Washington, D.C.

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Washington, D.C.
Federal district
District of Columbia

Flag
Seal
Nickname(s):
Main article: Nicknames of Washington, D.C.
Motto: Justitia Omnibus  (English: Justice for All)

Location of Washington, D.C., in the contiguous United States and in relation to the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia.
Coordinates: 38°53′42.4″N 77°02′12.0″W / 38.895111°N 77.036667°W / 38.895111; -77.036667Coordinates: 38°53′42.4″N 77°02′12.0″W / 38.895111°N 77.036667°W / 38.895111; -77.036667
Country United States
Approved July 16,
Organized 1801
Consolidated 1871
Granted limited self-government 1973
Named for George Washington
Government
 • Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D)
 • D.C. Council Phil Mendelson (D), Chairman
Area
 • Federal district 68.3 sq mi (177.0 km2)
 • Land 61.4 sq mi (159.0 km2)
 • Water 6.9 sq mi (18.0 km2)
Elevation 0–409 ft (0–125 m)
Population (estimate)[1][2]
 • Federal district 632,323 (24th largest city in U.S.)
 • Density 10,298/sq mi (3,977/km2)
 • Metro 5,703,948 (7th largest in U.S.)
 • Demonym Washingtonian
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
ZIP code(s) 20001-20098, 20201-20599
Area code(s) 202
Website dc

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. The signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country's East Coast. As permitted by the U.S. Constitution, the District is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States Congress and is therefore not a part of any U.S. state.

The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, which included the preexisting settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria; however, Congress returned the Virginia portion in 1846. Named in honor of George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital. Congress created a single municipal government for the whole District of Columbia after the American Civil War.

Washington, D.C., had an estimated population of 632,323 in the 24th most populous place in the United States. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city's population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington Metropolitan Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of 5.7 million, the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the country.

The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations.

A locally elected mayor and 13-member council have governed the District since 1973; however, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. The District has a non-voting, at-large Congressional delegate, but no senators. The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, grants the District three electoral votes in presidential elections.

History

Main article: History of Washington, D.C.

An Algonquian-speaking people known as the Nacotchtank inhabited the area around the Anacostia River when the first Europeans arrived in the 17th century.[3] However, the Nacotchtank people had largely relocated from the area by the early 18th century.[4]

In his "Federalist No. 43", published January 23, 1788, James Madison argued that the new federal government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance and safety.[5] Five years earlier, a band of unpaid soldiers besieged Congress while its members were meeting in Philadelphia. Known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, the event emphasized the need for the national government not to rely on any state for its own security.[6]

Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution therefore permits the establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States."[7] However, the Constitution does not specify a location for the capital. In what is now known as the Compromise of 1790, Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson came to an agreement that the federal government would pay each state's remaining Revolutionary War debts in exchange for establishing the new national capital in the Southern United States.[8][a]

Foundation

Map of the District of Columbia in 1835, prior to the retrocession

On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was to be selected by President George Washington, who signed the bill into law on July 16. Formed from land donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side, totaling 100 square miles (260 km2).[9][b]

Two preexisting settlements were included in the territory: the port of Georgetown, Maryland, founded in 1751,[10] and the city of Alexandria, Virginia, founded in 1749.[11] During 1791–92, Andrew Ellicott and several assistants, including a free African American astronomer named Benjamin Banneker, surveyed the borders of the federal district and placed boundary stones at every mile point.[12] Many of the stones are still standing.[13]

A new "federal city" was then constructed on the north bank of the Potomac, to the east of Georgetown. On September 9, 1791, the three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction named the city in honor of President Washington. The federal district was named Columbia, which was a poetic name for the United States commonly in use at that time.[14][15] Congress held its first session in Washington on November 17, 1800.[16]

Congress passed the Organic Act of 1801, which officially organized the District and placed the entire territory under the exclusive control of the federal government. Further, the unincorporated area within the District was organized into two counties: the County of Washington to the east of the Potomac and the County of Alexandria to the west.[17] After the passage of this Act, citizens living in the District were no longer considered residents of Maryland or Virginia, which therefore ended their representation in Congress.[18]

Ford's Theatre in the 19th century, site of the 1865 assassination of President Lincoln

On August 24–25, 1814, in a raid known as the Burning of Washington, British forces invaded the capital during the War of 1812. The Capitol, Treasury, and White House were burned and gutted during the attack.[19] Most government buildings were repaired quickly; however, the Capitol was largely under construction at the time and was not completed in its current form until 1868.[20]

Retrocession and the Civil War

See also: District of Columbia retrocession and Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War

In the 1830s, the District's southern territory of Alexandria went into economic decline partly due to neglect by Congress.[21] Alexandria was a major market in the American slave trade and residents feared that abolitionists in Congress would end slavery in the District, further depressing the economy. Alexandrians petitioned Virginia to take back the land it had donated to form the District; a process known as retrocession.[22]

The state legislature voted in February 1846 to accept the return of Alexandria and on July 9, 1846, Congress agreed to return all the territory that had been ceded by Virginia. Therefore, the District's current area consists only of land donated by Maryland.[21] Confirming the fears of pro-slavery Alexandrians, the Compromise of 1850 outlawed the slave trade in the District, although not slavery itself.[23]

The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 led to notable growth in the District's population due to the expansion of the federal government and a large influx of freed slaves.[24] President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862, which ended slavery in the District of Columbia and freed about 3,100 enslaved persons, nine months prior to the Emancipation Proclamation.[25] In 1868, Congress granted the District's African American male residents the right to vote in municipal elections.[24]

