Overview
Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America and the seat of its three branches of government, has an unparalleled collection of free, public museums, and the lion's share of the nation's most treasured monuments and memorials. The vistas on the National Mall between the Capitol, Washington Monument, White House, and Lincoln Memorial are iconic throughout the world.
D.C. is not only a political center; it is exciting, cosmopolitan, and international and has shopping, dining, and nightlife on par with a world-class metropolis.
Districts
Virtually all of D.C.'s tourists flock to the National Mall—a two-mile long, beautiful stretch of parkland that holds many of the city's monuments and Smithsonian museums—but the city itself is a vibrant metropolis that often has little to do with monuments, politics, or white, neoclassical buildings. The Smithsonian museums are "must sees," but you haven't really been to D.C. until you've been out and about the city.
Suburbs Many attractions, such as the Arlington Cemetery, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Washington D.C.
Understand
History Washington, D.C., is a city born of politics, by politics, and for politics. It wasn't the first national capital: Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Annapolis, Trenton, and even New York City all tried their hand at hosting the national government. For a time, it seemed like Philadelphia would stake a claim as home to the federal government. However, Congress soured on the "Cradle of Liberty" after disaffected American soldiers, with the tacit sanction of the Pennsylvania government, chased the legislators out of the city to Princeton. That incident made clear that the nation's capital would need to be independent from the then-powerful state governments and that the southern states would refuse to accept a northern capital.
Three of the nation's founding fathers, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton, agreed in 1790 to a compromise location for a new national capital on largely uninhabited land along the Potomac River in the Mid-Atlantic. This was made famous in the musical Hamilton with the song The Room Where It Happened. The exact location was left up to George Washington, who carved a diamond-shaped federal district out of land donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, which happened to be near his plantation at Mount Vernon. The new territory also included two existing settlements: Georgetown, on the Maryland side of the Potomac, and Alexandria, Virginia, at the district's southern tip.
The French-born architect Pierre L'Enfant was charged with planning a new federal city on the north side of the Potomac, next to Georgetown. L'Enfant's plan envisioned large parks and wide streets, including a grand boulevard connecting the "President's House" to the Capitol building. However, L'Enfant was an eccentric and fought bitterly with the commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction. President Washington eventually dismissed L'Enfant, but the problems didn't end there. Issues with financing and a lack of skilled craftsmen slowed the construction of the city. The commissioners relied on African slaves lent from nearby plantations to complete construction. The federal government finally moved to the new capital in 1800, which by then had been named Washington in honor of its founder, though he still preferred to call it the "Federal City."
British forces invaded the city during the War of 1812, burning and gutting the Capitol Building, Treasury, and White House, although they were all rebuilt shortly thereafter. Things didn't get much better for the new national capital. When he founded the city, President Washington thought that a flourishing trade would help support the capital, but the idea was short-lived. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was built in 1831 to bypass the treacherous rapids of the Potomac River and move goods from the western territories along the Ohio River all the way to Georgetown, where they could then be loaded onto ships. However, the canal was unable to compete with the more efficient Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which was completed around the same time as the canal. Alexandria suffered disproportionately, since the government's plans favored the port at Georgetown and all government buildings were, by law, built within the City of Washington. The economic stagnation, combined with fears that the federal government would ban Alexandria's thriving slave trade (and it eventually did), caused Congress to return all the District's land that had been donated by Virginia. The 1846 "retrocession", as it is now known, spoiled the city's fine diamond shape, leaving under federal control only the land that had been donated by Maryland.
Washington's compromise location on the border of North and South proved precarious during the Civil War. Caught between Confederate Virginia on one side of the Potomac, and southern sympathizers in surrounding Maryland, President Abraham Lincoln established a network of forts surrounding the capital, which were put to the test in the Battle of Fort Stevens, a minor diversionary attack in July 1864. As the center of war operations for the Union, government workers, soldiers, and runaway slaves flooded into the city. Despite the city's growth, Washington still had dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation. After the war, some members of Congress suggested moving the capital further west, but President Ulysses S. Grant refused to consider such a proposal.
In 1871, Congress created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia charged with modernizing the capital. Sewers and gas lines were installed, streets were paved, and the town was transformed into a modern metropolis. 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. A plan enacted by Congress in 1901 beautified Washington's ceremonial core, re-landscaping the Capitol grounds and the National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new city-wide park system, finally developing the city into L'Enfant's intended grand design. The New Deal spending of the 1930s under president Franklin Delano Roosevelt led to the construction of even more federal buildings, memorials, and museums. With the start of World War II, government spending in Washington increased, a trend that has continued over the decades. The end of World War II saw the establishment of the modern international finance system, and Washington D.C. became home to the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
In 1957, Washington became the first major city to have a majority African-American population; the city's population exceeded 800,000. The March on Washington and the I Have A Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 were major events in the civil rights movement. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, riots broke out at the intersection of 14th St and U St and 1,200 buildings were badly damaged or destroyed. Many businesses were forced to close and thousands of jobs were lost permanently.
