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{{Infobox City|official_name = Washington, D.C.|nickname =
DC,
The District|motto =
Justitia Omnibus (
Justice for All)|image_skyline = WashMonument WhiteHouse.jpg|image_flag = Flag of Washington, D.C..svg|image_seal = Seal-DC.png|image_map = DC_locator_map_with_state_names_w_usmap.png|mapsize = 260px|map_caption = Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia|subdivision_type = List of countries|subdivision_name =
United States|subdivision_name1 = District of Columbia|leader_title = [List of mayors of Washington, D.C.|leader_title1 =
Council of the District of Columbia|leader_name = Adrian Fenty (
Democratic Party (United States))|leader_name1 = Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D)
Ward 1: Jim Graham (D)
Ward 2: Jack Evans (D.C. Council) (D)
Ward 3: Mary Cheh (D)
Ward 4: Muriel Bowser (D)
Ward 5:
Harry Thomas, Jr. (D)
Ward 6: Tommy Wells (D)
Ward 7: Yvette Alexander (D)
Ward 8:
Marion Barry (D)
At-Large: Carol Schwartz (
Republican Party (United States))
At-Large: David Catania (
Independent (politician))
At-Large:
Phil Mendelson (D)
At-Large:
Kwame R. Brown (D)],
1790|utc_offset = -5|timezone_DST = [Eastern Time Zone (North America)|utc_offset_DST = -4|latd=38 |latm=53 |lats=42.4 |latNS=N|longd=77 |longm=02 |longs=12.0 |longEW=W|elevation_ft = 0–410|elevation_m = 0–125|Area_code = Area code 202|website = http://www.dc.gov/-->
Washington, D.C. is the
capital of the United States, situated within the
District of Columbia (abbreviated as "D.C."). The city and the district are located on the banks of the
Potomac River and bordered by the U.S. state of Virginia (to the west) and Maryland (to the north, east and south). The city was planned and developed in the late 18th century to serve as the permanent national capital; the
Capital districts and territories was formed to keep the national capital distinct from the states. The city was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.
Columbia (name) in this context is an early poetic name for the United States, a reference to Christopher Columbus, an early
European explorer of Americas. The city is commonly referred to as
Washington,
The District, or simply
D.C. In the 19th century, it was called the
Federal City or
Washington City.
The centers of all three branches of the Federal government of the United States are in the District. Also situated in the city are the headquarters for the
World Bank Group, the
International Monetary Fund, the
Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other national and international institutions including labor unions and professional associations. Washington is the frequent location of political Demonstration (people) and protests, large and small, particularly on the
National Mall. A center of American history and culture, Washington is a popular destination for tourists, the site of numerous National Historic Landmarks and monuments, the world's largest museum complex (the Smithsonian Institution), galleries, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers and institutions, and native music scenes.
The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are governed by a single municipal government and for most practical purposes, are considered to be the same entity. This has not always been the case - until 1871, when Georgetown, Washington, D.C. ceased to be a separate city, there were multiple jurisdictions within the District. Georgetown Historic District, National Park Service. Accessed June 6, 2007. "Congress incorporated Georgetown as part of Washington City in 1871." Although there is a municipal government and a
Mayor, United States Congress has the supreme authority over the city and district, which results in citizens having less self-governance than residents of the states. The District has a non-voting at-large Congressional representative. In the financial year 2004, federal tax collections were $16.9 billionhttp://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/04db06co.xls while federal spending in the District was $37.6 billion.http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/11000.html
The population of the District of Columbia is about 581,530 persons. The
Washington Metropolitan Area is the eighth largest in the United States with more than five million residents, and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area has a population exceeding eight million. If Washington, D.C., were a
U.S. state, it would rank last in area (behind Rhode Island), 50th in population (ahead of Wyoming), first in population density, and 35th in gross state product.
History
The District of Columbia, founded on
July 16, 1790, is a federal district as specified by the United States Constitution. The U.S. Congress has ultimate authority over the District of Columbia, though it has delegated considerable authority to the municipal government. The land forming the original District came from the state of Maryland and Commonwealth of Virginia. However, the area south of the
Potomac River (39 square miles or about 100 km²) was returned, or "
retrocession (District of Columbia)," to Virginia in 1847 and now is incorporated into Arlington County, Virginia and the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Since 1847, the remaining land that forms the area now known as the District of Columbia is exclusively "sitting" on land that belongs to Maryland (defunct land in the state of Maryland since 1790).
Planning
A
Southern United States site for the new country's capital was agreed upon at a dinner between
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, hosted by
Thomas Jefferson. The site was part of the deal that led to the new national government's assumption of debts from the Revolutionary War. (The southern states had largely paid off their war debts; collectivizing debt was to northern advantage, so a southern capital was a compromise) The city's plan was largely the work of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French-born architect, engineer and city planner who first arrived in the American colonies as a military engineer with
Major General Marquis de la Fayette. L'Enfant drew up a basic plan for Washington, D.C. in 1791; the city layout owed much to the
Baroque style, which was the dominant style in many North American and European list of planned cities of the day. The plan incorporated broad avenues and major streets which radiate out from traffic circles, providing vistas towards important landmarks and monuments. While all of the original colonies had avenues named for them, the most prominent states received more prestigious locations under
Andrew Ellicott's later plan for the city. Massachusetts Avenue was the northernmost of three principal east-west arteries, Virginia Avenue the southernmost, and Pennsylvania Avenue was given the honor of connecting the White House to the planned Capitol building. In the original plan, all three roads reached neighboring Georgetown.
The initial plan for the "Federal District" was a diamond, measuring 10 miles (16 kilometre) on each side, totaling 100 square miles (256 km²). The actual site on the Potomac River was chosen by President Washington. Washington may have chosen the site for its natural scenery, believing that the
Patowmack Canal would transform the Potomac into a great navigable waterway leading to the Ohio and the American interior. The city was officially named "Washington" on
September 9, 1791. Washington: Symbol and City,
National Building Museum. Accessed
June 6, 2007. " President Washington devoted his attention to the federal city, which was named for him on September 9, 1791." Out of modesty, George Washington never referred to it as such, preferring to call it "the Federal City." "Federal City",
Time (magazine), May 6, 1929. Accessed June 6,
2007. "President Washington picked the site—100 sq mi. ceded by Maryland and Virginia to the U. S. at the head of tide water. He called the new Capital
The Federal City." Despite choosing the site and living nearby at
Mount Vernon (plantation), he rarely visited the city. The federal district was named the District of Columbia because Historical Columbia was a poetic name for the United States used at the time, which was close to the 300th
anniversary of
Christopher Columbus first voyage to the Americas in 1492. map of Washington, D.C.Initially, the District of Columbia included four distinct sections, of which the city of Washington was only one. The others were
Alexandria County, D.C.,
Georgetown, Washington, D.C. and the
Washington County, D.C.. Georgetown occupied its current boundaries. Alexandria County included parts of the present-day City of Alexandria, as well as the current Arlington County, Virginia. Washington City occupied much of its current area but ended at present-day
Rock Creek Park on the west and Florida Avenue and Benning Road on the north. Florida Avenue was then called "Boundary Street." The remainder of the district was Washington County.
