Portal:Washington, D.C.

The Washington, D.C. portal

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly called 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. Washington, D.C., was named for George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation.

Washington, D.C., anchors the southern end of the Northeast megalopolis, one of the nation's largest and most influential cultural, political, and economic regions. As the seat of the U.S. federal government and several international organizations, the city is an important world political capital. The city had 20.7 million domestic visitors and 1.2 million international visitors, ranking seventh among U.S. cities as of 2022.

Designed in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the city is divided into quadrants, which are centered around the Capitol Building and include 131 neighborhoods. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 689,545, making it the 23rd-most populous city in the U.S., third-most populous city in the Southeast after Jacksonville and Charlotte, and third-most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic after New York City and Philadelphia. 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. (Full article...)

Featured article -

This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

---

James A. Ryder SJ (October 8, 1800 – January 12, 1860) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of several Jesuit universities in the United States. Born in Ireland, he immigrated with his widowed mother to the United States as a child, to settle in Georgetown, in the District of Columbia. He enrolled at Georgetown College and then entered the Society of Jesus. Studying in Maryland and Rome, Ryder proved to be a talented student of theology and was made a professor. He returned to Georgetown College in 1829, where he was appointed to senior positions and founded the Philodemic Society, becoming its first president.

In 1840, Ryder became the president of Georgetown College, and oversaw the construction of the university's Astronomical Observatory, as well as Georgetown's legal incorporation by the United States Congress. He earned a reputation as a skilled orator and preacher. His term ended in 1843 with his appointment as provincial superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province. As provincial, he laid the groundwork for the transfer of ownership of the newly established College of the Holy Cross from the Diocese of Boston to the Society of Jesus. Two years later, Ryder became the second president of the College of the Holy Cross, and oversaw the construction of a new wing. He returned to Georgetown in 1848 for a second term as president, and accepted a group of local physicians to form the Georgetown School of Medicine, constructed a new home for Holy Trinity Church, and quelled a student rebellion. (Full article...)

Selected image

• 
  Map of the National Mall and vicinity (2008)