The influx of crack cocaine marred the District in the 1970s and 1980s. Government services and the public school system went into disrepair. The population of the District fell below 600,000, shrinking the tax base. The arrest of Mayor Marion Barry on drug charges in 1990 also hurt the city's reputation. In 1991, D.C. led the country in homicides and many of the buildings destroyed in the 1968 riots still remained in rubble. Several government agencies, including the Patent and Trade Office, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), moved their offices to the suburbs.
A wave of change began in the late 1990s. The construction of the Capital One Arena and the nearby Metrorail station in 1997 led people to return to the East End for the first time in years. Further revitalization efforts in the late 1990s, supported by President Bill Clinton and Mayor Anthony Williams, made D.C. one of the fastest-improving cities in the U.S. The population again began to climb.
First time visitors to D.C. will marvel at its impressive diversity. In addition to its longstanding black and white residents, this is arguably the country's most international town, with expats, immigrants and long timers from all around the world, as well as Americans from other regions looking to make it in the nation's capital.
In D.C., approximately 14% of the population is foreign born. The population is 45% Black, 38% white-non-Hispanic, and 12% Hispanic.
African-American heritage Its large black population has long made D.C. a national center of African-American history and culture. Known as "Chocolate City" for its dynamic black heritage, it was the first black-majority city in the country, and until the 1920s, when it was surpassed by New York, D.C. was home to the largest black population of any city. The famous U Street in Shaw was known as Black Broadway, with native Washingtonian Duke Ellington performing in the jazz clubs on this street. The District was long an attractive destination for African Americans leaving the South, as it was both nearby and viewed as a bastion of tolerance and progressiveness in race relations. It was the home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the first of the formerly-segregated U.S. cities to integrate its public schools in 1954. D.C. is also home to Howard University in Shaw, one of the nation's most important historically black colleges. The persisting influence of African-American culture upon D.C.'s identity is obvious in the popular consciousness, the city's government, local sports, high culture and, above all, the local intellectual and philosophical movements. African Americans have risen to positions of influence rivaled by few other cities, particularly in local government, education, transportation, healthcare and the federal government, giving the city a confident African-American middle class particularly in the city's Northeast and neighboring Prince George's County along with other areas such as Arlington and Montgomery County, particularly when compared to nearby cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore. Also unlike other so-called black meccas, such as Atlanta, D.C.'s black population has been augmented by strong migration from the Caribbean and Africa, which has added a further layer and diversity to the black experience in the region.
Compared to other American cities, relatively few residents are home-town natives, rather than transplants from elsewhere. According to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011, only 37.3% of D.C. residents were born in D.C. The transient population is overwhelmingly professional, young, white, affluent, and highly educated, drawn to the city for its government-related work and booming economy. This is in stark contrast to the local African-American population, which has deep roots in the community, leading to socioeconomic diversity—from the highly affluent in Northwest D.C. and the suburbs of Montgomery and Prince George's to the middle class in Northeast DC, Charles and PG County to those left behind, notably so in Southeast D.C.
The sometimes uncomfortable blend of the semi-transient professional population and permanent residents is often the source of controversy, especially as D.C. has been experiencing a wave of neighborhood rebuilding and gentrification. Young professionals with tight budgets and distaste for long daily commutes have relocated into longstanding working-class neighborhoods in search of low rent and easy access to city amenities. But while there is inevitably some conflict around neighborhood change, these changes have also created D.C.'s most diverse, culturally vibrant, and exciting neighborhoods—just walk up U St or 18th St in Shaw or Adams Morgan, and you'll see that it's not a vain hope that the city's various cultures can come together to create something greater.
International influence D.C., and indeed the metro area beyond the city limits, is impressively international, rivaling New York City in terms of its diversity. In the immediate metro area, a whopping one third of the population is foreign born. The biggest immigrant group is from Central America, mostly from El Salvador. Latino culture finds its home in the city in Columbia Heights—where you'll find all the various cultures of the city intermingling. After Central Americans, D.C. is also home to a growing number of South Americans, notably Colombians, Venezuelans, Bolivians and Peruvians, who have brought their cuisines with them, especially the increasingly ubiquitous empanadas and Peruvian chicken.