In 1791–92, Andrew Ellicott and
Benjamin Banneker surveyed the border of the District with both Maryland and Virginia, placing List of Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia; many of these still stand.
The cornerstone of the White House, the first newly constructed building of the new capital, was laid on October 13,
1792.Sidey, Hugh. "Romance of the Stone: Mystery lingers: Where did those Freemasons put that White House cornerstone back in 1792?",
CNN, October 2,
2000. "There is no doubt that on the afternoon of Oct. 13, 1792, a group of Freemasons marched from Georgetown to the site of what is now the White House and laid a cornerstone." That was the day after the first celebrations of
Columbus Day in the United States. Today in History: October 12,
Library of Congress. Accessed
June 6, 2007. "The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place on October 12, 1792. Organized by The Society of St. Tammmany, also known as the Columbian Order, it commemorated the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landing."
19th century
On August 24,
1814, British forces Burning of Washington during the most notable raid of the War of 1812 in retaliation for the
Battle of York of
York, Upper Canada (modern-day
Toronto) during the winter months, which had left many Canadians homeless. President
James Madison and U.S. forces fled before the British forces arrived and burned public buildings, including the United States Capitol and the
United States Department of the Treasury building. The White House was burned and gutted. The Washington Navy Yard was also burned — by American sailors — to keep ships and stores from falling into the hands of the British. The home of the
Commandant of the Marine Corps, located at the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., was one of the few government buildings not burned by the raiding British soldiers out of a sign of respect and is now the oldest public building in continuous use in the nation's capital. The Patent Office was also spared, as a result of the Superintendent of Patents pleading with British soldiers and contending that destroying the store of knowledge therein would be a disservice to mankind. Civilians were not directly targeted and, initially, the British had approached the city hoping to secure a truce. However, they were fired upon, triggering frustration and anger among the British, which ultimately led to the sacking of government buildings. "The British Burn Washington, DC, 1814". EyeWitness to History, eyewitnesstohistory.com (2003).
During the 1830s, the District was home to one of the largest
slave trading operations in the country (see
Alexandria, Virginia).
In 1846, the population of Alexandria County, who resented the loss of business with the competing port of Georgetown and feared greater impact if slavery were outlawed in the capital, voted in a referendum to ask Congress to
retrocession (District of Columbia) Alexandria back to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Congress agreed to do so on July 9 of that year. The slave trade, though not slavery, in the capital was outlawed as part of the
Compromise of 1850.
Washington remained a small city — the
United States Census, 1860 put the population at just over 75,000 people — until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war and its legacies such as veterans' pensions led to notable growth in the city's population, as did a large influx of freed slaves. By 1870, the District population had grown to nearly 132,000.
In July 1864, Confederate States of America forces under Jubal Anderson Early made a brief raid into Washington, culminating in the Battle of Fort Stevens. The Confederates were repelled, and Early eventually returned to the Shenandoah Valley. The
Fort Stevens (Washington, D.C.) is located near present day
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in northwest Washington. This was the only battle where a U.S. president,
Abraham Lincoln, was present and under enemy fire while in office. Rock Creek Park - National Park Service www.nps.gov (accessed April 03 2006)
In the early 1870s, Washington was given a territorial government, but Governor
Alexander Robey Shepherd's reputation for extravagance resulted in Congress abolishing his office in favor of direct rule. Congressional governance of the District would continue for a century.
In 1878, Congress passed an Organic Act that made the boundaries of the city of Washington coterminous with those of the District of Columbia. This effectively eliminated Washington County; Georgetown, technically made a part of the city, was allowed to remain nominally separate until 1895 when it was formally combined with Washington.
The
Washington Monument, with construction stalled by other priorities, finally opened in 1888. Plans were laid to further develop the monumental aspects of the city, with work contributed by such noted figures as
Frederick Law Olmsted and
Daniel Burnham. However, development of the Lincoln Memorial,
Jefferson Memorial and other structures on the National Mall, and construction of
Potomac Park did not begin until the early 20th century.
20th century
The many Depression relief agencies created by Franklin Roosevelt's
New Deal, followed by World War II, brought a great increase to the city's population. Roommates doubled up in scarce apartments and competed for space on buses and trolleys, as reported in David Brinkley's book. The District's population peaked in 1950, when the census for that year recorded a record population of 802,178 people." Anniversary of Washington, D.C., as Nation’s Capital."
United States Census Bureau (Facts for Features). December 1,
2003. Retrieved on April 28, 2006. At the time, the city was the ninth-largest in the country, just ahead of
Boston, Massachusetts and close behind St. Louis, Missouri. The population declined in the following decades, mirroring the suburban emigration from many of the nation's older urban centers following
World War II and the racial integration of public schools.
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on March 29, 1961, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to vote for president and have their votes count in the U.S. Electoral College as long as Washington, D.C. does not have more electoral votes than the least populous state.
After the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4,
1968,
1968 Washington, D.C. riots broke out in some sections of the city. The violence raged for four days, and buildings were burned. At one point, the rioters came within two blocks of the White House. President Lyndon Johnson ordered over 13,000 federal troops to occupy the city--the largest occupation of an American city since the Civil War. It took years for the city to recover.
One of the most important developments in bringing people back downtown was the building of the subway system. The first 4.6 miles (7.4 km) of the Washington Metro
metro system opened on March 27, 1976. Today the system knits together Washington and its suburbs with a network of 86 stations and of track.
In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Self-Rule and Governmental Reorganization Act, providing for an elected mayor and council for the District. As a result, Walter Washington became the first elected mayor of the District in 1975. Marion Barry became mayor in 1979 and served three successive terms; however, after his arrest for
recreational drug use in an
FBI sting operation on
January 18, 1990, and his sentence to a six-month jail term, he did not seek re-election. His successor,
Sharon Pratt Kelly, became the first black woman to lead a U.S. city of Washington's size and importance. Barry, however, ran again in 1994, defeating her in the Democratic primary and once again becoming mayor. During his fourth term, the city nearly became insolvent and was forced to give up some home rule to a congressionally-appointed financial control board. In 1998,
Anthony A. Williams was elected the city's mayor and led the city into a fiscal recovery. In 2006, Adrian M. Fenty was elected mayor. Among Mayor Fenty's many promises are increased attention to every citizen of the city and a world class atmosphere in business and residence.
During the 1970s, many in the District referred to it as "Chocolate City," in honor of the city's
African-American culture and to promote cultural awareness. Popularized by two local
disk jockeys, the nickname was also a reference to the 1975 album "Chocolate City" by
Parliament-Funkadelic. While the nickname never caught on permanently, it was a poignant reminder of the contributions to the city over the years by such icons as
Duke Ellington, Chuck Brown, and other African-American performers.{{cite web]|publisher = The Washington Post-->
21st century
On
September 11, 2001 attacks,
American Airlines Flight 77 a Boeing 757 was hijacked and deliberately crashed into the
The Pentagon at 9:37AM, just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, causing a partial collapse of one side of the building.