  (from National Mall)
• 
  Facing east on the National Mall, as viewed near the 1300 block of Jefferson Drive, S.W. in April 2010. Rows of American elm trees line the sides of a path traversing the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
• 
  The Lockkeeper's House in 2018, looking northwest (from National Mall)
• 
  Georgetown University, founded in 1789, is the city's oldest university. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Northeast Boundary No. 4 marker stone of the original border between the District of Columbia and Prince George's County, Maryland (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (June 2010) (from National Mall)
• 
  Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial at dusk, facing south in October 2011. (from National Mall)
• 
  City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard, an 1833 portrait by George Cooke in the Oval Office in the White House (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  National Mall proper and adjacent areas (April 2002). The Mall had a grassy lawn flanked on each side by unpaved paths and rows of American elm trees as its central feature. (Numbers in the image correspond to numbers in the list of landmarks, museums and other features below.) (from National Mall)
• 
  The southern portion of the National Mall in 1863 during the American Civil War (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Washington Monument stood in this unfinished form for 25 years before being completed in 1884. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Civil rights marchers during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  An 1814 watercolor illustration of the United States Capitol after the burning of Washington during the War of 1812 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Ben's Chili Bowl, known for its half-smoke, a historic staple of the city's cuisine (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on the National Mall facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
• 
  Cathedral Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  L'Enfant Promenade (August 2013) (from National Mall)
• 
  The April 9, 1939, concert by Marian Anderson, facing east from the Lincoln Memorial (from National Mall)
• 
  Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public magnet school in the city (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Key Bridge (background) and an iced-over Potomac River (foreground) in February 2004 (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Inlay of L'Enfant Plan in Freedom Plaza, looking northwest in June 2005 from the observation deck in the Old Post Office Building Clock Tower (from National Mall)
• 
  1863 photograph of the National Mall and vicinity during the Civil War, looking west towards the U.S. Botanical Garden, Washington City Canal, Gas Works, railroad tracks, Washington Armory, and Armory Square Hospital buildings. The Smithsonian Institution Building, the uncompleted Washington Monument (behind the Smithsonian's building), and the Potomac River are in the background. (from National Mall)
• 
  The United States Capitol in 1846, prior to the addition of the current rotunda (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Andrew Jackson Downing Urn in May 2012 (from National Mall)
• 
  General Dwight D. Eisenhower received a hero's welcome in the city in June 1945 following the Allied victory in World War II (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Contemporary architecture at CityCenterDC in Downtown (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The city's license plate calls for an end to taxation without representation. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Washington, D.C., police on Harley-Davidson motorcycles escort the March for Life protest on Constitution Avenue in January 2018. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The U.S. Capitol dome was under construction during Lincoln's first inauguration on March 4, 1861, five weeks before the start of the American Civil War. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Federal Triangle, a historic hub of executive departments of the U.S. federal government (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the city's most prominent streets (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Columbia Heights (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Smithsonian station of the Washington Metro in 2005 (from National Mall)
• 
  An aerial photo of Washington, D.C. in 2007 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  An aerial view of Northwest Washington, D.C. in 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Rock Creek Park, the city's largest park, stretches across Northwest. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  A performance of Moulin Rouge! at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  A major bus strike in May 1974 caused huge traffic jams throughout the city. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The engraving of George Washington, known as the First Cornerstone, was placed as the corner stone of the United States Capitol on September 18, 1783 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Navy Yard (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  This view from the top of the Washington Monument shows rows of elm trees lining the Reflecting Pool (November 2014). (from National Mall)
• 
  Chuck Brown performing go-go music (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, was initially controversial for its lack of heroic iconography, a departure from earlier memorial designs. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Library of Congress, the world's largest library with more than 167 million cataloged items and the nation's oldest cultural institution (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The L'Enfant Plan for the city, developed in 1791 by Pierre L'Enfant (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Smithsonian Institution Building ("The Castle") in February 2007, looking north from the Enid A. Haupt Garden (from National Mall)
• 
  National Park Service map showing the National Mall's designated reserve area referenced in the 2003 Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act (from National Mall)
• 
  The Washington Capitals, an NHL team, and the Washington Wizards, an NBA team, both play at Capital One Arena. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  A panel discussion at the American Enterprise Institute, one of D.C.'s many think tanks (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Construction of the Washington Metro on Connecticut Avenue in 1973 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Memorial Bridge connects the city across the Potomac River with Arlington, Virginia. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Independence Day fireworks display between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, July 4, 1986 (from National Mall)
• 
  After their victory at the Battle of Bladensburg in 1814, the British Army burned the White House and other buildings during a one-day occupation of Washington, D.C. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Mall following a snow storm. (from National Mall)
• 
  Yetsom beyaynetu at Das Ethiopian Cuisine, one of D.C.'s many Ethiopian restaurants. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in D.C. is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the world. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  National Mall, a landscaped park extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The west side of the Jefferson Pier in April 2011, with the Washington Monument in the background. (from National Mall)
• 
  The March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on August 28, 1963 (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The L'Enfant Plan for the city (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The National Building Museum (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Washington Monument viewed from the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2018 (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Capitol Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Eastward view of the National Mall from the top of the Washington Monument in 1918. The three structures and two chimneys crossing the Mall are temporary World War I buildings A, B and C and parts of their central power plant. (from National Mall)