Growth and redevelopment

Crowds surrounding the Reflecting Pool during the March on Washington

By 1870, the District's population had grown 75% from the previous census to nearly 132,000 residents.[26] Despite the city's growth, Washington still had dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation. Some members of Congress suggested moving the capital further west, but President Ulysses S. Grant refused to consider such a proposal.[27]

Congress passed the Organic Act of 1871, which repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington and Georgetown, and a created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia.[28] President Grant appointed Alexander Robey Shepherd to the position of governor in 1873. Shepherd authorized large-scale projects that greatly modernized Washington, but ultimately bankrupted the District government. In 1874, Congress replaced the territorial government with an appointed three-member Board of Commissioners.[29]

The city's first motorized streetcars began service in 1888 and generated growth in areas of the District beyond the City of Washington's original boundaries. Washington's urban plan was expanded throughout the District in the following decades.[30] Georgetown was formally annexed by the City of Washington in 1895.[31] However, the city had poor housing conditions and strained public works. Washington was the first city in the nation to undergo urban renewal projects as part of the "City Beautiful movement" in the early 1900s.[32]

Increased federal spending as a result of the New Deal in the 1930s led to the construction of new government buildings, memorials, and museums in Washington.[33] World War II further increased government activity, adding to the number of federal employees in the capital;[34] by 1950, the District's population reached its peak of 802,178 residents.[26]

Civil rights and 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 no voting representation in Congress.[35]

After the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1968, riots broke out in the District, primarily in the U Street, 14th Street, 7th Street, and H Street corridors, centers of black residential and commercial areas. The riots raged for three days until more than 13,600 federal troops stopped the violence. Many stores and other buildings were burned; rebuilding was not completed until the late 1990s.[36]

In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, providing for an elected mayor and 13-member council for the District.[37] In 1975, Walter Washington became the first elected and first black mayor of the District.[38]

On September 11,, terrorists hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 and deliberately crashed the plane into the Pentagon in nearby Arlington, Virginia. United Airlines Flight 93, believed to be destined for Washington, D.C., crashed in Pennsylvania when passengers tried to recover control of the plane from hijackers.[39][40]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Washington, D.C.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal passes through the Georgetown neighborhood.

Washington, D.C., is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast. Due to the District of Columbia retrocession, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177 km2), of which 61.4 square miles (159 km2) is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km2) (10.16%) is water.[41] The District is bordered by Montgomery County, Maryland, to the northwest; Prince George's County, Maryland, to the east; and Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, to the south and west.

The Potomac River forms the District's border with Virginia and has two major tributaries: the Anacostia River and Rock Creek.[42] Tiber Creek, a natural watercourse that once passed through the National Mall, was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s.[43] 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.[44] The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts in Georgetown and was used during the 19th century to bypass the Great Falls of the Potomac River, located upstream (northwest) of Washington at the Atlantic Seaboard fall line.[45]

The highest natural elevation in the District is 409 feet (125 m) above sea level at Fort Reno Park in upper northwest Washington.[46] The lowest point is sea level at the Potomac River.[47] The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L Streets NW.[48] Contrary to the urban legend, Washington was not built on a reclaimed swamp, but wetlands did cover areas along the water.[49][50]

The District has 7,464 acres (30.21 km2) of parkland, about 19% of the city's total area and the second-highest percentage among high-density U.S. cities.[51] The National Park Service manages most of the 9,122 acres (36.92 km2) of city land owned by the U.S. government.[52] Rock Creek Park is a 1,754-acre (7.10 km2) urban forest in Northwest Washington, which extends 9.3 miles (15.0 km) through a stream valley that bisects the city. 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.[53] Other National Park Service properties include the C&O Canal National Historical Park, the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Columbia Island, Fort Dupont Park, Meridian Hill Park, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, and Anacostia Park.[54] The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the city's 900 acres (3.6 km2) of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers.[55] The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates the 446-acre (1.80 km2) U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast Washington.[56]

Climate

See also: List of Maryland hurricanes (1980–present) and List of Washington, D.C. tornadoes
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated around the city each spring.

Washington is in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen: Cfa) and exhibits four distinct seasons.[57] Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas removed from bodies of water. The District is in plant hardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city, indicating a temperate climate.[58]

Spring and fall are warm, while winter is cool with annual snowfall averaging 15.5 inches (39 cm). Winter temperatures average around 38 °F (3.3 °C) from mid-December to mid-February.[59] Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort.[59][60] The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.[61]

Blizzards affect Washington on average once every four to six years. The most violent storms are called "nor'easters", which often affect large sections of the U.S. East Coast.[62] Hurricanes (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, but are often weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location.[63] 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 Georgetown.[64]

The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 20, 1930, and August 6, 1918,[65] while the lowest recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) on February 11, 1899, during the Great Blizzard of 1899.[59][62] During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above 90 °F (32.2 °C) and 64 nights at or below freezing.[59]

Template:Washington, D.C. weatherbox

Cityscape

See also: Streets and highways of Washington, D.C., Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., and List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.
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The L'Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C., as revised by Andrew Ellicott in 1792

Washington, D.C., is a planned city. In 1791, President Washington commissioned Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant, a French-born architect and city planner, to design the new capital. The L'Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping.[66] He based his design on plans of cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Karlsruhe, and Milan brought from Europe by Thomas Jefferson in 1788.[67] L'Enfant's design also envisioned a garden-lined "grand avenue" approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) in length and 400 feet (120 m) wide in the area that is now the National Mall.[68]

President Washington dismissed L'Enfant in March 1792 due to conflicts with the three commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction. Andrew Ellicott, who had worked with L'Enfant surveying the city, was then tasked with completing the design. Though Ellicott made revisions to the original plans, including changes to some street patterns, L'Enfant is still credited with the overall design of the city.[69]

By the early 1900s, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital had become marred by slums and randomly placed buildings, including a railroad station on the National Mall. Congress formed a special committee charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core.[32] What became known as the McMillan Plan was finalized in and included re-landscaping the Capitol grounds and the National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new city-wide park system. The plan is thought to have largely preserved L'Enfant's intended design.[66]

Washington, D.C., is divided into four quadrants.