Al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah told American officials while under interrogation that the
White House was the intended target, "White House target of Flight 93, officials say",
CNN.com,
May 23, 2002. while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh have said that the United States Capitol Building was the intended target of the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93.
On September 29, 2004,
Major League Baseball officially relocated the
Montreal Expos to Washington for the 2005 season, despite opposition from Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos. The new team was christened the
Washington Nationals. Controversy between the city council and MLB threatened to scuttle the agreement until December 21,
2004 when a plan for a Nationals Ballpark in Washington, D.C. (southeast) was finalized. The Nationals will play at
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium until the new stadium is ready on the
Anacostia River waterfront in 2008. Jeff.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060313&content_id=1348677&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was "New ballpark design unveiled: Nationals aiming to begin play in new stadium in 2008", [MLB.com,
March 14, 2006. Accessed
June 14, 2007.
Additionally, the city has experienced tremendous growth in the areas of Massachusetts Avenue, NoMa, Washington, D.C. (North of Massachusetts), the
Southwest Waterfront, the
Shaw, Washington, D.C./
U Street Corridor and H Street (Washington, D.C.), with tens of thousands of condos, apartments and retail shops opening. This growth has been dubbed
gentrification by many, as the areas experiencing growth had been blighted for many years prior.
Geography
Topography
, Washington, D.C. (northeast), Washington, D.C. (southeast) and
Washington, D.C. (southwest). The axes bounding the
Address (geography)#Quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.Washington, D.C. is located at (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on the President's Park). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177.0
km²). 61.4 square miles (159.0 km²) of it is land and 6.9 square miles (18.0 km²) of it (10.16%) is water.
Washington is surrounded by the U.S. states of Maryland (on its southeast, northeast and northwest sides) and Virginia (on its western side); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the
Potomac River's southern shore both upstream and downstream from the District. The Potomac River as it passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District of Columbia border because of colonial riparian rights between Maryland and Virginia.
The District has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River and
Rock Creek (Potomac River). The Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac River. There are also three man-made
reservoir (water):
Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District from Maryland; McMillan Reservoir near
Howard University; and Georgetown Reservoir upstream of Georgetown.
The highest point in the District of Columbia is 410 foot (unit of length) (125 m) above sea level at Tenleytown. The lowest point is sea level, which occurs along all of the Anacostia shore and all of the Potomac shore except the uppermost portion (the Little Falls - Chain Bridge area). The sea level Tidal Basin rose eleven feet during
Hurricane Isabel on September 18, 2003.
The geographic center of the District of Columbia is located near 4th Street NW, L Street NW and New York Avenue NW (not under the Capitol Dome, as is sometimes said).
Geographical features of Washington, D.C. include Theodore Roosevelt Island,
Columbia Island (District of Columbia), the Three Sisters (District of Columbia) and Hains Point.
Climate
Washington is in the northern periphery of the
humid subtropical climate zone. Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic States areas removed from bodies of water, with four distinct seasons. Summer tends to be hot and humid with daily high temperatures in July and August averaging in the high 80s to low 90s (in °Fahrenheit; about 30° to 33 °Celsius). The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area. The combination of heat and humidity can also be reminiscent of a true
tropical climate. Spring and fall are mild with high temperatures in April and October averaging in the high 60s to low 70s (about 20 °C). Winter brings sustained cool temperatures and occasional snowfall. Average highs tend to be in the low 40s (6 to 8 °C) and lows in the mid 20s (-5 to -2 °C) from mid-December to mid-February. http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/garden/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/21211?from=36hr_bottomnav_garden] While
tropical cyclones (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, they have often weakened by the time they reach Washington partly because of the city's inland location. Flooding of the Potomac River, however—caused by a combination of high tide,
storm surge, and storm surface runoff—has been known to cause extensive property damage in Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Spring is generally the most favorable time of year, with low humidity, mild temperatures and blooming foliage. This period generally lasts from late March until mid May. Temperatures of the Dulles Airport area and suburbs to the west and south are on average 6 to 7 °F (3 °C) cooler than Washington year-round.
The average annual snowfall is 15
inches (381
millimetres) and the average high temperature in January is 41 °F (5 °C); the average low for January is 27 °F (-3 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on
July 20,
1930 and August 6, 1918 and the lowest recorded temperature was -15 °F (-26 °C) on February 11,
1899.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;"|Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures|-! style="background: #F3552E; color: #000000" height="17" | Month! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Dec|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec High °F| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 75| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 79| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 89| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 93| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 97| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 100| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 104| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 104| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 99| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 90| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 84| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 79|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Norm High °F| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 41.4| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 45.5| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 55| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 65.9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 74.6| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 82.8| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 87.4| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 85.9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 78.9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 67.7| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 56.5| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 45.9|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Norm Low °F| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 21.9| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 24.1| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 31.8| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 40.2| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 49.9| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 59| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 64| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 62.8| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 55.6| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 42.3| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 33.8| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 26|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec Low °F| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -18| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -14| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -1| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 17| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 28| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 36| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 41| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 38| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 30| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 15| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -4|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Precip (in)| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.05| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 2.77| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.55| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.22| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 4.22| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 4.07| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.57| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.78| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.82| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.37| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.31| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.07|-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
Source: USTravelWeather.com Historical Washington Weather Data|}
Nature
Washington, D.C. has many natural areas and birdwatching spots inside the city. D.C.'s parks and natural areas include Anacostia Park, the United States National Arboretum, the very large Rock Creek Park, the
Smithsonian National Zoological Park,
Theodore Roosevelt Island, the C&O Canal, the Potomac River and the Anacostia River. The ubiquitous Federal presence and land management responsibilities in Washington, D.C. make the area a crucible for applied research and adaptive management for urban ecosystems such as the restoration of Kenilworth Marsh,http://www.biohabitats.com/ndg_newsite/projectprofiles/KenilworthMarshFreshwaterTidalWetlandRestoration.pdf a remnant of the original tidal marshes of Washington, D.C. on the Anacostia River. Despite its intensely urbanized landscape, the District of Columbia is a center for research on urban wildlife management,http://www.ddoe.dc.gov/ddoe/cwp/view,a,1210,q,494364,ddoeNav,%7C31007%7C,.asp urban stream restoration, and the aquatic ecology of urban streams. The National Park Service's Center For Urban Ecologyhttp://www.nps.gov/cue/index.htm is a regional source of expertise and applied science on "land use change and urban development, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem processes" for the region.
The Potomac River, flowing through Washington, D.C., has been called one of the wildest urban rivers in the Nation. The Potomac Gorgehttp://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/preserves/art662.html once surveyed by George Washington for a
Patowmack Canal that would allow barge traffic to bypass the Great Falls of the Potomac River (at the boundary between the Piedmont and coastal plain) is considered one of the most significant natural areas in the entire National Park System.http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/news/news1981.html The river, once called a national disgrace by President Lyndon Johnson, is now home to a vibrant warm water fishery. Professional bass tournaments have been held within view of the Jefferson Memorial, and naturally reproducing Bald Eagles have returned to its banks.