D.C. also has a growing, upwardly mobile African immigrant population, notably the large Nigerian and Ethiopian communities (the latter being second largest in the world after Addis Ababa), which has bestowed the city with a love for Ethiopian food, and which finds its urban center in D.C.'s own Little Ethiopia. Other African migrants tend to congregate in the suburbs, as do Asian immigrants, though their cuisines are readily available across the region. The international culture extends well beyond the immigrant communities, though, to the big foreign professional population, as well as the brain drain of Americans from all around the country looking for work in the international relations and government contracting fields—D.C. is, simply put, the nation's most international town.
Local politics Local politics, and local anger at the relations between the city and the national government, are perhaps the glue that binds all Washingtonians together. The District of Columbia is under the ultimate control of the U.S. Congress. District residents are able to elect a Mayor as well as representatives to the D.C. Council, although Congress retains the right to overturn laws passed by the city. The city lacks representation in Congress since the residents of D.C. are not in one of the states of the union, although they have been granted electoral college votes for presidential elections since 1961. District license plates bear the Revolutionary War slogan "Taxation Without Representation" as a contemporary reference to their lack of voting rights. The District is strongly progressive, having voted overwhelmingly (>70%) for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1964.
D.C.'s climate has an undeservedly bad reputation; there is a popular myth that the city was built on a swamp with the purpose of discouraging a large bureaucracy—after all, if no one wanted to live in D.C., then there wouldn't be too many bureaucrats. This is all untrue. In reality, what is now the National Mall had been mudflats, but there was no swamp, and in the early 1800s, most of the city's land was used to grow tobacco, corn, and apples. The city's climate is really just a milder version of that in New York and parts of Northeast with short, cool winters and hot, humid but manageable summers.
The weather is generally extremely pleasant during the spring and fall. It's hard to beat spring in D.C. The northerly subtropical climate results in cool breezes, moderate temperatures, lush growth, flowers, budding trees, and, of course, the cherry blossoms. The most beautiful time of spring usually falls from April to mid-May. Domestic tourists know this, though, and you can expect the cherry blossom walk around the Tidal Basin to see (pedestrian) traffic jams that put the Beltway to shame, although truly savvy tourists can escape the crowds but still enjoy the cherry blossoms at the National Arboretum in Near Northeast. Fall rivals spring for perfect temperatures. It's also a lovely time for a walk in Rock Creek Park, where the dense forest bursts with multicolored confetti. Winter is a great time to visit though a mixed bag temperature wise, as museums are nearly empty and theaters are all in season. Winter temperatures are relatively mild, with snow that can range from sporadic to incessant depending on the year. However, it's hot and very humid during the summer, due to the frequent humidity that can last for up to weeks at a time. Average heat indices factoring in humidity typically range between at night and during the day in the summer months. On some particularly sweltering days, the heat indices can climb upwards to and not go below at night. On a hot day in D.C. in July or August, you will want to spend as much time indoors as possible. Expect the late afternoon thunderstorm followed by much more pleasant weather right before sunset. Despite this, there are often beautiful clear sky days with low humidity that can make exploring the city a very pleasant experience. Daylight hours range between 5:45AM and 8:30PM in the summer months, and 7:15AM to 4:45PM in the winter months.
It's worth considering the political climate as well. Before heading to D.C., research which events will coincide with your visit. Major international conferences, political events (elections/inaugurations) or protests often prompt road closures and additional security checks, and also send lodging prices through the roof. There are also several weeks during the year, as well as most of August, when Congress is on recess. During these weeks, there are fewer official visitors, elected officials, and staff members; the Metro becomes less crowded and there are overall fewer people in the city.
Washingtonians are avid readers, and not just of the news. Nonetheless, there is only a little "D.C. literature" to speak of. Notable works focused on D.C. as a city/metro area include:
Lost In the City (1992) by Edward P. Jones is a collection of short stories revolving around African-American life in D.C.'s outlying neighborhoods. Jones' intimate writing style has been compared to that of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Sweet Forever (1998) by George Pelecanos. Pelecanos is one of D.C.'s rarest authors—one who knows the city beyond the politics, in and out, and uses it extensively and effectively as the backdrop for some amazing mysteries. In this one, detective Nick Stefanos investigates a drug-related murder on 1980s U St, leading him into a maze of basketball, dirty cops, the beginnings of the local crack empire, underground music, a thoroughly corrupt mayor's office, and all-around grit in a dangerous city. The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears (2007) by Dinaw Mengestu is set in a gentrifying Shaw during the 1990s, where the protagonist, an Ethiopian refugee, and his other African immigrant friends struggle to find their identities as they're caught between the past and the present, their old and new countries, and their changing neighborhood.