• 
  The Jefferson Memorial and many of D.C.'s other monuments are built in the Neoclassical motif. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  A Christmas tree in front of the Capitol in December 2013. (from National Mall)
• 
  Metrobus, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Looking east from the top of the Washington Monument towards the National Mall and the United States Capitol in December 1999 (from National Mall)
• 
  The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Edgewood (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Map of the District of Columbia in 1835, prior to the retrocession (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  National Christmas Tree (November 28, 2018) (from National Mall)
• 
  Protesters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The National Gallery of Art was the most visited art museum in the United States in 2022. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The National Mall was the centerpiece of the 1902 McMillan Plan. A central open vista traversed the length of the Mall. (from National Mall)
• 
  Due to limited dining options on the mall, food trucks are often parked next to tourist-dense locations. (from National Mall)
• 
  The city's African American population has declined since the 1968 riots. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The view of the Lincoln Memorial from the Reflecting Pool in April 2007. (from National Mall)
• 
  With over 30,000 participants, the annual Marine Corps Marathon, held annually in October, is the largest non-prize money marathon in the country. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Pentagon following the September 11 attacks with the Washington Monument visible in the background (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The French ambassador's residence (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Logan Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  One Franklin Square, located on Franklin Square in Downtown, includes the headquarters of The Washington Post. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The National Mall, including a central pathway through it, was the centerpiece of the 1901 McMillan Plan. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia is the closest airport to the city among the three major Washington metropolitan area airports. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, built between 1871 and 1888, was the world's largest office building until 1943, when it was surpassed by The Pentagon. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Muriel Bowser, D.C.'s mayor, took office in 2015. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Britney Spears performs during the "NFL Kickoff Live from the National Mall Presented by Pepsi Vanilla" concert, September 4, 2003 (from National Mall)
• 
  President Abraham Lincoln insisted that construction of the United States Capitol continue during the Civil War. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Constitution Gardens in 2011. (from National Mall)
• 
  Washington Metro, the second-busiest rapid rail system in the U.S. based on average weekday ridership after the New York City Subway (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Sylvan Theater in 2011. (from National Mall)
• 
  Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Portrait of the Mall and vicinity looking northwest from southeast of the U.S. Capitol circa 1846–1855, showing stables in the foreground, the Washington City Canal behind them, the Capitol on the right and the Smithsonian "Castle", the Washington Monument and the Potomac River in the distant left. (from National Mall)
• 
  CNN reporting from D.C. during the 2016 U.S. presidential election (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Victorian landscaping and architecture of the Mall looking east from the top of the Washington Monument, showing the influence of the Downing Plan and Adolph Cluss on the National Mall circa 1904. The Department of Agriculture Building, and above it, "The Castle", are in the foreground. A railroad route leading to a shed attached to the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station (not visible) crosses the Mall behind the Arts and Industry Building, the Army Medical Center, and the Armory. (from National Mall)
• 
  2007 aerial view of Capitol Hill and the National Mall, facing west (from National Mall)
• 
  Westward view from the top of the Washington Monument in 1943 or 1944 during World War II. In the foreground, temporary buildings on the Washington Monument grounds house the Navy's Bureau of Ships. The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings stand to the right of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Temporary buildings to the left of the Reflecting Pool house the Navy's Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. (from National Mall)
• 
  Route of the Washington City Canal, showing the Mall (1851) (from National Mall)
• 
  Map of racial distribution in the Washington metropolitan area, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Each dot represents 25 people: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic or Other (yellow) (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Cascading Waterfall at Meridian Hill Park in Meridian Hill (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  June 2004 view from the United States Capitol facing west, over the Grant Memorial and Capitol Reflecting Pool in the foreground, and across the National Mall towards the Washington Monument (from National Mall)
• 
  The Concert for Valor on the National Mall on November 11, 2014, looking west from the United States Capitol grounds (from National Mall)
• 
  Demonstrators marching down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The National World War II Memorial is among the many popular tourist sites located on the National Mall. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  West side of the U.S. Capitol building (September 2013) (from National Mall)
• 
  The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in July 2005, facing east towards the Washington Monument (from National Mall)
• 
  K Street, historically a hub for lobbying firms and advocacy groups, has become a metonym for the American lobbying industry. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was the most visited museum in the U.S. in 2022, with 3.9 million visits. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The John A. Wilson Building is the headquarters for much of the Government of the District of Columbia, including the offices of the mayor and D.C. Council. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Chinatown (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Aqueduct Bridge crossing the Potomac River, with Northern Virginia in the background and the C&O Canal in the foreground (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  A Capital Bikeshare rental station near McPherson Square (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was extended to Georgetown in 1830. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  National World War II Memorial (July 2017) (from National Mall)
• 
  Rows of young American elm trees on the National Mall, looking east from the top of the Washington Monument circa 1942 (from National Mall)
• 
  Map of the Mall in 1893 showing the Monument Grounds (with the Washington Monument), Agricultural Grounds (with the Dept. of Agriculture), Smithsonian Grounds (with the Castle and Arts and Industries museum), Armory Square, Public Grounds and Botanical Garden, as well as parts of the recently created "Tidal Reservoir" and "Proposed Park" (from National Mall)
• 
  Congress began assembling in the new United States Capitol in 1800, after the nation's capital was moved from Philadelphia. (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Victorian houses in Dupont Circle (from Washington, D.C.)
• 
  Territorial progression of Washington, D.C. (from History of Washington, D.C.)
• 
  The first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, facing west from the Capitol (from National Mall)