Culture
Tourism
Washington is home to numerous national landmarks and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. The
National Mall is a large, open park area in the center of the city featuring many monuments to American leaders; it also serves to connect the White House and the United States Capitol buildings. Located prominently in the center of the Mall is the
Washington Monument. Other notable points of interest near the Mall include the Jefferson Memorial (see right), Lincoln Memorial,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
District of Columbia War Memorial,
Albert Einstein Memorial, and
United States Navy Memorial.
The world famous
Smithsonian Institution is located in the District. The Smithsonian today is a collection of free museums that includes the
Anacostia Museum,
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
Hirshhorn Museum,
National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian,
National Museum of Natural History,
National Portrait Gallery (United States), National Postal Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Renwick Gallery and
Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
There are many art museums in D.C., in addition to those that are part of the Smithsonian, including the free National Gallery of Art,
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art and Phillips Collection.
The Library of Congress and the
National Archives and Records Administration house thousands of documents covering every period in American history. Some of the more notable documents in the National Archives include the United States Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution and United States Bill of Rights.
The District of Columbia operates its own
public library system with 27 branches throughout the city. The main branch — which occupies a multi-story glass and steel-framed building at the intersection of 9th and G Streets, N.W., designed by modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe — is known as the
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library." Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library - A Brief History."
DC Library. Retrieved on
August 31,
2006. It has a large mural in its main hall depicting the civil rights leader.
Other points of interest in the District include Arena Stage,
Chinatown, Washington, D.C., Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the
Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family (across the street from the Basilica Shrine),
Blair House, Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Folger Shakespeare Library, Ford's Theatre,
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site,
International Spy Museum,
National Building Museum,
National Geographic Society, The Awakening (Johnson sculpture),
Old Post Office Building (Washington),
Theodore Roosevelt Island, Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the
Washington National Cathedral.
Performing arts
Washington is a major national center for the arts, with many venues for the performing arts in the city.
Arena Stage, one of the first non-profit regional theaters in the nation, is rich with history and produces an eight-show season ranging from classics to world premieres, dedicated to the American canon of theater. The
Shakespeare Theatre Company is regarded as one of the world's great Shakespeare troupes. Numerous other professional theaters, such as The Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth, and venues such as the National Theatre (Washington, D.C.), make the city a major theater center. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts the
National Symphony Orchestra (United States), the Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet, and a variety of other musical and stage performances.
The Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.) hosted the likes of
Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald on U Street Corridor (known as "Washington's Black Broadway") prior to the 1968 riots. Notable local music clubs include
Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Adams Morgan; Blues Alley in Georgetown; the Eighteenth Street Lounge in the Dupont Circle district; and the the Black Cat (nightclub), the
9:30 Club, the Bohemian Caverns jazz club, the Twins jazz clubs, all in the
U Street NW area. The U Street area actually contains more than two dozen bars, clubs, and restaurants that feature jazz either nightly or several times a week.
Notable Washingtonians in the entertainment industry include singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, film actress
Merle Oberon, comedian David Chappelle, musician
Duke Ellington, filmmaker
Ted Salins and two members of the rock group
Jefferson Airplane: guitarist
Jorma Kaukonen and bass player Jack Cassidy.
Music
D.C. has its own native music genre, called go-go, a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of
R&B that blends live sets with relentless dance rhythms, so-called because they "go and go and go." The most accomplished practitioner of go-go was D.C. band leader Chuck Brown, who brought go-go to the brink of national recognition with his 1979 LP
Bustin' Loose. Go-Go band and Washington natives
Experience Unlimited (E.U.) hit the American pop charts in 1988 with their memorable dance tune "Da Butt" Other notable go-go bands include
Rare Essence,
Trouble Funk,
Junkyard Band,
Backyard Band, and the Northeast Groovers.
Washington was an important center in the genesis of punk rock in the United States. Punk bands of note from Washington include
Tru Fax & the Insaniacs, the Slickee Boys, Fugazi (band), Bad Brains,
the Dismemberment Plan,
Government Issue, and Minor Threat. Washingtonians continue to support punk bands, long after the punk movement's popularity peaked. The region also has a significant
indie rock history and was home to TeenBeat Records, Dischord Records and
Simple Machines Records, among other indie record labels.
Television shows
There have been several television series that have featured the District. Most of these have been related to government (
The West Wing (TV series) and Commander in Chief (TV series)) or security organizations (
The District,
Get Smart, and, most famously,
The X-Files). Other programs had the nation's capital as a secondary focus, using it merely as a city setting. For instance,
Murphy Brown focused on the lives of the reporters of the (fictional) Washington-based television newsmagazine,
FYI. The soap opera
Capitol (TV series) allowed for stories about political intrigue alongside the traditional class struggle sagas. The sitcom
227 (TV series) portrayed the life of the
African American majority as seen through the eyes of residents in a Washington apartment building.
Cory in the House on
The Disney Channel uses Washington, D.C. as a backdrop. There are also many movies shot and filmed in the city yearly.
Sports
{| class=wikitable! Club! Sport! League! Venue|-|
D.C. United|[Major League Soccer, Eastern Conference (MLS)|Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|-|
Washington D.C. Slayers|[American National Rugby League|-|[Legg Mason Tennis Classic|[U.S. Open Series|-|[Washington Bayhawks|[Major League Lacrosse|-|[Washington Capitals|[National Hockey League,
Eastern Conference (NHL),
Southeast Division (NHL)|
Verizon Center|[Basketball, Eastern Conference|[Verizon Center|[Baseball; [National League,
NL East|
Nationals Park|[American Football|
National Football League; National Football Conference, NFC East|
FedExField (
Landover, Maryland)]|Basketball
; [Eastern Conference (NBA), Southeast Division|Verizon Center and [Washington CapitalsOther professional and semi-professional teams based in D.C. include the
Australian rules football Baltimore Washington Eagles, the National Women's Football Association D.C. Divas, the
Minor League Football D.C. Explosion, the Washington Rugby Football Club rugby union team of the Rugby Super League (US), as well as a host of others playing in the
Potomac Rugby Union and the
cricket. It was also home to the Women's United Soccer Association Washington Freedom, from 1987 to 1989 home of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's
Washington Wave, and during the
2000 NLL season–2002 NLL season
National Lacrosse League seasons, the Washington Power was based in the city. In
rugby league, the Washington D.C. Slayers play in the
American National Rugby League.
There were two
Major League Baseball teams named the Washington Senators in the early and mid-20th century, which left to become respectively the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers (baseball). In the
Washington Senators#19th century baseball in Washington, the town was home to teams called the Washington Nationals, Washington Statesmen, and Washington Senators on and off from the 1870s to the turn of the century.
Washington was home to several Negro League baseball teams, including the Homestead Grays,
Washington Black Senators, Baltimore Elite Giants,
Washington Pilots, and Washington Potomacs.