The city's culture has always been overshadowed by national politics, and those looking for local flavor will mostly find political works: political chronicles, political histories, political hot air, political historical fiction, and of course political thrillers, including:
Democracy (1880) by Henry Brooks Adams, the grandson of President John Quincy Adams, is a satirical send-up of the moral morass that is politics. (Things haven't changed in the 120 years since he wrote it.) Almost certainly President Rutherford B Hayes' least favorite book, this remains a great read two centuries later. All the President's Men (1974) by Bob Woodward is perhaps the nation's single most famous political chronicle: the story of the investigative journalism that unearthed the Watergate Scandal and led to the impeachment and political demise of President Nixon. Woodward remains a huge influence in Washington, particularly due to his eminently readable insider accounts of the workings of the Bush Administration. Bush at War and Plan of Attack stand out. The first is a chronicle of the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent decision to invade Afghanistan, and the second addresses the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. Lincoln by Gore Vidal (1984) features the Oval Office under President Lincoln, bringing the administration's central figures to life in a way that no biography could. Vidal is famous for his lack of charity to beloved national figures, but even his sharp pen can't quite tarnish the nation's greatest. The Pelican Brief (1992) by John Grisham includes intrigue, corruption, and homicide on the Supreme Court, and some good chases around the capital city in one of Grisham's most famous thrillers. Republicans may get an unfair portrayal, but this is a good page turner. Hope in the Unseen (1998) and The One Percent Doctrine (2006) by Ron Suskind are both political, but about very different sides of Washington. The former chronicles the experiences of Cedric Jennings from his nightmarish Ballou High School in Anacostia to the Ivy League. The One Percent Doctrine, on the other hand, is an inside look at the run up to the Iraq War, predicated on the infamous one-percent doctrine coined after 9/11 by then-Vice President Dick Cheney. The Lost Symbol (2009) by Dan Brown sold one million copies on the first day it was published, so it's fair to assume that this book by the author of the Da Vinci Code could become the most famous D.C. work of fiction of all time. It's a mad chase of arcane conspiracies around D.C.'s Masonic Temple, National Cathedral, Smithsonian, Washington Monument, and every darkest nook and narrowest cranny of the Capitol Building.
In addition to the above, a trip to D.C. is a good time to read a political biography or two. Favorites include:
A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House (1965) by Arthur Schlesinger is the most famous account of the JFK presidency. Biased, certainly, but it's hard to beat an account by a Harvard historian turned special advisor who was there in the Oval Office to see every decision being made. Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1982) by Stephen Oates is a great inspirational read to keep in mind on the Mall, thinking of his I Have a Dream speech. Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Rendezvous with Destiny (1990) by Frank Friedel focuses on FDR's influential and long presidency in one volume. Ronald Reagan: the Role of a Lifetime (1991) by Lou Cannon is one of the few mature Reagan biographies that is neither a tribute nor an attack, written about his years in office by the inner-circle chronicler who knew him best. His Excellency: George Washington (2004) by Joseph Ellis is an obvious reading choice on a trip to his namesake city, as his story is the story of the founding of both the nation and the capital (and his estate in Mount Vernon is an easy day trip outside the city). Ellis' account is very travel-friendly—accessible, humanist, and mercifully short. The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro (1982-2012) is a four volume extensive chronicle of the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, totaling over 3,000 pages. Caro turns every moment into a nerve-shredding event and focuses on many aspects of Johnson's personality including the humane progressive, the amoral wheeler-dealer, the indefatigable campaigner who will pull any trick to win.