By law, Washington's skyline is low and sprawling. The first building height restrictions in D.C. were put in place following the construction of the twelve-story Cairo Apartment Building in 1894. The Heights of Buildings Act of 1910 amended the restrictions to allow buildings that are no taller than the width of the adjacent street, plus 20 feet (6.1 m).[70] Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument,[50] which remains the District's tallest structure. City leaders have criticized the height restriction as a primary reason why the District has limited affordable housing and traffic problems caused by urban sprawl.[70]

The District is divided into four quadrants of unequal area: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.[71] All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location and house numbers generally correspond with the number of blocks away from the Capitol. Most streets are set out in a grid pattern with east–west streets named with letters (e.g., C Street SW) and north–south streets with numbers (e.g., 4th Street NW).[71]

The City of Washington was bordered by Boundary Street to the north (renamed Florida Avenue in 1890), Rock Creek to the west, and the Anacostia River to the east.[30][66] Washington's street grid was extended, where possible, throughout the District starting in 1888.[72] Georgetown's streets were renamed in 1895.[31] Some streets are particularly noteworthy, such as Pennsylvania Avenue, which connects the White House to the U.S. Capitol and K Street, which houses the offices of many lobbying groups.[73] Washington hosts 297 foreign embassies and related buildings, many of which are on a section of Massachusetts Avenue informally known as Embassy Row.[74]

Architecture

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The White House ranked second on the AIA's "List of America's Favorite Architecture" in.

The architecture of Washington varies greatly. Six of the top 10 buildings in the American Institute of Architects' ranking of "America's Favorite Architecture" are in the District of Columbia:[75] the White House; the Washington National Cathedral; the Thomas Jefferson Memorial; the United States Capitol; the Lincoln Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The neoclassical, Georgian, gothic, and modern architectural styles are all reflected among those six structures and many other prominent edifices in Washington. Notable exceptions include buildings constructed in the French Second Empire style such as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.[76]

Outside downtown Washington, architectural styles are even more varied. Historic buildings are designed primarily in the Queen Anne, Châteauesque, Richardsonian Romanesque, Georgian revival, Beaux-Arts, and a variety of Victorian styles. Rowhouses are especially prominent in areas developed after the Civil War and typically follow Federalist and late Victorian designs.[77] Georgetown's Old Stone House was built in 1765, making it the oldest-standing original building in the city.[78] Founded in 1789, Georgetown University features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture.[76] The Ronald Reagan Building is the largest building in the District with a total area of approximately 3.1 million square feet (288,000 m2).[79]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Washington, D.C.
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1800 8,144
—
1810 15,471 90.0%
1820 23,336 50.8%
1830 30,261 29.7%
1840 33,745 11.5%
1850 51,687 53.2%
1860 75,080 45.3%
1870 131,700 75.4%
1880 177,624 34.9%
1890 230,392 29.7%
1900 278,718 21.0%
1910 331,069 18.8%
1920 437,571 32.2%
1930 486,869 11.3%
1940 663,091 36.2%
1950 802,178 21.0%
1960 763,956 −4.8%
1970 756,510 −1.0%
1980 638,333 −15.6%
1990 606,900 −4.9%
2000 572,059 −5.7%
2010 601,723 5.2%
Est. 632,323 [1] 5.1%
Source:[26][80] Note:[c]

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the District's population was 632,323 on July 1, a 5.1% increase since the United States Census.[1] The increase continues a growth trend since following a half-century of population decline.[81] The city was the 24th most populous place in the United States as of.[82] According to data from commuters from the suburbs increase the District's daytime population to over one million people.[83] If the District were a state it would rank 49th in population, ahead of Vermont and Wyoming.[1]

Row houses on Logan Circle

The Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes the District and surrounding suburbs, is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States with an estimated 5.7 million residents in.[2] When the Washington area is included with Baltimore and its suburbs, the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area had a population exceeding 8.5 million residents in the fourth-largest combined statistical area in the country.[84]

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the population of Washington, D.C., was 50.1% Black or African American, 42.9% White (35.5% non-Hispanic White), 3.8% Asian, and 0.8% Native American Indian, Alaskan, Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. Individuals from two or more races made up 2.5% of the population. Hispanics of any race made up 9.9% of the District's population.[85]

Washington has had a significant African American population since the city's foundation.[86] African American residents composed about 30% of the District's total population between 1800 and 1940.[26] The black population reached a peak of 70% by 1970, but has since steadily declined due to many African Americans moving to the surrounding suburbs. Partly as a result of gentrification, there was a 31.4% increase in the non-Hispanic white population and an 11.5% decrease in the black population between and.[87]

About 17% of D.C. residents were age 18 or younger in; lower than the U.S. average of 24%. However, at 34 years old, the District had the lowest median age compared to the 50 states.[88] As of there were an estimated 81,734 foreign immigrants living in Washington, D.C.[89] Major sources of immigration include individuals from El Salvador, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, with a concentration of Salvadorans in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.[90]

Researchers found that there were 4,822 same-sex couples in the District of Columbia in; about 2% of total households.[91] Legislation authorizing same-sex marriage passed in and the District began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in March.[92]

