About Washington D.C.
The satellite view shows Washington D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington or D.C., is a territory under the control of the federal government and the national capital of the
United States.
The city is located in the central eastern part of the US on the Potomac River, bordering the U.S. state of
Virginia in the west and the U.S. state of
Maryland in the east. The city of Washington is coextensive with the District of Columbia (D.C.), a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the US Congress, and not part of any U.S. state.
The western front of the United States Capitol, the meeting place of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Federal government of the United States. The Neoclassical style building is located in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill.
Image: DXR
The city was founded on 16th July 1790, during the presidency of George Washington. The foundation of Washington (the town) is unique among American cities because the new Constitution of the fledgling United States gave the recently organized Congress of the United States authority to establish a federal territory. Originally a square of 10 miles per side, but Congress neglected the area south of the Potomac. So now the territory has the form of a square where one side length is defined by the irregular course of the Potomac River.
The territory was later named the District of Columbia, and the city of Washington was built within.
The future capital was planned by Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant (1754–1825), an artist, a military engineer, and a Freemason
[2] who was born in Paris 35 years before the French Revolution.
The states of Maryland and Virginia donated land to form the federal district. The capital city was named in honor of George Washington, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the 1st President of the nation.
Washington D.C. is the United States' center of political power; CNN even called it the world's most powerful city.
The District of Columbia has a population of now 700,000 citizens, nearly 6.3 million people live in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area (est. 2018). Predominantly spoken
language is English.
Washington D.C.'s economy is based to 25% on
lucrative federal jobs. One-quarter of the city's workforce is employed at a federal governmental agency. The second largest source of municipal revenue is tourism. 22.8 million visitors flooded the city in 2017 and spent $7.53 billion. The majority of the visitors were from -
China, followed by the
UK and
Germany.
[3]
Many organizations have their headquarters in or near Washington, D.C., with the intent to be close to the federal government; there are defense and civilian contractors, NGOs, lobbying firms, the World Bank, trade unions, and industry trade groups. Additionally, 178 countries maintain their embassies in Washington, D.C.
The city is home to the
George Washington University (
www.gwu.edu), a private research university, charted in 1821, and the
University of the District of Columbia (
www.udc.edu), the only public university in the U.S. capital. There are a number of other private universities and colleges in Washington, D.C.
Capital attractions:
Visiting Washington D.C. could be the adventure of your lifetime. Believe me. Many of Washington, DC's major attractions are open to the public and do not require tickets, including the Smithsonian museums, the Smithsonian National Zoo, the National Gallery of Art, and the monuments and memorials on the National Mall. To get around in D.C., you may take one of the hop-on, hop-off buses or trolley tours or use the metro.
The rotunda in the style of Rome's Pantheon is the presidential memorial of Thomas Jefferson, one of the most important of the American Founding Fathers, the main drafter and writer of the Declaration of Independence. The photo shows the Jefferson Memorial in West Potomac Park at dusk, seen across the Tidal Basin in Washington D.C.
Image: Joe Ravi
"Majestic memorials. Thriving arts and culture. Renowned culinary masters. Exciting sports teams. Monumental memories await."
From the Official Visitors Guide to Washington D.C. (download)
In this city, almost everything is "National," from the National Portrait Gallery to National Capitol Columns to the National Christmas Tree.
You will find a lot of "National" tourist spots in the capital, from the Arlington National Cemetery to the United States National Arboretum, to the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of the American Indian.
There is a National Gallery of Art, the National Archives Museum, the Reagan National Airport, and the National Press Club, the Washington National Cathedral, and the National Zoological Park. Furthermore, we have the National Building Museum and the National Harbor, the National Theatre, the National Museum of Women in the Arts and of course there is a National Car Rental. So, let's get started.
Power Points:
The White House (www.whitehouse.gov), the world-famous iconic home of the US president at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The building, a mix of Neoclassical and Palladian style, is the site where the sitting US president is taking a vacation from playing golf in Florida. There, in the famous Oval Office the president boondoggles a bit, plays with his Twitter machine, and at several occasions he makes a great show signing great executive orders; after that, he walks to a waiting helicopter (Marine One) to fly back to Florida for playing golf.
You can visit the oldest public building in Washington D.C., but be aware, all visitors requesting a White House tour must undergo a background check for security reasons.
