to notes kept at the time, the city received between 30 and 36 in from a snowstorm in January 1772.[99]132

Hurricanes or their remnants occasionally impact the area in late summer and early fall.133 However, they usually are weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location.[100]134 Flooding of the Potomac River, however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in the Georgetown neighborhood of the city.[101]135 Precipitation occurs throughout the year.[102]136

The highest recorded temperature was 106 F on August 6, 1918, and on July 20, 1930.[103]137 More recently, Washington, D.C. recorded a high temperature of 105 F on July 7, 2012.[104]138 The lowest recorded temperature was −15 F on February 11, 1899, right before the Great Blizzard of 1899.[97]139 During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above 90 F and 64 nights at or below the freezing mark (32 F).[105]140 On average, the first day with a minimum at or below freezing is November 18 and the last day is March 27.[106][107]141

Cityscape

See also: Streets and highways of Washington, D.C., Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., was a planned city, and many of the city's street grids were developed in that initial plan.142 In 1791, President George Washington commissioned Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French-born military engineer and artist, to design the new capital.143 He enlisted the help of Isaac Roberdeau, Étienne Sulpice Hallet and Scottish surveyor Alexander Ralston to help lay out the city plan.[108]144 The L'Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping.[109]145

L'Enfant was also provided a roll of maps by Thomas Jefferson depicting Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Turin, and Milan.[110]146 L'Enfant's design also envisioned a garden-lined grand avenue about 1 mi long and 400 ft wide in an area that is now the National Mall inspired by the grounds at Versailles and Tuileries Gardens.[111]147 In March 1792, President Washington dismissed L'Enfant due to conflicts with the three commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction.148 Andrew Ellicott, who worked with L'Enfant in surveying the city, was then tasked with completing its design.149 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]150

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.151 Congress formed a special committee charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core.[49]152 What became known as the McMillan Plan was finalized in 1901 and included landscaping the Capitol grounds and National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new citywide park system.153 The plan is thought to have largely preserved L'Enfant's intended design for the city.[109]154

By law, the city's skyline is low and sprawling.155 The federal Height of Buildings Act of 1910 limits building height based on the width of the adjacent street, with maxima of 90 ft on residential streets and 130 ft on commercial ones.[112][113]156 Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the 555 ft Washington Monument,[74] which remains the district's tallest structure.157 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.[112]158

Washington, D.C., is divided into four quadrants of unequal area: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW).159 The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol.[114]160 All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location.161 House numbers generally correspond with the number of blocks away from the Capitol.162 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 are named after states.[114]163

The City of Washington was bordered on the north by Boundary Street (renamed Florida Avenue in 1890), Rock Creek to the west, and the Anacostia River to the east.[47][109]164 Washington, D.C.'s street grid was extended, where possible, throughout the district starting in 1888.[115]165 Georgetown's streets were renamed in 1895.[48]166 Some streets are particularly noteworthy, including Pennsylvania Avenue, which connects the White House to the Capitol; and K Street, which houses the offices of many lobbying groups.[116]167 Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, located on the north and south sides of National Mall, respectively, are home to many of Washington's iconic museums, including many Smithsonian Institution buildings and the National Archives Building.168 Washington hosts 177 foreign embassies; these maintain nearly 300 buildings and more than 1,600 residential properties, many of which are on a section of Massachusetts Avenue informally known as Embassy Row.[117]169

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Washington, D.C., List of tallest buildings in the Washington metropolitan area

The architecture of Washington, D.C., varies greatly and is generally popular among tourists and locals.170 In 2007, six of the top ten buildings in the American Institute of Architects' ranking of America's Favorite Architecture were in the city:[118] the White House, Washington National Cathedral, the Jefferson Memorial, the United States Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.171 The neoclassical, Georgian, Gothic, and Modern styles are reflected among these six structures and many other prominent edifices in the city.172