A report found that about one-third of District residents were functionally illiterate, compared to a national rate of about one in five. This is attributed in part to immigrants who are not proficient in English.[93] As of 85% of D.C. residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language.[94] Half of residents had at least a four-year college degree in.[89] D.C. residents had a personal income per capita of $55,755; higher than any of the 50 U.S. states.[95] However, 19% of residents were below the poverty level in; higher than any state except Mississippi.[96]

According to data from 28% of residents are Baptists, 13% are Roman Catholic, and 31% are members of other Christian denominations. Residents who practice other faiths make up 6% of the population and 18% do not adhere to a religion.[97]

Over 90% of D.C. residents have health insurance coverage; the second-highest rate in the nation. This is due in part to city programs that help provide insurance to low-income individuals who do not qualify for other types of coverage.[98] A report found that at least 3% of District residents have HIV or AIDS, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterizes as a "generalized and severe" epidemic.[99]

Crime

Main article: Crime in Washington, D.C.

Crime in Washington, D.C., is concentrated in areas associated with poverty, drug abuse, and gangs. A study found that 5% of city blocks contributed to over one-quarter of the District's total crime.[100] The more affluent neighborhoods of Northwest Washington are typically safe, but reports of violent crime increase in poorer neighborhoods generally concentrated in the eastern portion of the city.[100] Approximately 60,000 residents are ex-convicts.[101]

Washington was often described as the "murder capital" of the United States during the early 1990s.[102] The number of murders peaked in at 479, but the level of violence then began to decline significantly.[103] By Washington's annual murder count dropped to 88, the lowest total since 1961.[104] Many neighborhoods such as Columbia Heights and Logan Circle are becoming safer and vibrant. However, incidents of robberies and thefts have remained higher in these areas due to increased nightlife activity and greater numbers of affluent residents.[105] Even still, citywide reports of both property and violent crimes have declined by nearly half since their most recent highs in the mid-1990s.[106]

On June 26, the Supreme Court of the United States held in District of Columbia v. Heller that the city's handgun ban violated the Second Amendment right to gun ownership.[107] However, the ruling does not prohibit all forms of gun control; laws requiring firearm registration remain in place, as does the city's assault weapon ban.[108] In addition to the District's own Metropolitan Police Department, many federal law enforcement agencies have jurisdiction in the city as well; most visibly the U.S. Park Police, founded in 1791.[109]

Economy

See also: Category:Companies based in Washington, D.C. and Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Washington has a growing, diversified economy with an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs.[110] The gross state product of the District in was $103.3 billion, which would rank it No. 34 compared to the 50 U.S. states.[111] The gross product of the Washington Metropolitan Area was $425 billion in making it the fourth-largest metropolitan economy in the United States.[112] As of June the Washington Metropolitan Area had an unemployment rate of 6.2%; the second-lowest rate among the 49 largest metro areas in the nation.[113] The District of Columbia itself had an unemployment rate of 9.8% during the same time period.[114]

Eastern Market on Capitol Hill houses food vendors and artisan stalls.

In the federal government accounted for about 29% of the jobs in Washington, D.C.[115] This is thought to immunize Washington to national economic downturns because the federal government continues operations even during recessions.[116] Many organizations such as law firms, independent contractors (both defense and civilian), non-profit organizations, lobbying firms, trade unions, industry trade groups, and professional associations have their headquarters in or near D.C. to be close to the federal government.[73]

Tourism is Washington's second largest industry. Approximately 18.9 million visitors contributed an estimated $4.8 billion to the local economy in.[117] The District also hosts nearly 200 foreign embassies and international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization. In the foreign diplomatic corps in Washington employed about 10,000 people and contributed an estimated $400 million annually to the local economy.[74]

The District has growing industries not directly related to government, especially in the areas of education, finance, public policy, and scientific research. Georgetown University, George Washington University, Washington Hospital Center, Children's National Medical Center and Howard University are the top five non-government-related employers in the city as of.[118] According to statistics compiled in four of the largest 500 companies in the country were headquartered in the District.[119]

Culture

Historic sites and museums

See also: List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C., National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C., and List of museums in Washington, D.C.
The Lincoln Memorial had over six million visitors in.[117]

The National Mall is a large, open park in downtown Washington between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol. Given its prominence, the mall is often the location of political protests, concerts, festivals, and presidential inaugurations. The Washington Monument and the Jefferson Pier are near the center of the mall, south of the White House. Also on the mall are the National World War II Memorial at the east end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.[120]

Directly south of the mall, the Tidal Basin features rows of Japanese cherry blossom trees that originated as gifts from the nation of Japan.[121] The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, George Mason Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the District of Columbia War Memorial are around the Tidal Basin.[120]

The National Archives houses thousands of documents important to American history including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.[122] Located in three buildings on Capitol Hill, the Library of Congress is the largest library complex in the world with a collection of over 147 million books, manuscripts, and other materials.[123] The United States Supreme Court Building was completed in 1935; before then, the court held sessions in the Old Senate Chamber of the Capitol.[124]

The Smithsonian Institution operates 19 museums and the National Zoo, all free to the public.