United States Capitol (www.capitol.gov), the monumental American neoclassicism style Capitol is located at the eastern end of the National Mall on Capitol Hill. The building, a mix between a palace and a cathedral houses the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the bicameral legislative branch of the U.S. federal government, known as the United States Congress. The Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored. Construction started on 18th September 1793 and was completed in 1800. To visit the Capitol go to (www.visitthecapitol.gov). The security measures for visitors are similar to that of entering an airplane.
The Pentagon serves as the headquarters of the US Department of Defense (www.defense.gov), the world’s largest military organization, with a budget greater than the military spending of the next seven countries combined, including China and Russia. [4] The pentagonal building is located across the Potomac River opposite Washington DC. At its completion in January 1943, the Pentagon was the world’s largest office building. Part of the building was damaged in the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Visiting the Pentagon is possible, you should sign up for a tour weeks in advance and supply info for a background check. The two-hour tour is free but going through the security formalities to just get into the Pentagon can be an experience in itself.
The United States Department of Justice (www.justice.gov), according to the department: "DOJ's mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States."
There are no tours at the department, but sure you can visit it at the Two Constitution Square (TCS) building; a minimum advance notice of twenty-four hours for all visitors is required. At the department's website, you can "Report a Crime," "View Most Wanted Fugitives," "Locate a Prison, an Inmate, or Sex Offender," and "Find Sales of Seized Property."
Federal Bureau of Investigation (www.fbi.gov), the mission of the Bureau is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. So far so good. The FBI headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building is still in Washington D.C., until further notice. And yes, you can visit the FBI Experience tour at FBI Headquarters, which tells the story of the FBI's internal operations and history, as well as how its cooperation with local, state, federal, and international partners. The guided tour tells the story of the FBI's internal operations and history, and its cooperation with local, state, federal, and international partners. Visits to The FBI Experience must be scheduled in advance (info), and - all visitors to The FBI Experience must be U.S. citizens or valid green card holders.
Performing Arts:
Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, (
www.kennedy-center.org) commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center is a venue for the performing arts at Potomac River. It is the city's first-class stage for theater, dance, ballet, orchestral, chamber, jazz, popular, and folk music performances; it is the cultural counterpart to the sorry spectacle at the current White House.
National Theatre (
thenationaldc.org), Washington’s historic National Theatre is located opposite Freedom Plaza, on Pennsylvania Avenue – "America’s Main Street." The theater is a stage for Broadway musicals, concerts, lectures, opera, and ballet; a private, non-profit organization operates the venue.
Ford's Theatre (
www.fords.org) a historic theater opened August 1863. It was in this theater where stage actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in the head in the evening of the 14th April 1865. Booth was later killed at the end of a 12-day manhunt. The venue was renovated and re-opened as a theater in 1968.
Museums:
Walkway to West Building and Cascade Cafe in National Gallery of Art.
Image: Evelyn y
Smithsonian (
www.si.edu)
The Smithsonian Institution was established in the mid-19th-century "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge;" it was originally known as the "United States National Museum."
Today it is the world's largest museum and research institution, with 19 museums, nine research centers, and affiliates around the world.
There are eleven museums and galleries on the National Mall and six other museums and the National Zoo in the greater National Capital Area.
The
Smithsonian Institution Castle, the faux 12th-century style building, located near the National Mall, houses the administrative offices and information center of the Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (
naturalhistory.si.edu) is a huge (1.5 million sq. ft. or 140,000 m²) admission-free natural history museum located on the National Mall. It is among the most visited museums in the world. One of the first Smithsonian buildings opened in 1910. The museum was constructed exclusively to hold the national collections and research facilities.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington DC.
Image: roma g
National Museum of African Art (
africa.si.edu), is another Smithsonian facility, where you can explore the beauty, diversity, and contemporary relevance of Africa’s art.
National Museum of African American History and Culture (
nmaahc.si.edu) is a Smithsonian Institution museum. After decades of struggle to establish a stand-alone national museum of African-American culture, the actual museum opened in September 2016. The museum has generated an unprecedented level of local, national and global interest and attracted crowds from the very start.
Smithsonian American Art Museum SAAM & Renwick Gallery (
americanart.si.edu), has one of the largest and most inclusive collections of US American art in the world, from the colonial period to present contemporary art. The
Renwick Gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum which has its focus on American craft and decorative arts.
Hirshhorn National Museum of Modern Art and Sculpture Garden (
hirshhorn.si.edu), is the United States' museum of contemporary and modern art on the National Mall, art made during the last 50 years.