The Verizon Center in Chinatown, home to the Capitals, Mystics, Wizards and the
Georgetown Hoyas, is also a major venue for concerts,
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestling, and other events, having replaced the old
Capital Centre. Since its opening in 1997, the arena has served as a catalyst of prosperity in Chinatown. Office buildings, high-end condominiums, restaurant chains, movie theatres, and other luxuries have sprung up around Chinatown.
The city's soccer team, DC United, is the most successful franchise in MLS history, with 4 league championships and 10 total tournament victories, both league hig
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Vincent C. Gray (D)
Ward 1: Jim Graham (D)
Ward 2: Jack Evans (D.C. Council) (D)
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Washington, D.C. is the
capital of the United States, situated within the
District of Columbia (abbreviated as "D.C."). The city and the district are located on the banks of the
Potomac River and bordered by the U.S. state of Virginia (to the west) and
Maryland (to the north, east and south). The city was planned and developed in the late 18th century to serve as the permanent national capital; the
Capital districts and territories was formed to keep the national capital distinct from the states. The city was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.
Columbia (name) in this context is an early poetic name for the United States, a reference to Christopher Columbus, an early
European explorer of Americas. The city is commonly referred to as
Washington,
The District, or simply
D.C. In the 19th century, it was called the
Federal City or
Washington City.
The centers of all three branches of the Federal government of the United States are in the District. Also situated in the city are the headquarters for the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund, the
Organization of American States, the
Inter-American Development Bank, and other national and international institutions including labor unions and professional associations. Washington is the frequent location of political
Demonstration (people) and protests, large and small, particularly on the National Mall. A center of American history and culture, Washington is a popular destination for tourists, the site of numerous
National Historic Landmarks and monuments, the world's largest museum complex (the
Smithsonian Institution), galleries, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers and institutions, and native music scenes.
The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are governed by a single municipal government and for most practical purposes, are considered to be the same entity. This has not always been the case - until 1871, when Georgetown, Washington, D.C. ceased to be a separate city, there were multiple jurisdictions within the District. Georgetown Historic District,
National Park Service. Accessed
June 6, 2007. "Congress incorporated Georgetown as part of Washington City in 1871." Although there is a municipal government and a Mayor,
United States Congress has the supreme authority over the city and district, which results in citizens having less self-governance than residents of the states. The District has a non-voting at-large Congressional representative. In the financial year 2004, federal tax collections were $16.9 billionhttp://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/04db06co.xls while federal spending in the District was $37.6 billion.http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/11000.html
The population of the District of Columbia is about 581,530 persons. The Washington Metropolitan Area is the eighth largest in the United States with more than five million residents, and the
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area has a population exceeding eight million. If Washington, D.C., were a
U.S. state, it would rank last in area (behind Rhode Island), 50th in population (ahead of Wyoming), first in population density, and 35th in
gross state product.
History
The District of Columbia, founded on
July 16, 1790, is a federal district as specified by the
United States Constitution. The U.S. Congress has ultimate authority over the District of Columbia, though it has delegated considerable authority to the municipal government. The land forming the original District came from the state of
Maryland and Commonwealth of Virginia. However, the area south of the Potomac River (39 square miles or about 100 km²) was returned, or "
retrocession (District of Columbia)," to Virginia in 1847 and now is incorporated into Arlington County, Virginia and the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Since 1847, the remaining land that forms the area now known as the District of Columbia is exclusively "sitting" on land that belongs to Maryland (defunct land in the state of Maryland since 1790).
Planning
A
Southern United States site for the new country's capital was agreed upon at a dinner between James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, hosted by Thomas Jefferson. The site was part of the deal that led to the new national government's assumption of debts from the Revolutionary War. (The southern states had largely paid off their war debts; collectivizing debt was to northern advantage, so a southern capital was a compromise) The city's plan was largely the work of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French-born architect, engineer and city planner who first arrived in the American colonies as a military engineer with
Major General Marquis de la Fayette. L'Enfant drew up a basic plan for Washington, D.C. in 1791; the city layout owed much to the
Baroque style, which was the dominant style in many North American and European list of planned cities of the day. The plan incorporated broad avenues and major streets which radiate out from traffic circles, providing vistas towards important landmarks and monuments. While all of the original colonies had avenues named for them, the most prominent states received more prestigious locations under
Andrew Ellicott's later plan for the city. Massachusetts Avenue was the northernmost of three principal east-west arteries, Virginia Avenue the southernmost, and Pennsylvania Avenue was given the honor of connecting the
White House to the planned Capitol building. In the original plan, all three roads reached neighboring Georgetown.
The initial plan for the "Federal District" was a diamond, measuring 10 miles (16 kilometre) on each side, totaling 100 square miles (256 km²). The actual site on the Potomac River was chosen by President Washington. Washington may have chosen the site for its natural scenery, believing that the Patowmack Canal would transform the Potomac into a great navigable waterway leading to the Ohio and the American interior. The city was officially named "Washington" on September 9, 1791. Washington: Symbol and City,
National Building Museum. Accessed June 6, 2007. " President Washington devoted his attention to the federal city, which was named for him on September 9, 1791." Out of modesty, George Washington never referred to it as such, preferring to call it "the Federal City." "Federal City",
Time (magazine),
May 6,
1929. Accessed June 6,
2007. "President Washington picked the site—100 sq mi. ceded by Maryland and Virginia to the U. S. at the head of tide water. He called the new Capital
The Federal City." Despite choosing the site and living nearby at
Mount Vernon (plantation), he rarely visited the city. The federal district was named the District of Columbia because Historical Columbia was a poetic name for the United States used at the time, which was close to the 300th
anniversary of Christopher Columbus first voyage to the
Americas in 1492. map of Washington, D.C.Initially, the District of Columbia included four distinct sections, of which the city of Washington was only one. The others were
Alexandria County, D.C., Georgetown, Washington, D.C. and the
Washington County, D.C.. Georgetown occupied its current boundaries. Alexandria County included parts of the present-day City of Alexandria, as well as the current Arlington County, Virginia. Washington City occupied much of its current area but ended at present-day Rock Creek Park on the west and Florida Avenue and Benning Road on the north. Florida Avenue was then called "Boundary Street." The remainder of the district was Washington County.
In 1791–92, Andrew Ellicott and
Benjamin Banneker surveyed the border of the District with both Maryland and Virginia, placing
List of Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia; many of these still stand.
The
cornerstone of the White House, the first newly constructed building of the new capital, was laid on
October 13, 1792.Sidey, Hugh. "Romance of the Stone: Mystery lingers: Where did those Freemasons put that White House cornerstone back in 1792?",
CNN,
October 2, 2000. "There is no doubt that on the afternoon of Oct. 13, 1792, a group of Freemasons marched from Georgetown to the site of what is now the White House and laid a cornerstone." That was the day after the first celebrations of Columbus Day in the United States. Today in History: October 12,
Library of Congress. Accessed
June 6,
2007. "The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place on October 12, 1792. Organized by The Society of St. Tammmany, also known as the Columbian Order, it commemorated the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landing."