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational foundation chartered by Congress in 1846 that maintains most of the nation's official museums and galleries in Washington, D.C. The U.S. government partially funds the Smithsonian, thus making its collections open to the public free of charge.[125] The most visited of the Smithsonian museums in was the National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall.[126] Other Smithsonian Institution museums and galleries on the mall are: the National Air and Space Museum; the National Museum of African Art; the National Museum of American History; the National Museum of the American Indian; the Sackler and Freer galleries, which both focus on Asian art and culture; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; the Arts and Industries Building; the S. Dillon Ripley Center; and the Smithsonian Institution Building (also known as "The Castle"), which serves as the institution's headquarters.[127]

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are housed in the Old Patent Office Building, near Washington's Chinatown.[128] The Renwick Gallery is officially part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum but is in a separate building near the White House. Other Smithsonian museums and galleries include: the Anacostia Community Museum in Southeast Washington; the National Postal Museum near Union Station; and the National Zoo in Woodley Park.[127]

The National Gallery of Art is on the National Mall near the Capitol and features works of American and European art. The gallery and its collections are owned by the U.S. government but are not a part of the Smithsonian Institution.[129] The National Building Museum, which occupies the former Pension Building near Judiciary Square, was chartered by Congress and hosts exhibits on architecture, urban planning, and design.[130]

There are many private art museums in the District of Columbia, which house major collections and exhibits open to the public such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts; the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the largest private museum in Washington;[131] and The Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle, the first museum of modern art in the United States.[132] Other private museums in Washington include the Newseum, the O Street Museum Foundation, the International Spy Museum, the National Geographic Society Museum, and the Marian Koshland Science Museum. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum near the National Mall maintains exhibits, documentation, and artifacts related to the Holocaust.[133]

Arts

Main articles: Theater in Washington, D.C. and Music of Washington, D.C.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on the Potomac River
Mural of Duke Ellington on U Street

Washington, D.C., is a national center for the arts. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. The Kennedy Center Honors are awarded each year to those in the performing arts who have contributed greatly to the cultural life of the United States.[134] The historic Ford's Theatre, site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, continues to operate as a functioning performance space as well as museum.[135]

The Marine Barracks near Capitol Hill houses the United States Marine Band; founded in 1798, it is the country's oldest professional musical organization.[136] American march composer and Washington-native John Philip Sousa led the Marine Band from 1880 until 1892.[137] Founded in 1925, the United States Navy Band has its headquarters at the Washington Navy Yard and performs at official events and public concerts around the city.[138]

Washington has a strong local theater tradition. Founded in 1950, Arena Stage achieved national attention and spurred growth in the city's independent theater movement that now includes organizations such as the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and the Studio Theatre.[139] Arena Stage opened its newly renovated home in the city's emerging Southwest waterfront area in.[140] The GALA Hispanic Theatre, now housed in the historic Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights, was founded in and is a National Center for the Latino Performing Arts.[141]

The U Street Corridor in Northwest D.C., known as "Washington's Black Broadway", is home to institutions like the Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns, and the Lincoln Theatre, which hosted music legends such as Washington-native Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis.[142] Washington has its own native music genre called go-go; a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of R&B that was popularized in the late 1970s by D.C. band leader Chuck Brown.[143]

The District is an important center for indie culture and music in the United States. The label Dischord Records, formed by Ian MacKaye, was one of the most crucial independent labels in the genesis of 1980s punk and eventually indie rock in the 1990s.[144] Modern alternative and indie music venues like The Black Cat and the 9:30 Club bring popular acts to the U Street area.[145]

Sports

Main article: Sports in Washington, D.C.
The Verizon Center in Chinatown

Washington is one of 12 cities in the United States with teams from all four major professional men's sports and is home to one major professional women's team. The Washington Wizards (National Basketball Association), the Washington Capitals (National Hockey League), and the Washington Mystics (Women's National Basketball Association), play at the Verizon Center in Chinatown. Nationals Park, which opened in Southeast D.C. in is home to the Washington Nationals (Major League Baseball). D.C. United (Major League Soccer) plays at RFK Stadium. The Washington Redskins (National Football League) play at nearby FedExField in Landover, Maryland.

Current D.C. teams have won a combined ten professional league championships: the Washington Redskins has won five;[146] D.C. United has won four (the most in MLS history);[147] and the Washington Wizards (then the Washington Bullets) has won a single championship.[148]

Other professional and semi-professional teams in Washington include: the Washington Kastles (World TeamTennis); the Washington D.C. Slayers (American National Rugby League); the Baltimore Washington Eagles (USAFL); the D.C. Divas (Independent Women's Football League); and the Potomac Athletic Club RFC (Rugby Super League). The William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park hosts the Citi Open. Washington is also home to two major annual marathon races: the Marine Corps Marathon, which is held every autumn, and the Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon held in the spring. The Marine Corps Marathon began in and is sometimes called "The People's Marathon" because it is the largest marathon that does not offer prize money to participants.[149]

The District's four NCAA Division I teams have a broad following. The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team is the most notable and also plays at the Verizon Center. Since the District has hosted an annual college football bowl game at RFK Stadium, now called the Military Bowl.[150] The D.C. area is home to one regional sports television network, Comcast SportsNet (CSN), based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Media

Main article: Media in Washington, D.C.
See also: List of newspapers in Washington, D.C. and List of television shows set in Washington, D.C.
Washington's Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874

Washington, D.C. is a prominent center for national and international media. The Washington Post, founded in 1877, is the oldest and most-read local daily newspaper in Washington.[151] It is probably most notable for its coverage of national and international politics and for exposing the Watergate scandal.[152] "The Post", as it is popularly called, had the sixth-highest readership of all news dailies in the country in.[153]

The Washington Post Company has a daily free commuter newspaper called the Express, which summarizes events, sports and entertainment, as well as the Spanish-language paper El Tiempo Latino. Local dailies The Washington Times and The Washington Examiner as well as the alternative weekly Washington City Paper also have substantial readership in the Washington area.[154][155]