National Gallery of Art (
www.nga.gov) the national art museum showcases Western Art from the 12th-century to the present, with its primary focus on the work of the Old Masters: Dürer, Titian, Rubens, van Dyck, El Greco, Bernini, and Rembrandt are on display.
The Phillips Collection (
www.phillipscollection.com) is an art museum opened to the public in 1921, located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. Paintings of Rothko, Bonnard, O'Keeffe, Renoir, Courbet, El Greco, van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, and Picassos are on display.
Nothing is what it seems. Is it the motto of the city? At any rate it was an ad campaign/billboard display for the Spy Museum at WMATA Metro Center, NW, Washington DC.
Image: Elvert Barnes Photography
The
National Archives Museum (
museum.archives.gov) is the home of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
ArTecHouse (
www.dc.artechouse.com) is a kind of an art space dedicated to showcasing experiential and technology-driven works by artists who are forerunners of the new age in the arts and technology. "A digital playground that’s perfect for mature children and immature adults," says the Washington Post.
[5] Go and find out for yourself.
The
International Spy Museum (
www.spymuseum.org) Mata Hari meets James Bond, at this privately owned museum it's all about spying and espionage. The cultural spy center houses one of the most extensive collections of international espionage gadgets.
Newseum (
www.newseum.org)
The mission of the Newseum is to increase public understanding of the importance of a free press and the freedom of opinion and the freedom of speech as it is vested in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The interactive museum offers among other exhibits, a Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery, a Berlin Wall Gallery, and a 9/11 Gallery.
Churches:
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is commonly known as the Washington National Cathedral, the church is located at Wisconsin Avenue in Washington D.C.
Image: Noclip
Washington National Cathedral (
cathedral.org), the Neo-Gothic Saint Peter and Saint Paul sanctuary is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church ("Protestant, yet Catholic"); it is the second-largest church building in the US. State funerals for four American Presidents have been held at the cathedral; the first one was for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1969, the last one for George H. W. Bush in 2018.
Shopping:
14th Street between Florida Avenue and Thomas Circle, there are scene's restaurants, bars, and shops.
Georgetown, where M Street meets Wisconsin Avenue, is a historic neighborhood area, formerly a major port and commercial center with Federal-style architecture, and cobblestone streets. Now there are fashion and design shops, college bars, taverns, and live music lounges.
Eastern Market DC (
easternmarket-dc.org) a 19th-century brick building houses the public market on Capitol Hill where vendors sell produce, meat and cheese throughout the week. There is a weekend outdoor market and a Tuesdays Farmers Market. A nearby Washington Metro station serves Eastern Market DC.
CityCenterDC (
citycenterdc.com), the newly developed area on the site of the former Washington Convention Center is now open for shopping and dining.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, or Pentagon City Mall, is a large mall with more than 170 stores and restaurants and a huge food court, located in Arlington; the Pentagon City Metro Station is at the mall. The shopping complex is one of many malls of the Simon Property Group (
www.simon.com), the largest shopping mall operator in the US.
Hotels:
The Old Post Office and Clock Tower in Washington D.C. The historic landmark is now Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.
Image: Matthew Roth
The
Watergate Hotel (
www.thewatergatehotel.com) is part of the Watergate complex, a group of six buildings in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of DC. The hotel features 5-star rooms and suites, a rooftop bar, a spa, an indoor pool, a restaurant, and a whiskey bar. You maybe want to book the Scandal Room, the historic room used in the 1972 Watergate break-in.
Old Post Office, the Old Post Office and Clock Tower located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW was completed in 1899. The historic landmark is now Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. The hotel features an upscale steakhouse, the Benjamin (Franklin) Bar & Lounge, a curated walkway museum, and The Spa by Ivanka Trump.
(
www.trumphotels.com/washington-dc)
Freemasonry:
House of the Temple (
scottishrite.org) is a Masonic temple inspired by the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (even though, nobody knows exactly how it looked). The House of the Temple is the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, known as the Home of The Supreme Council, 33°. The American Neoclassicism style building is guarded by two sphinxes at the main entrance, and by some more on the roof.
Parks:
National Mall park with Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River and the Parthenon-inspired Lincoln Memorial in the foreground. In the center stands the Washington Monument obelisk, in background the United States Capitol.
Image: Johnny Bivera
There are 24 national park service sites in Washington DC (
www.nps.gov/nama/).
The
U.S. National Arboretum (
www.usna.usda.gov) the outdoor space on the west bank of the Anacostia River is home to trees, shrubs, and plants, a picnic area, and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.