19th century
On August 24, 1814, British forces
Burning of Washington during the most notable raid of the
War of 1812 in retaliation for the Battle of York of York, Upper Canada (modern-day Toronto) during the winter months, which had left many Canadians homeless. President
James Madison and U.S. forces fled before the British forces arrived and burned public buildings, including the United States Capitol and the United States Department of the Treasury building. The White House was burned and gutted. The
Washington Navy Yard was also burned — by American sailors — to keep ships and stores from falling into the hands of the British. The home of the
Commandant of the Marine Corps, located at the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., was one of the few government buildings not burned by the raiding British soldiers out of a sign of respect and is now the oldest public building in continuous use in the nation's capital. The Patent Office was also spared, as a result of the Superintendent of Patents pleading with British soldiers and contending that destroying the store of knowledge therein would be a disservice to mankind. Civilians were not directly targeted and, initially, the British had approached the city hoping to secure a truce. However, they were fired upon, triggering frustration and anger among the British, which ultimately led to the sacking of government buildings. "The British Burn Washington, DC, 1814". EyeWitness to History, eyewitnesstohistory.com (2003).
During the 1830s, the District was home to one of the largest slave trading operations in the country (see
Alexandria, Virginia).
In 1846, the population of Alexandria County, who resented the loss of business with the competing port of Georgetown and feared greater impact if slavery were outlawed in the capital, voted in a referendum to ask Congress to
retrocession (District of Columbia) Alexandria back to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Congress agreed to do so on July 9 of that year. The slave trade, though not slavery, in the capital was outlawed as part of the Compromise of 1850.
Washington remained a small city — the United States Census, 1860 put the population at just over 75,000 people — until the outbreak of the
American Civil War in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war and its legacies such as veterans' pensions led to notable growth in the city's population, as did a large influx of freed slaves. By 1870, the District population had grown to nearly 132,000.
In July 1864,
Confederate States of America forces under
Jubal Anderson Early made a brief raid into Washington, culminating in the Battle of Fort Stevens. The Confederates were repelled, and Early eventually returned to the Shenandoah Valley. The Fort Stevens (Washington, D.C.) is located near present day Walter Reed Army Medical Center in northwest Washington. This was the only battle where a U.S. president,
Abraham Lincoln, was present and under enemy fire while in office. Rock Creek Park - National Park Service www.nps.gov (accessed April 03 2006)
In the early 1870s, Washington was given a territorial government, but Governor
Alexander Robey Shepherd's reputation for extravagance resulted in Congress abolishing his office in favor of direct rule. Congressional governance of the District would continue for a century.
In 1878, Congress passed an
Organic Act that made the boundaries of the city of Washington coterminous with those of the District of Columbia. This effectively eliminated Washington County; Georgetown, technically made a part of the city, was allowed to remain nominally separate until 1895 when it was formally combined with Washington.
The Washington Monument, with construction stalled by other priorities, finally opened in 1888. Plans were laid to further develop the monumental aspects of the city, with work contributed by such noted figures as Frederick Law Olmsted and Daniel Burnham. However, development of the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and other structures on the National Mall, and construction of
Potomac Park did not begin until the early 20th century.
20th century
The many Depression relief agencies created by Franklin Roosevelt's
New Deal, followed by World War II, brought a great increase to the city's population. Roommates doubled up in scarce apartments and competed for space on buses and trolleys, as reported in David Brinkley's book. The District's population peaked in 1950, when the census for that year recorded a record population of 802,178 people." Anniversary of Washington, D.C., as Nation’s Capital."
United States Census Bureau (Facts for Features). December 1, 2003. Retrieved on
April 28,
2006. At the time, the city was the ninth-largest in the country, just ahead of Boston, Massachusetts and close behind
St. Louis, Missouri. The population declined in the following decades, mirroring the suburban emigration from many of the nation's older urban centers following World War II and the racial integration of public schools.
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on
March 29, 1961, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to vote for president and have their votes count in the U.S. Electoral College as long as Washington, D.C. does not have more electoral votes than the least populous state.
After the assassination of civil rights activist
Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968,
1968 Washington, D.C. riots broke out in some sections of the city. The violence raged for four days, and buildings were burned. At one point, the rioters came within two blocks of the White House. President Lyndon Johnson ordered over 13,000 federal troops to occupy the city--the largest occupation of an American city since the Civil War. It took years for the city to recover.
One of the most important developments in bringing people back downtown was the building of the subway system. The first 4.6 miles (7.4 km) of the Washington Metro
metro system opened on
March 27,
1976. Today the system knits together Washington and its suburbs with a network of 86 stations and of track.
In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Self-Rule and Governmental Reorganization Act, providing for an elected mayor and council for the District. As a result,
Walter Washington became the first elected mayor of the District in 1975.
Marion Barry became mayor in 1979 and served three successive terms; however, after his arrest for recreational drug use in an
FBI sting operation on January 18,
1990, and his sentence to a six-month jail term, he did not seek re-election. His successor,
Sharon Pratt Kelly, became the first black woman to lead a U.S. city of Washington's size and importance. Barry, however, ran again in 1994, defeating her in the Democratic primary and once again becoming mayor. During his fourth term, the city nearly became
insolvent and was forced to give up some home rule to a congressionally-appointed financial control board. In 1998,
Anthony A. Williams was elected the city's mayor and led the city into a fiscal recovery. In 2006,
Adrian M. Fenty was elected mayor. Among Mayor Fenty's many promises are increased attention to every citizen of the city and a world class atmosphere in business and residence.
During the 1970s, many in the District referred to it as "Chocolate City," in honor of the city's African-American culture and to promote cultural awareness. Popularized by two local disk jockeys, the nickname was also a reference to the 1975 album "Chocolate City" by
Parliament-Funkadelic. While the nickname never caught on permanently, it was a poignant reminder of the contributions to the city over the years by such icons as Duke Ellington, Chuck Brown, and other African-American performers.{{cite web]|publisher = The Washington Post-->
21st century
On
September 11, 2001 attacks,
American Airlines Flight 77 a
Boeing 757 was hijacked and deliberately crashed into the The Pentagon at 9:37AM, just across the
Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, causing a partial collapse of one side of the building. Al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah told American officials while under interrogation that the
White House was the intended target, "White House target of Flight 93, officials say", CNN.com, May 23, 2002. while
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh have said that the United States Capitol Building was the intended target of the hijacked
United Airlines Flight 93.
On September 29, 2004,
Major League Baseball officially relocated the Montreal Expos to Washington for the 2005 season, despite opposition from Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos. The new team was christened the Washington Nationals. Controversy between the city council and MLB threatened to scuttle the agreement until December 21, 2004 when a plan for a Nationals Ballpark in Washington, D.C. (southeast) was finalized. The Nationals will play at
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium until the new stadium is ready on the
Anacostia River waterfront in 2008. Jeff.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060313&content_id=1348677&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was "New ballpark design unveiled: Nationals aiming to begin play in new stadium in 2008", [MLB.com,
March 14,
2006. Accessed June 14,
2007.