Some community and specialty papers focus on neighborhood and cultural issues, including the weekly Washington Blade and Metro Weekly, which focus on LGBT issues; the Washington Informer and The Washington Afro American, which highlight topics of interest to the black community; and neighborhood newspapers published by The Current Newspapers. Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, Politico and Roll Call newspapers focus exclusively on issues related to Congress and the federal government. Other publications based in Washington include the National Geographic magazine and political publications such as The New Republic and Washington Monthly.[156]

The Washington Metropolitan Area is the ninth-largest television media market in the U.S. with two million homes, approximately 2% of the U.S. population.[157] Several media companies and cable television channels have their headquarters in the area, including C-SPAN; Black Entertainment Television (BET); Radio One; the National Geographic Channel; Smithsonian Networks; National Public Radio (NPR); Travel Channel (in Chevy Chase, Maryland); Discovery Communications (in Silver Spring, Maryland); and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (in Arlington, Virginia). The headquarters of Voice of America, the U.S. government's international news service, is near the Capitol in Southwest Washington.[158]

Government

See also: District of Columbia home rule, List of mayors of Washington, D.C., and List of District of Columbia symbols
The John A. Wilson Building houses the offices of the mayor and council of the District of Columbia.

Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution grants the U.S. Congress "exclusive jurisdiction" over the city. The District did not have an elected local government until the passage of the 1973 Home Rule Act. The Act devolved certain Congressional powers to an elected mayor, currently Vincent C. Gray, and the thirteen-member Council of the District of Columbia. However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.[159]

Each of the city's eight wards elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the District as a whole. The council chair is also elected at-large.[160] There are 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration.[161]

The mayor and council set local taxes and a budget, which must be approved by the Congress. The Government Accountability Office and other analysts have estimated that the city's high percentage of tax-exempt property and the inability to set a commuter tax create a structural deficit in the District's local budget of anywhere between $470 million and over $1 billion per year. Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as Medicaid and the operation of the local justice system; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.[162][163]

The city's local government, particularly during the mayoralty of Marion Barry, was criticized for mismanagement and waste.[164] During his administration in 1989, The Washington Monthly magazine claimed that the District had "the worst city government in America."[165] In 1995, at the start of Barry's fourth term, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending.[166] Mayor Anthony Williams won election in and oversaw a period of urban renewal and budget surpluses. The District regained control over its finances in and the oversight board's operations were suspended.[167]

Washington, D.C., observes all federal holidays and also celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16, which commemorates the end of slavery in the District.[25] The flag of Washington, D.C., was adopted in and is a variation on George Washington's family coat of arms.[168]

Voting rights debate

See also: District of Columbia voting rights and Political party strength in Washington, D.C.
The United States Congress has ultimate authority over the District.

The District is not a U.S. state and therefore has no voting representation in the Congress. D.C. residents elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives, currently Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C. At-Large), who may sit on committees, participate in debate, and introduce legislation, but cannot vote on the House floor. The District has no representation in the United States Senate. Unlike residents of U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico or Guam, which also have non-voting delegates, D.C. residents are subject to all U.S. federal taxes.[169] In the financial year D.C. residents and businesses paid $20.7 billion in federal taxes; more than the taxes collected from 19 states and the highest federal taxes per capita.[170]

A poll found that 78% of Americans did not know that residents of the District of Columbia have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states.[171] Efforts to raise awareness about the issue have included campaigns by grassroots organizations and featuring the city's unofficial motto, "Taxation Without Representation", on D.C. vehicle license plates.[172] There is evidence of nationwide approval for D.C. voting rights; various polls indicate that 61 to 82% of Americans believe that D.C. should have voting representation in Congress.[171][173] Despite public support, attempts to grant the District voting representation, including the D.C. statehood movement and the proposed District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, have been unsuccessful.

Opponents of D.C. voting rights propose that the Founding Fathers never intended for District residents to have a vote in Congress since the Constitution makes clear that representation must come from the states. Those opposed to making D.C. a state claim that such a move would destroy the notion of a separate national capital and that statehood would unfairly grant Senate representation to a single city.[174]

Education

See also: List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C. and List of parochial and private schools in Washington, D.C.
Founders Library at Howard University, a historically black university

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) operates the city's 123 public schools.[175] The number of students in DCPS steadily decreased for 39 years until. In the–11 school year, 46,191 students were enrolled in the public school system.[176] DCPS has one of the highest-cost yet lowest-performing school systems in the country, both in terms of infrastructure and student achievement.[177] Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration made sweeping changes to the system by closing schools, replacing teachers, firing principals, and using private education firms to aid curriculum development.[178]

The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board monitors the 52 public charter schools in the city.[179] Due to the perceived problems with the traditional public school system, enrollment in public charter schools has steadily increased.[180] As of fall D.C. charter schools had a total enrollment of about 32,000, a 9% increase from the prior year.[176] The District is also home to 92 private schools, which enrolled approximately 18,000 students in.[181] The District of Columbia Public Library operates 25 neighborhood locations including the landmark Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.[182]

Private universities include American University (AU), the Catholic University of America (CUA), Gallaudet University, George Washington University (GW), Georgetown University (GU), Howard University, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The Corcoran College of Art and Design provides specialized arts instruction and other higher-education institutions offer continuing, distance and adult education. The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is a public university providing undergraduate and graduate education. The District is known for its medical research institutions such as Washington Hospital Center and the Children's National Medical Center, as well as the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In addition, the city is home to three medical schools and associated teaching hospitals at George Washington, Georgetown, and Howard universities.[183]

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Washington, D.C.
Metro Center is the transfer station for the Red, Orange, and Blue Metrorail lines.

