The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Washington, D.C.:
Washington, D.C., legally named the District of Columbia, is the federal capital of the United States of America, and was founded on July 16, 1790. The area given to Washington, D.C. was originally 100 square miles (259 km2) ceded by the states of Maryland and Virginia in accordance with the Residence Act; however, in 1846, the retrocession of Washington, D.C. meant that the area of 31 square miles (80 km2) which was ceded by Virginia was returned, leaving 69 square miles (179 km2) of territory originally ceded by Maryland as the current area of the District in its entirety.
The City of Washington was originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia until the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 effectively merged the City and the Territory into a single entity. It is for this reason that the city, while legally named the District of Columbia, is known as Washington, D.C.
The District of Columbia is: The federal capital district of the United States of AmericaLocationNorthern hemisphereWestern hemisphereAmericasNorth AmericaAnglo AmericaNorthern AmericaUnited States of AmericaContiguous United StatesEastern United StatesEast Coast of the United States – even though the District of Columbia does not include any actual coastline, it is generally considered to be part of the Eastern Seaboard region.Northeast megalopolisMid-Atlantic statesPopulation of Washington, D.C.: 601,723 (2010 U.S. Census)Area of Washington, D.C.: 63.8 mi sqHistoric places in Washington, D.C.National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C.National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.Bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.National Register of Historic Places listings in Northeast Quadrant, Washington, D.C.National Register of Historic Places listings in Southeast Quadrant, Washington, D.C.National Register of Historic Places listings in Southwest Quadrant, Washington, D.C.National Register of Historic Places listings in Northwest Quadrant, Washington, D.C.National Monuments in Washington, D.C.President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' HomeNational Natural Landmarks in Washington, D.C.: noneNational Parks in Washington, D.C. (official units of the U.S. National Park System)Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic SiteConstitution GardensFord's Theatre National Historic SiteFranklin D. Roosevelt MemorialFrederick Douglass National Historic SiteKorean War Veterans MemorialLincoln MemorialLyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the PotomacMary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic SiteNational Capital ParksNational MallPennsylvania Avenue National Historic SiteRock Creek ParkTheodore Roosevelt IslandThomas Jefferson MemorialVietnam Veterans MemorialWashington MonumentWhite HouseWorld War II MemorialCity parks in Washington, D.C.Climate of Washington, D.C.Hurricanes in Washington, D.C.Tornados in Washington, D.C.Superfund sites in Washington, D.C.Rivers of Washington, D.C.District of Columbia's At-large congressional districtDistrict of Columbia census statistical areasNorthwest, Washington, D.C.Northeast, Washington, D.C.Southeast, Washington, D.C.Southwest, Washington, D.C.The District of Columbia is divided into eight wards and 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) within these wards.
Ward 1
Adams Morgan • Columbia Heights • Kalorama • LeDroit Park • Mount Pleasant • Park View • Pleasant Plains • Shaw
Ward 2
Burleith • Downtown • Dupont Circle • Foggy Bottom • Georgetown • Sheridan Kalorama • Logan Circle • Mount Vernon Square • Shaw • West End
Ward 3
American University Park • Berkley • Cathedral Heights • Chevy Chase • Cleveland Park • Colony Hill • Forest Hills • Foxhall • Friendship Heights • Glover Park • Kent • Massachusetts Heights • McLean Gardens • North Cleveland Park • Observatory Circle • The Palisades • Potomac Heights • Spring Valley • Tenleytown • Wakefield • Wesley Heights • Woodland-Normanstone Terrace • Woodley Park (Part of the neighborhood is also in Ward 1)
Ward 4
Barnaby Woods • Brightwood • Brightwood Park • Chevy Chase (Part of the neighborhood is also in Ward 3) • Colonial Village • Crestwood • Fort Totten • Hawthorne • Manor Park • Petworth • Riggs Park • Lamond-Riggs • Shepherd Park • Sixteenth Street Heights • Takoma
Ward 5
Arboretum • Bloomingdale • Brentwood • Brookland • Carver Langston • Eckington • Edgewood • Fort Lincoln • Fort Totten (Part of the neighborhood is also in Ward 4) • Gateway • Ivy City • Riggs Park (Part of the neighborhood is also in Ward 4) • Langdon • Michigan Park • North Michigan Park • Pleasant Hill • Stronghold/Metropolis View • Trinidad • Truxton Circle • Woodridge
Ward 6
Barney Circle • Capitol Hill • Chinatown • Judiciary Square • Kingman Park • Navy Yard/Near Southeast • Near Northeast • Penn Quarter • NoMa, Washington, D.C. • Southwest Federal Center • Southwest Waterfront • Sursum Corda • Swampoodle • Union Station
Ward 7
Benning Heights • Benning Ridge • Benning • Burrville • Capitol View • Civic Betterment • Deanwood • Dupont Park • Eastland Gardens • Fairfax Village • Fairlawn • Fort Davis • Fort Dupont • Good Hope • Grant Park • Greenway • Hillbrook • Hillcrest • Kenilworth • Kingman Park • Lincoln Heights • Mahaning Heights • Marshall Heights • Mayfair • Naylor Gardens • Penn Branch • Randle Highlands • River Terrace • Skyland • Summit Park • Twining
Ward 8
Anacostia • Barry Farm • Bellevue • Buena Vista • Congress Heights • Douglass • Fairlawn • Garfield Heights • Knox Hill • Shipley Terrace • Washington Highlands • Woodland
Political party strength in Washington, D.C.Government and politics of Washington, D.C.