Additionally, the city has experienced tremendous growth in the areas of Massachusetts Avenue,
NoMa, Washington, D.C. (North of Massachusetts), the Southwest Waterfront, the Shaw, Washington, D.C./U Street Corridor and H Street (Washington, D.C.), with tens of thousands of condos, apartments and retail shops opening. This growth has been dubbed
gentrification by many, as the areas experiencing growth had been blighted for many years prior.
Geography
Topography
, Washington, D.C. (northeast),
Washington, D.C. (southeast) and Washington, D.C. (southwest). The axes bounding the Address (geography)#Quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.Washington, D.C. is located at (the coordinates of the
Zero Milestone, on the President's Park). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177.0 km²). 61.4 square miles (159.0 km²) of it is land and 6.9 square miles (18.0 km²) of it (10.16%) is water.
Washington is surrounded by the
U.S. states of Maryland (on its southeast, northeast and northwest sides) and Virginia (on its western side); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the Potomac River's southern shore both upstream and downstream from the District. The Potomac River as it passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District of Columbia border because of colonial
riparian rights between Maryland and Virginia.
The District has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River and
Rock Creek (Potomac River). The Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac River. There are also three man-made
reservoir (water): Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District from Maryland;
McMillan Reservoir near Howard University; and Georgetown Reservoir upstream of Georgetown.
The highest point in the District of Columbia is 410 foot (unit of length) (125 m) above sea level at
Tenleytown. The lowest point is sea level, which occurs along all of the Anacostia shore and all of the Potomac shore except the uppermost portion (the Little Falls - Chain Bridge area). The sea level Tidal Basin rose eleven feet during Hurricane Isabel on
September 18,
2003.
The geographic center of the District of Columbia is located near 4th Street NW, L Street NW and New York Avenue NW (not under the Capitol Dome, as is sometimes said).
Geographical features of Washington, D.C. include
Theodore Roosevelt Island, Columbia Island (District of Columbia), the Three Sisters (District of Columbia) and
Hains Point.
Climate
Washington is in the northern periphery of the
humid subtropical climate zone. Its climate is typical of
Mid-Atlantic States areas removed from bodies of water, with four distinct seasons. Summer tends to be hot and humid with daily high temperatures in July and August averaging in the high 80s to low 90s (in °
Fahrenheit; about 30° to 33 °Celsius). The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area. The combination of heat and humidity can also be reminiscent of a true
tropical climate. Spring and fall are mild with high temperatures in April and October averaging in the high 60s to low 70s (about 20 °C). Winter brings sustained cool temperatures and occasional snowfall. Average highs tend to be in the low 40s (6 to 8 °C) and lows in the mid 20s (-5 to -2 °C) from mid-December to mid-February. http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/garden/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/21211?from=36hr_bottomnav_garden] While tropical cyclones (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, they have often weakened by the time they reach Washington partly because of the city's inland location. Flooding of the Potomac River, however—caused by a combination of high
tide,
storm surge, and storm
surface runoff—has been known to cause extensive property damage in Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Spring is generally the most favorable time of year, with low humidity, mild temperatures and blooming foliage. This period generally lasts from late March until mid May. Temperatures of the Dulles Airport area and suburbs to the west and south are on average 6 to 7 °F (3 °C) cooler than Washington year-round.
The average annual snowfall is 15
inches (381
millimetres) and the average high temperature in January is 41 °F (5 °C); the average low for January is 27 °F (-3 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 20, 1930 and August 6, 1918 and the lowest recorded temperature was -15 °F (-26 °C) on February 11, 1899.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;"|Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures|-! style="background: #F3552E; color: #000000" height="17" | Month! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" | Dec|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec High °F| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 75| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 79| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 89| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 93| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 97| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 100| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 104| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 104| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 99| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 90| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 84| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 79|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Norm High °F| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 41.4| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 45.5| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 55| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 65.9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 74.6| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 82.8| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 87.4| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 85.9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 78.9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 67.7| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 56.5| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 45.9|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Norm Low °F| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 21.9| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 24.1| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 31.8| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 40.2| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 49.9| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 59| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 64| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 62.8| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 55.6| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 42.3| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 33.8| style="text-align:center; background: #F4FFC0; color:#000000;" | 26|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec Low °F| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -18| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -14| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -1| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 17| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 28| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 36| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 41| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 38| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 30| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 15| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | 9| style="text-align:center; background: #FEE040; color:#000000;" | -4|-! style="background: #F3552E; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Precip (in)| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.05| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 2.77| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.55| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.22| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 4.22| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 4.07| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.57| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.78| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.82| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.37| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.31| style="text-align:center; background: #FB9B13; color:#000000;" | 3.07|-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
Source: USTravelWeather.com Historical Washington Weather Data|}
Nature
Washington, D.C. has many natural areas and birdwatching spots inside the city. D.C.'s parks and natural areas include Anacostia Park, the United States National Arboretum, the very large
Rock Creek Park, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park,
Theodore Roosevelt Island, the
C&O Canal, the Potomac River and the Anacostia River. The ubiquitous Federal presence and land management responsibilities in Washington, D.C. make the area a crucible for applied research and adaptive management for urban ecosystems such as the restoration of Kenilworth Marsh,http://www.biohabitats.com/ndg_newsite/projectprofiles/KenilworthMarshFreshwaterTidalWetlandRestoration.pdf a remnant of the original tidal marshes of Washington, D.C. on the Anacostia River. Despite its intensely urbanized landscape, the District of Columbia is a center for research on urban wildlife management,http://www.ddoe.dc.gov/ddoe/cwp/view,a,1210,q,494364,ddoeNav,%7C31007%7C,.asp urban stream restoration, and the aquatic ecology of urban streams. The National Park Service's Center For Urban Ecologyhttp://www.nps.gov/cue/index.htm is a regional source of expertise and applied science on "land use change and urban development, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem processes" for the region.
The Potomac River, flowing through Washington, D.C., has been called one of the wildest urban rivers in the Nation. The Potomac Gorgehttp://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/preserves/art662.html once surveyed by George Washington for a Patowmack Canal that would allow barge traffic to bypass the
Great Falls of the Potomac River (at the boundary between the Piedmont and coastal plain) is considered one of the most significant natural areas in the entire National Park System.http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/news/news1981.html The river, once called a national disgrace by President Lyndon Johnson, is now home to a vibrant warm water fishery. Professional bass tournaments have been held within view of the Jefferson Memorial, and naturally reproducing
Bald Eagles have returned to its banks.
Culture
Tourism
Washington is home to numerous national landmarks and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. The
National Mall is a large, open park area in the center of the city featuring many monuments to American leaders; it also serves to connect the White House and the United States Capitol buildings. Located prominently in the center of the Mall is the
Washington Monument. Other notable points of interest near the Mall include the Jefferson Memorial (see right), Lincoln Memorial,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial,
National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, District of Columbia War Memorial,
Albert Einstein Memorial, and United States Navy Memorial.