According to a study, Washington-area commuters spent 70 hours a year in traffic delays, which tied with Chicago for having the nation's worst road congestion.[184] However, 37% of Washington-area commuters take public transportation to work, the second-highest rate in the country.[185] An additional 12% of D.C. commuters walked to work, 6% carpooled, and 3% traveled by bicycle in.[186] A study by Walk Score found that Washington was the seventh-most walkable city in the country with 80% of residents living in neighborhoods that are not car dependent.[187]

There are 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of streets, parkways, and avenues in the District.[188] Due to the freeway revolts of the 1960s, much of the proposed interstate highway system through the middle of Washington was never built. Interstate 95, the nation's major east coast highway, therefore bends around the District to form the eastern portion of the Capital Beltway. A portion of the proposed highway funding was directed to the region's public transportation infrastructure instead.[189] The interstate highways that do continue into Washington, including Interstate 66 and Interstate 395, both terminate shortly after entering the city.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operates the Washington Metro, the city's rapid transit system, as well as Metrobus. Both systems serve the District and its suburbs. Metro opened on March 27, and presently consists of 86 stations and 106.3 miles (171.1 km) of track.[190] With an average of about one million trips each weekday, Metro is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the country. Metrobus serves over 400,000 riders each weekday and is the nation's sixth-largest bus system.[191] The city also operates its own DC Circulator bus system, which connects commercial areas within central Washington.[192]

Union Station is a transportation hub for passengers on Amtrak, commuter rail lines, and the Washington Metro.

Union Station is the city's main train station and services approximately 70,000 people each day. It is Amtrak's second-busiest station with 4.6 million passengers annually and is the southern terminus for the Northeast Corridor and Acela Express routes. Maryland's MARC and Virginia's VRE commuter trains and the Metrorail Red Line also provide service into Union Station.[193] Following renovations in Union Station became Washington's primary intercity bus transit center.[194]

Three major airports serve the District. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is across the Potomac River from downtown Washington in Arlington, Virginia and primarily handles domestic flights. Major international flights arrive and depart from Washington Dulles International Airport, 26.3 miles (42.3 km) west of the District in Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is 31.7 miles (51.0 km) northeast of the District in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

An expected 32% increase in transit usage within the District by has spurred construction of a new DC Streetcar system to interconnect the city's neighborhoods.[195] Construction has also started on an additional Metro line that will connect Washington to Dulles airport.[196] The District is part of the regional Capital Bikeshare program. Started in it is currently one of the largest bicycle sharing systems in the country with over 1,800 bicycles and 200 stations.[197] The city is expanding a network of marked bicycle lanes which currently exist on 56 miles (90 km) of streets.[198]

Sister cities

Washington, D.C., has thirteen official sister city agreements. Each of the listed cities is a national capital except for Sunderland, which includes the town of Washington, the ancestral home of George Washington's family.[199] Paris and Rome are each formally recognized as a "partner city" due to their special one sister city policy.[200]

City Country Year
Thailand Bangkok Thailand 1962, renewed
Senegal Dakar Senegal 1980, renewed
China Beijing China 1984, renewed
Belgium Brussels Belgium 1985, renewed
Greece Athens Greece 2000
France Paris France 2000, renewed
South Africa Pretoria South Africa 2002, renewed
South Korea Seoul South Korea 2006
Accra Ghana 2006
United Kingdom Sunderland United Kingdom 2006
Italy Rome Italy 2011
Turkey Ankara Turkey 2011
Brazil Brasília Brazil 2013


See also

Washington, D.C. portal

Notes

^[a] By 1790, the Southern states had largely repaid their overseas debts from the Revolutionary War. The Northern states had not, and wanted the federal government to take over their outstanding liabilities. Southern Congressmen agreed to the plan in return for establishing the new national capital at their preferred site on the Potomac River.[8]
^[b] The Residence Act allowed the President to select a location within Maryland as far east as the Anacostia River. However, Washington shifted the federal territory's borders to the southeast in order to include the city of Alexandria at the District's southern tip. In 1791, Congress amended the Residence Act to approve the new site, including territory ceded by Virginia.[9]
^[c] Until 1890, the U.S. Census Bureau counted the City of Washington, Georgetown, and unincorporated portions of Washington County as three separate areas. The data provided in this article from before 1890 are calculated as if the District of Columbia were a single municipality as it is today. Population data for each city prior to 1890 are available.[201]

