Washington, D.C. - The Capital of United States

Population
689,545
Language
English
Continent
North America
Since
1800
Eco Ranking
35/195

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

About Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. was purpose-built as the federal capital of the United States, established by the Residence Act of 1790. The site, on land ceded by Maryland along the Potomac River, was selected by President George Washington, and the city's layout was designed by French-born engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The federal government relocated from Philadelphia to Washington in 1800. The city was burned by British forces during the War of 1812, damaging the Capitol and the White House. The District of Columbia occupies a constitutionally anomalous position. It is not a US state, meaning its residents lacked any Electoral College representation until the 23rd Amendment was ratified in 1961. Washington D.C. residents still have no voting representation in Congress, the city sends a non-voting delegate to the House and has no Senate representation, despite having a larger population than Wyoming or Vermont. Statehood for the District has been a recurring political issue. The city hosts the US Capitol (Congress), the White House (executive), the Supreme Court (judiciary), and the headquarters of every federal department. DC's local government has operated under home rule since 1973, but Congress retains the power to override DC legislation. The District's official motto, "Taxation Without Representation", appears on its vehicle licence plates.

About United States

The United States is a federal constitutional republic composed of 50 states, with powers divided between the federal government and the states. The federal government is structured around three branches: the legislative (Congress, comprising the Senate and House of Representatives), the executive (the president), and the judicial (Supreme Court). Washington D.C. serves as the seat of all three branches. The US operates a presidential system in which the president is both head of state and head of government, elected separately from Congress.

View Washington, D.C. on the map

View Washington, D.C. - The Capital of United States on the map

Flight time from Washington, D.C. to other capitals

CityDistance (km)Flight Time
London59006h 56m
Paris62007h 18m
Rome72008h 28m
Buenos Aires84009h 53m
Tokyo1090012h 49m
Abu Dhabi1130013h 18m
Cape Town1270014h 56m
Singapore1550018h 14m
Canberra1590018h 42m

Capitals with similar population to Washington, D.C.

CityPopulation
Oslo697,549
Washington, D.C.689,545
Chișinău685,889
Helsinki658,864
Copenhagen658,390
Djibouti623,891
Riga614,618

Capitals with similar eco ranking to Washington, D.C.

CityEco Rank
Minsk32
Bucharest34
Wellington34
Washington, D.C.35
Paramaribo36
Sofia37
Nassau38

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why was Washington D.C. built as a new city rather than using an existing one?

    The US Constitution required a federal district not belonging to any single state, to prevent any state from having undue influence over the national government. A compromise in Congress led to the site on the Potomac River being selected, with land ceded by Maryland. Philadelphia had served as the interim capital during the constitutional period.

  • Why does Washington D.C. have no voting representation in Congress?

    The US Constitution grants congressional representation to states, and Washington D.C. is a federal district, not a state. Despite having around 690,000 residents, more than Wyoming or Vermont, D.C. has only a non-voting delegate in the House and no Senate seats. The 23rd Amendment (1961) gave D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections.

  • When did the US government move to Washington D.C.?

    The federal government officially moved to Washington D.C. in November 1800, when President John Adams relocated from Philadelphia. Congress convened in the partially completed Capitol building for the first time that year.

  • What happened to Washington D.C. during the War of 1812?

    In August 1814, British forces captured and burned Washington D.C., setting fire to the Capitol building, the White House, and other federal structures. It remains the only time since independence that a foreign power has captured and occupied the US capital. President James Madison fled the city.

  • Is Washington D.C. the largest city in the United States?

    No. Washington D.C. has a population of around 690,000, making it a mid-sized city by American standards. New York City is the largest US city, with over 8 million residents. Washington's metropolitan area is significantly larger, but the District itself is constitutionally limited in size.

Sights and landmarks

The National Mall, a 3-kilometre green axis designed by L'Enfant, connects the U.S. Capitol via the Washington Monument (a 169-metre obelisk from 1884, long the world's tallest structure) with the Lincoln Memorial from 1922, where Martin Luther King gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech in 1963. The White House on Pennsylvania Avenue 1600, inhabited since 1800, still offers guided tours. The Smithsonian Institution manages 19 museums, all free to enter, including the Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (2016) and the National Gallery of Art. Other key sites: the Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin with its iconic cherry blossom in April, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with 58,000 names, and the Pentagon in Arlington, the world's largest office building.

Climate and best time to visit

Washington D.C. has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with July temperatures between 22 and 31 degrees Celsius and frequent thunderstorms; apparent temperatures can exceed 38 degrees due to high dew points. Winters are cold with January between -3 and 7 degrees; snowfall totals around 35 centimetres annually, though heavy snowstorms such as 'Snowzilla' of 2016 (61 centimetres) bring the city to a standstill. April and May offer the famous cherry blossom around the Tidal Basin, a gift from Tokyo in 1912; the National Cherry Blossom Festival attracts millions of visitors. September and October offer mild, dry days ideal for sightseeing.

Culture and customs

Washington has an exceptionally high level of education: more than 56 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree, the highest of any American city. The population is ethnically diverse, historically with an African American majority (the nickname 'Chocolate City' from the 1970s), now around 41 percent Black, 40 percent white and growing Latino and Asian communities. Go-go, a D.C.-native funk subgenre from the 1970s (Chuck Brown), was legally proclaimed the official city music in 2020. Half-smokes, a local sausage served at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, are a culinary institution. Mumbo sauce accompanies takeaway chicken. The city houses the Kennedy Center for the performing arts and Howard University, founded in 1867 as an HBCU.

Economy

Washington's economy is dominated by the federal government, which provides around 25 percent of employment in the metropolitan area, followed by professional services centred on consulting, legal services and defence contractors (Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics). The airports Dulles, Reagan National and BWI together serve more than 70 million passengers per year. The lobbying industry around K Street represents one of the world's largest concentrations of influence bureaus. International organisations including the World Bank, the IMF and the OAS are based in the city. The recent expansion of tech companies, with Amazon HQ2 in Crystal City (Arlington) since 2019, diversifies the economy. The metropolitan area ranks among the highest-income regions in the US.
Washington, D.C., capital of United States
Washington, D.C., capital of United States

Capitals quiz

Test how many of the 195 national capitals you can name, by continent or worldwide.

Start quiz
What is the capital of New Zealand?