The
Arlington National Cemetery (
www.arlingtoncemetery.mil) is a huge and more than 150 years old military cemetery in Arlington, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. it serves as the final resting place for more than 400,000 military veterans.
When you visit the cemetery, be aware that this is an operating burial ground, where people are attending funeral services.
National Mall, is America's most sacred public space, a landscaped park in the heart of Washington D.C. and the site of the city's American shrines. It was the place where millions of people watched the inauguration of President Trump. Amazingly, many of the onlookers were invisible.
The long stretched grassy park runs east-west. At the east end of the sanctuary sits the RFK Stadium, an unattended multi-sport facility that has hosted baseball and football games; on the other end is the Lincoln Memorial with its Reflecting Pool (in west); situated in between are the United States Capitol, the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, a World War II Memorial, and the obelisk of the Washington Monument, a reference to Egyptian Pharaohs and as likely as not Freemasonry.
The
Lincoln Memorial, is a Parthenon-inspired national monument built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
The
Washington Monument (
www.nps.gov/wamo/) is a hollow Egyptian style 555 ft (169 m) tall stone obelisk in the center of the National Mall. At the time of the tower's completion in 1888, it was the tallest building in the world for five years, when the
Eiffel Tower was completed. The Washington Monument is closed until spring 2019.
View to the east, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with the Washington Monument obelisk.
Image: U.S. Department of the Interior
The
Vietnam Veterans Memorial (
www.nps.gov/vive/) is considered by some as one of the most influential memorials of the post-World War II period. The monument consists of three parts, the Memorial "Wall," "The Three Servicemen," and the "Vietnam Women's Memorial."
The Memorial is made up of two long black granite walls in a triangle shape. There are 58,220 names of service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War etched into the wall.
There is an online version of the "Wall."
(
www.virtualwall.org)
(In comparison, Vietnamese casualties include more than 1,000,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong irregulars. Civilian deaths total as many as 2,000,000.
[6])
The Three Servicemen, are a bronze statue which depicts three soldiers, a European American, an African American, and a Latino American. By the way, it was the first representation of an African American on the National Mall.
The Vietnam Women's Memorial depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier.
United States Botanic Garden (
www.usbg.gov) is a public park with a conservatory. It is one of the oldest continually operating botanic gardens in the United States. The green space is situated on the National Mall on the grounds of the US Capitol. Within the park is the Conservatory, a greenhouse with 28,944 sq. ft. (2,689 m²) of growing space. Directly across Independence Avenue is the Bartholdi Park with its modern American horticulture and the Bartholdi fountain, the park and fountain are named after French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, the creator of the
Statue of Liberty.
National Zoological Park (
nationalzoo.si.edu), the admission-free zoo has Giant Pandas and is located at Rock Creek Park. Smithsonian's National Zoo is one of the oldest animal parks in the United States, founded in 1889. Visitors be aware: "Paid 22$ for parking, 45$ for burgers and cold drinks as food is very costly." Best practise: bring your own food and take the metro.
Sports:
Capital One Arena is an indoor arena for games and entertainment events. It is the playground for several sports teams like the Washington Capitals (hockey), the Washington Wizards (basketball), the Georgetown University men's basketball team, and the Washington Valor (American football).
DC Armory is an armory with a drill field for the National Guard, a 10,000-seat arena that hosts inauguration balls and galas, indoor sports games, concerts, and other events. The parking lot can also be used as an emergency airstrip.
Nationals Park is a baseball park at the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood. It is home to the Washington Nationals, the capital's professional baseball team.
Just zoom in (+) to see the United States Capitol Complex on Capitol Hill with the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and House and Senate Office Buildings.
The Map shows a city map of Washington D.C. with expressways, main roads, and streets.
Zoom out to find the location of the three main airports that serve Washington D.C.:
Reagan National Airport (
IATA code: DCA) 5.2 mi (8 km) by road to the south, is an airport in Arlington, Virginia, it is the primary airport serving Washington, D.C.
Washington Dulles International Airport (
IATA code: IAD), located in Dulles, Virginia, about 27 mi (43 km) by road, west of Washington D.C.’s central business district,
and
Baltimore-Washington International Airport also known as BI-Marshall (
IATA code: BWI) 31.3 mi (50 km) by road in the southwest in Anne Arundel County, Maryland is another gateway to the Baltimore-Washington Region.
To find a location use the form below.