References

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  2. ↑ McAtee, Waldo Lee (1918). A Sketch of the Natural History of the District of Columbia. Washington, DC: H.L. & J.B. McQueen, Inc.. p. 7. 
  3. ↑ Burr, Charles (1920). "A Brief History of Anacostia, Its Name, Origin and Progress". Records of the Columbia Historical Society 23: 170. 
  4. ↑ Madison, James. "The Federalist No. 43". The Independent Journal. Library of Congress. 
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  107. ↑ "General Information". Library of Congress. February 1,. 
  108. ↑ "The Court Building". Supreme Court of the United States. 
  109. ↑ "About the Smithsonian". Smithsonian Institution. 
  110. ↑ "Visitor Statistics". Smithsonian Institution. 
  111. ↑ 127.0 127.1 "Museum and Program Fact Sheets". Smithsonian Institution. 
  112. ↑ Goodheart, Adam. "Back To The Future". Smithsonian Magazine. 
  113. ↑ "About the National Gallery of Art". National Gallery of Art. 
  114. ↑ "About the National Building Museum". National Building Museum. 
  115. ↑ Trescott, Jacqueline (January 4). "Corcoran hires consultant to help re-imagine museum, art school". The Washington Post. 
  116. ↑ "About The Phillips Collection". The Phillips Collection. 
  117. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. January 14,. 
  118. ↑ "About the Kennedy Center Honors". The Kennedy Center. 
  119. ↑ Rothstein, Edward (February 6). "Where a Comedy Turned to Tragedy". The New York Times. 
  120. ↑ "Who We Are". United States Marine Band. 
  121. ↑ Davison, Marjorie Risk (1969). "History of Music in the District of Columbia". Records of the Columbia Historical Society 66–68: 183. 
  122. ↑ "History". United States Navy Band. 
  123. ↑ Wilmeth, Don B.; C. W. E. Bigsby. The Cambridge history of American theatre. Cambridge University Press. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-521-66959-7. 
  124. ↑ Kravitz, Derek (September 26). "The emerging Southwest: Transformation underway". The Washington Post. 
  125. ↑ "Gala Theatre History". GALA Hispanic Theatre. 
  126. ↑ Levin, Dan (September 10). "Lights Return to 'Black Broadway' in Northwest Washington, D.C.". The New York Times. 
  127. ↑ Wartofsky, Alona (June 3). "What Go-Goes Around ...". The Washington Post: p. G01. 
  128. ↑ Constantinou, Costas M.. Cultures and politics of global communication. Cambridge University Press. p. 203. ISBN 9780521727112. 
  129. ↑ "Black Cat: A changing club with a changing scene in a changing city". The Georgetown Voice. September 9,. 
  130. ↑ "History by Decades". Washington Redskins. 
  131. ↑ "D.C. United History & Tradition". D.C. United. 
  132. ↑ "NBA Finals: All-Time Champions". National Basketball Association.. 
  133. ↑ "MCM History". Marine Corps Marathon. 
  134. ↑ "History of the Post".. 
  135. ↑ "The Watergate Story Timeline". The Washington Post. 
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  137. ↑ "Times circulation climbs to buck trend". The Washington Times. May 18,. 
  138. ↑ "Washington City Paper". Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. 
  139. ↑ "District of Columbia,". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. 
  140. ↑ "US TV Households Up 1.5% – Asian, Hispanic Households Triple That". Nielsen Media Research. September 27,. 
  141. ↑ "About VOA". Voice of America. 
  142. ↑ "DC Home Rule". Council of the District of Columbia. 
  143. ↑ "Current Elected Officials in DC". D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. 
  144. ↑ "About ANC". Government of the District of Columbia. 
  145. ↑ Powell, Michael (July 20). "Poor Management, Federal Rule, Undermine Services". The Washington Post: p. A01. 
  146. ↑ DeParle, Jason (January 1). "The worst city government in America.". The Washington Monthly. 
  147. ↑ Janofsky, Michael (April 8). "Congress creates board to oversee Washington, D.C.". The New York Times. 
  148. ↑ DeBonis, Mike (January 30). "After 10 years, D.C. control board is gone but not forgotten". The Washington Post. 
  149. ↑ Glaser, Jason. Washington, D.C.. Capstone. p. 55. ISBN 978-0736822046. 
  150. ↑ "Individuals Living or Working in U.S. Possessions". Internal Revenue Service. 
  151. ↑ "'Taxation without Representation' Tags". District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles. 
  152. ↑ "Washington Post Poll: D.C. Voting Rights". The Washington Post. April 23,. 
  153. ↑ Fortier, John (May 17). "The D.C. colony". The Hill. 
  154. ↑ "School Opening Report". District of Columbia Public Schools. 
  155. ↑ 176.0 176.1 "DC Public School Enrollment Up for Third Straight Year". Office of the State Superintendent of Education. November 7,. 
  156. ↑ Settimi, Christina (July 5). "Best And Worst School Districts For The Buck". Forbes. 
  157. ↑ Haynes, V. Dion; Bill Turque (May 16). "Rhee Offers Plan To Improve D.C.'s Troubled Schools". The Washington Post: p. B01. 
  158. ↑ "SYCharter School Profile". D.C. Public Charter School Board. 
  159. ↑ Haynes, V. Dion; Theola Labbe (April 25). "A Boom for D.C. Charter Schools". The Washington Post: pp. A01. 
  160. ↑ "Table 15. Number of private schools, students, full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, and–07 high school graduates, by state: United States,–08". National Center for Education Statistics.. 
  161. ↑ "In Your Neighborhood". D.C. Public Library. 
  162. ↑ Bowman, Inci A.. "Historic Medical Sites in the Washington, DC Area". U.S. National Library of Medicine. 
  163. ↑ Halsey III, Ashley (January 20). "Washington area tied with Chicago for traffic congestion, study finds". The Washington Post. 
  164. ↑ Christie, Les (June 29). "New Yorkers are top transit users". CNNMoney. 
  165. ↑ "District of Columbia Commuting Characteristics by Sex". American Community Survey. United States Census Bureau. 
  166. ↑ "D.C. among top 10 most walkable cities". WTOP. August 8,. 
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  168. ↑ Schrag, Zachary. "Chapter 5: The Bridge". The Great Society Subway. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 9780801889066. 
  169. ↑ "About DC Circulator". DC Circulator. 
  170. ↑ "Union Station gets new bus depot". WJLA-TV. November 15,. 
  171. ↑ "History – DC Streetcar". District Department of Transportation. 
  172. ↑ "Dulles Metrorail Project Overview". Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. 
  173. ↑ "About Capital Bikeshare". Alta Bicycle Share, Inc.. 
  174. ↑ "Bicycle Program". District Department of Transportation. 
  175. ↑ "DC Sister Cities". D.C. Office of the Secretary. 
  176. ↑ "Twinning with Rome". Ville de Paris. 
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