Elections in the District of ColumbiaList of District of Columbia symbolsDistrict of Columbia home ruleThere are two committees in the United States Congress that oversee the District of Columbia:The United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
which is the successor committee to the United States House Committee on the District of Columbia, andThe United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsUnited States congressional delegations from the District of Columbia (one non-voting delegate)Executive branch of the government of Washington, D.C.
Mayor of Washington, D.C.Advisory Neighborhood CommissionsLegislative branch of the government of
Council of the District of ColumbiaJudicial branch of the government of Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia Court of Appeals (equivalent to a state supreme court)Superior Court of the District of ColumbiaLaw and order in Washington, D.C.
Law of Washington, D.C.
Cannabis in Washington, D.C.Crime in Washington, D.C.Gun laws in Washington, D.C.Law enforcement in Washington, D.C.Metropolitan Police Department of the District of ColumbiaRecognition of same-sex unions in the District of ColumbiaVoting rights in the District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia Air National GuardDistrict of Columbia Army National GuardHistory of Washington, D.C.
Timeline of Washington, D.C.
Indigenous peoplesAmerican Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783United States Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783State of Maryland, (1776–1791)Commonwealth of Virginia, (1776–1791)District of Columbia since March 3, 1791President George Washington signs An Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States on July 16, 1790President George Washington proclaims location of the district for the permanent seat of the Government of the United States on January 24, 1791President George Washington signs An Act to amend "An Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States" on March 3, 1791President John Adams moves into new White House on November 1, 1800Sixth United States Congress meets in new United States Capitol on November 17, 1800War of 1812, June 18, 1812 – March 23, 1815Burning of Washington, August 24–25, 1814Treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814Mexican-American War, April 25, 1846 – February 2, 1848Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1847Know-Nothing Riot, 1857American Civil War, April 12, 1861 – May 13, 1865District of Columbia in the American Civil WarAssassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865President Lincoln dies on April 15, 1865Streetcars in the District of Columbia, 1862–1962Assassination of President James A. Garfield on July 2, 1881President Garfield dies on September 19, 1881Protest marches on Washington, D.C. since 1894McMillan Plan, 1901United States Capitol shooting incident on March 1, 1954Civil Rights Movement from December 1, 1955, to January 20, 1969March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his I Have a Dream speechPresident Lyndon Johnson signs the National Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, 1960–1961District of Columbia riots of 1968District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973United States Senate bombing of 1983United States Capitol shooting incident of 1998Attacks on the United States, including the Pentagon, on September 11, 2001Architecture of Washington, D.C.Tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.Museums in Washington, D.C.People from Washington, D.C.Scouting in Washington, D.C.Symbols of the District of ColumbiaFlag of the District of Columbia Great Seal of the District of Columbia Music of Washington, D.C.Outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C.Theater in Washington, D.C.Professional sports teams in Washington, D.C.Economy and infrastructure of Washington, D.C.
Economy of Washington, D.C.
Communications in Washington, D.C.District of Columbia Public LibraryMedia in Washington, D.C.Newspapers in Washington, D.C.Radio stations in Washington, D.C.Television stations in Washington, D.C.Telephone service in Washington, D.C.Area code 202Healthcare in Washington, D.C.Hospitals in Washington, D.C.Transportation in Washington, D.C.MetrobusMetrobus routes in Washington, D.C.Airports in Washington, D.C.: noneRail transport in Washington, D.C.Railroads in Washington, D.C.Washington MetroBaltimore-Washington D.C. Maglev (proposed project)Roads in Washington, D.C.Circles in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. numbered highwaysWater in Washington, D.C.Washington AqueductDistrict of Columbia Water and Sewer AuthorityLead contamination in Washington, D.C. drinking waterEducation in Washington, D.C.
Schools in Washington, D.C.District of Columbia Public SchoolsHigh schools in Washington, D.C.Colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.