Did you know...

• ... that a TV station in Washington, D.C., held on-air monkey races as part of its children's programming?
• ... that children's author Kate DiCamillo received 473 rejection letters before her first novel was accepted for publication?
• ... that Josephine Gates Kelly of the Standing Rock Reservation once hitchhiked to Washington, D.C., to protest portions of the Indian Reorganization Act?
• ... that health economist Selma Mushkin estimated in the early 1970s that up to 50 percent of poor children in Washington, D.C., were affected by lead poisoning?
• ... that Edward M. Kirby proposed the first Pageant of Peace, to follow the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.?
• ... that Ron Brown, the United States secretary of commerce, leased equipment to a TV station in Washington, D.C., whose owner turned out to be his lover?

In the news

3 March 2024 – 2024 United States presidential election

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley wins the Washington, D.C. primary, making it her first win in the Republican Party contest. (Axios)

25 February 2024 – Israel–Hamas war protests

An active-duty United States Air Force member sets himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. as a form of protest against the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip and dies later that day. (BBC News) (NPR)

6 February 2024 – Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, Federal prosecution of Donald Trump

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. rules that former President Donald Trump does not have presidential immunity and can therefore be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. (BBC News)

27 January 2024 – Kivu conflict

Fighting between FARDC and aligned Wazalendo groups against Rwandan-backed M23 fighters continue in Mweso and Karuba, North Kivu, DRC. (Actualite)

Categories

Select [►] to view subcategories

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.-related lists

Buildings and structures in Washington, D.C.

Communications in Washington, D.C.

Culture of Washington, D.C.

Demographics of Washington, D.C.

Economy of Washington, D.C.

Education in Washington, D.C.

Environment of Washington, D.C.

Events in Washington, D.C.

Geography of Washington, D.C.

Government in Washington, D.C.

Health in Washington, D.C.

History of the District of Columbia

District of Columbia law

Military in Washington, D.C.

Missing person cases in Washington, D.C.

Organizations based in Washington, D.C.

People from Washington, D.C.

Politics of Washington, D.C.

Prisoners who died in Washington, D.C., detention

Professional wrestling in Washington, D.C.

Science and technology in Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia-related ships

Washington, D.C., society

Sports in Washington, D.C.

Tourist attractions in Washington, D.C.

Transportation in Washington, D.C.

Images of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., stubs

Topics

Related portals

Related WikiProjects

• WikiProject District of Columbia (talk)
• WikiProject Cities (talk)
• WikiProject United States (talk)

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

• 

  Commons
  Free media repository

• 

  Wikibooks
  Free textbooks and manuals

• 

  Wikidata
  Free knowledge base

• 

  Wikinews
  Free-content news

• 

  Wikiquote
  Collection of quotations

• 

  Wikisource
  Free-content library

• 

  Wikispecies
  Directory of species

• 

  Wikiversity
  Free learning tools

• 

  Wikivoyage
  Free travel guide

• 

  Wiktionary
  Dictionary and thesaurus