The world famous
Smithsonian Institution is located in the District. The Smithsonian today is a collection of free museums that includes the Anacostia Museum,
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
Hirshhorn Museum, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History,
National Museum of the American Indian,
National Museum of Natural History,
National Portrait Gallery (United States), National Postal Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Renwick Gallery and Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
There are many art museums in D.C., in addition to those that are part of the Smithsonian, including the free
National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art and
Phillips Collection.
The
Library of Congress and the
National Archives and Records Administration house thousands of documents covering every period in American history. Some of the more notable documents in the National Archives include the United States Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution and
United States Bill of Rights.
The District of Columbia operates its own public library system with 27 branches throughout the city. The main branch — which occupies a multi-story glass and steel-framed building at the intersection of 9th and G Streets, N.W., designed by modernist architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe — is known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library." Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library - A Brief History."
DC Library. Retrieved on August 31,
2006. It has a large mural in its main hall depicting the civil rights leader.
Other points of interest in the District include
Arena Stage,
Chinatown, Washington, D.C.,
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the
Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family (across the street from the Basilica Shrine), Blair House, Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle,
Folger Shakespeare Library,
Ford's Theatre,
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, International Spy Museum,
National Building Museum, National Geographic Society,
The Awakening (Johnson sculpture),
Old Post Office Building (Washington), Theodore Roosevelt Island, Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Washington National Cathedral.
Performing arts
Washington is a major national center for the arts, with many venues for the performing arts in the city.
Arena Stage, one of the first non-profit regional theaters in the nation, is rich with history and produces an eight-show season ranging from classics to world premieres, dedicated to the American canon of theater. The Shakespeare Theatre Company is regarded as one of the world's great Shakespeare troupes. Numerous other professional theaters, such as The Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth, and venues such as the National Theatre (Washington, D.C.), make the city a major theater center. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts the National Symphony Orchestra (United States), the Washington National Opera, the
Washington Ballet, and a variety of other musical and stage performances.
The
Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.) hosted the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald on U Street Corridor (known as "Washington's Black Broadway") prior to the 1968 riots. Notable local music clubs include
Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Adams Morgan; Blues Alley in Georgetown; the
Eighteenth Street Lounge in the
Dupont Circle district; and the
the Black Cat (nightclub), the 9:30 Club, the
Bohemian Caverns jazz club, the Twins jazz clubs, all in the
U Street NW area. The U Street area actually contains more than two dozen bars, clubs, and restaurants that feature jazz either nightly or several times a week.
Notable Washingtonians in the entertainment industry include singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, film actress
Merle Oberon, comedian
David Chappelle, musician
Duke Ellington, filmmaker Ted Salins and two members of the rock group Jefferson Airplane: guitarist
Jorma Kaukonen and bass player
Jack Cassidy.
Music
D.C. has its own native music genre, called
go-go, a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of
R&B that blends live sets with relentless dance rhythms, so-called because they "go and go and go." The most accomplished practitioner of go-go was D.C. band leader
Chuck Brown, who brought go-go to the brink of national recognition with his 1979 LP
Bustin' Loose. Go-Go band and Washington natives Experience Unlimited (E.U.) hit the American pop charts in 1988 with their memorable dance tune "Da Butt" Other notable go-go bands include Rare Essence,
Trouble Funk, Junkyard Band,
Backyard Band, and the
Northeast Groovers.
Washington was an important center in the genesis of punk rock in the United States. Punk bands of note from Washington include Tru Fax & the Insaniacs, the Slickee Boys,
Fugazi (band), Bad Brains,
the Dismemberment Plan,
Government Issue, and Minor Threat. Washingtonians continue to support punk bands, long after the punk movement's popularity peaked. The region also has a significant
indie rock history and was home to
TeenBeat Records, Dischord Records and
Simple Machines Records, among other indie record labels.
Television shows
There have been several television series that have featured the District. Most of these have been related to government (
The West Wing (TV series) and Commander in Chief (TV series)) or security organizations (
The District,
Get Smart, and, most famously,
The X-Files). Other programs had the nation's capital as a secondary focus, using it merely as a city setting. For instance,
Murphy Brown focused on the lives of the reporters of the (fictional) Washington-based television newsmagazine,
FYI. The soap opera
Capitol (TV series) allowed for stories about political intrigue alongside the traditional class struggle sagas. The sitcom
227 (TV series) portrayed the life of the
African American majority as seen through the eyes of residents in a Washington apartment building.
Cory in the House on The Disney Channel uses Washington, D.C. as a backdrop. There are also many movies shot and filmed in the city yearly.
Sports
{| class=wikitable! Club! Sport! League! Venue|-|
D.C. United|[Major League Soccer, Eastern Conference (MLS)|
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|-|
Washington D.C. Slayers|[American National Rugby League|-|[Legg Mason Tennis Classic|[U.S. Open Series|-|[Washington Bayhawks|[Major League Lacrosse|-|[Washington Capitals|[National Hockey League,
Eastern Conference (NHL), Southeast Division (NHL)|Verizon Center|[Basketball, Eastern Conference|[Verizon Center|[Baseball
; [National League,
NL East|
Nationals Park|[American Football|
National Football League; National Football Conference,
NFC East|FedExField (
Landover, Maryland)]|
Basketball; [Eastern Conference (NBA), Southeast Division|Verizon Center and [Washington CapitalsOther professional and semi-professional teams based in D.C. include the Australian rules football
Baltimore Washington Eagles, the
National Women's Football Association D.C. Divas, the
Minor League Football D.C. Explosion, the Washington Rugby Football Club
rugby union team of the
Rugby Super League (US), as well as a host of others playing in the
Potomac Rugby Union and the cricket. It was also home to the Women's United Soccer Association
Washington Freedom, from 1987 to 1989 home of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's Washington Wave, and during the
2000 NLL season–
2002 NLL season National Lacrosse League seasons, the
Washington Power was based in the city. In rugby league, the Washington D.C. Slayers play in the American National Rugby League.
There were two Major League Baseball teams named the Washington Senators in the early and mid-20th century, which left to become respectively the
Minnesota Twins and the
Texas Rangers (baseball). In the
Washington Senators#19th century baseball in Washington, the town was home to teams called the Washington Nationals, Washington Statesmen, and Washington Senators on and off from the 1870s to the turn of the century.
Washington was home to several Negro League baseball teams, including the Homestead Grays,
Washington Black Senators, Baltimore Elite Giants,
Washington Pilots, and Washington Potomacs.
The Verizon Center in
Chinatown, home to the Capitals, Mystics, Wizards and the
Georgetown Hoyas, is also a major venue for concerts,
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestling, and other events, having replaced the old
Capital Centre. Since its opening in 1997, the arena has served as a catalyst of prosperity in Chinatown. Office buildings, high-end condominiums, restaurant chains, movie theatres, and other luxuries have sprung up around Chinatown.
The city's soccer team, DC United, is the most successful franchise in MLS history, with 4 league championships and 10 total tournament victories, both league hig
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