Watch There is no end to the list of films set in D.C., as the nation's capital provides the essential backdrop to just about every political thriller and practically every alien invasion or other disaster movie set in the U.S. There are a proud few, though, that stand out either for their creation of national myths or for having actually captured something of the real culture of the city.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939) is the defining American myth of the ability of political idealism to stand up for the people against entrenched political interests and corruption, and, just maybe, to win. Nary a cynic remains tearless through Jimmy Stewart's defining performance. The More the Merrier (George Stevens, 1943): A goofy romantic comedy, widely hailed as one of the best of its kind, set in WWII-era D.C., amidst the acute housing shortage faced by war workers, soldiers and other travelers during WWII. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise, 1951): This classic black-and-white sci-fi film, in which aliens land on the National Mall to deliver a message about nuclear weapons and peace, holds a special place in Washingtonians' hearts because it involves not only high-powered scientists and military leaders, but also ordinary Washingtonians (one of the main characters is a single mother and a secretary in the Department of Labor). The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973) is a rare film in that it is both unmistakably Washingtonian and entirely unrelated to politics. It's best remembered for terrifying audiences with a story uncomfortably plausible to those raised in the Catholic Church. Formidable evil forces and equally formidable Jesuits collide in the struggle for the soul of a young girl living in Georgetown, in a tale where the modern humanist world quivers in the face of the ancient and the mystical. All the President's Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976): An unflattering and historically accurate portrayal of the events surrounding the Watergate scandal and the subsequent investigation by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. No Way Out (Roger Donaldson, 1987): Set in the post-Watergate Washington, Kevin Costner plays a Soviet mole at the Pentagon who becomes involved in a political murder and its coverup. The movie features the Pentagon and an exciting scene in the Metrorail system. A Few Good Men (Rob Reiner, 1992): A dynamic Navy JAG attorney blends two D.C. professions often overlooked beneath the glow of the Capitol Dome. As LT Daniel Kaffee, Tom Cruise realizes that his Naval service is more than just a resume bullet as he defends two Marines charged with murder. From the Navy Yard to a seedy New York Avenue motel to the leafy streets of gentrified Adams Morgan, this film gives Washington, D.C. an honest portrayal. More importantly, the story is a window into the idealism of many young D.C. transplants who move to town in search of a chance to change lives for the better. In the Line of Fire (Wolfgang Petersen, 1993): How do you make a D.C. political thriller stand out among all the rest? Simple: Clint Eastwood is the Secret Service agent, and John Malkovich is the psychopathic assassin. If you intend to watch, you should also plan to add the legendary Old Ebbitt Grille in the West End to your dining itinerary. Wag The Dog (1997) is the story of a movie producer that creates a fake war with Albania to boost the ratings of the President after a sex scandal. The Nine Lives of Marion Barry (2009) is an HBO documentary that takes a look at Washington during its boom-and-bust period under the city's most infamous local politician, four-term mayor Marion Barry. The film provides a balanced and unique insight that is necessary to truly understand America's capital, including the areas dismissed by most visitors to the city.
Talk Due to its diversity and history as a magnet for people from across the country and beyond, it is hard to detect a classic Washington accent compared to other Northeastern cities. The General American accent tends to dominate across the area; however, if you look long enough traces of a distinctive D.C. accent abound. Old-timers are known to say Warshington — inserting what linguists call an “intrusive R.” an influence from the prestige associated with London accents in the nineteenth century, that also influenced other cities like New York and Boston. To really get at the Washington accent, you’ve got to look at people whose families have lived here for generations, namely black Washingtonians. Older D.C. residents are known for dropping "R"s similar to, but not quite as exaggerated as Bostonians. The accent is believed to be a continuation of the English accent imported by the first colonists.
The D.C. sound comes from three main features, vowel centralization, R-lessness, and monophthongization:
Vowel centralization: The vowel before an “R” gets pronounced in a different part of the mouth, leading words like “carry” to be pronounced like “curry”; “strawberry” like “strawbury,” “Maryland” like “Muriland.”
R-lessness: The R gets dropped in several words, so “party” will be pronounced “pahty,” or “mother” will sound like “mutha.”
Monophthongization: This is a fancy way of saying we drop the diphthongs. A diphthong is where a vowel is made up of two sounds — for instance, the vowel in “time” is “ah” and “ee” put together. “Time” becomes “tahm,” “I” becomes “Ah.”
Younger residents overwhelmingly prefer General American accents though residents do pepper their speech with a plethora of local lingo, with "DMV", "bama" and "siced" (excited/too much) being particularly popular. Also, young people in D.C. (and nearby Maryland) tend to speak faster than other Americans.
Get in
Washington, D.C. ( for all airports) is served by three major airports. All three airports offer unlimited free Wi-Fi.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the closest and most convenient airport to D.C., south of the city in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River. However, there are no customs clearance facilities and therefore it can only serve destinations in the United States or airports in Canada and the Caribbean that allow U.S. customs pre-clearance. Moreover, due to the noise created by planes flying directly over a heavily populated area, the number of non-stop long-haul flights is limited. At Gravelly Point Park, directly north of the runway, you can watch planes takeoff and land, providing some great photo opportunities.
To get to D.C. from the airport: WMATA operates Metrorail service to/from the airport via the Blue and Yellow lines. Hours of operation are generally M-Th 5AM-11:30PM, F 5AM-1AM, Sa 7AM-1AM, and Su 7AM-11PM Uber, Lyft, DCAcar and Taxis take approximately 10 minutes to Washington, D.C.
Washington Dulles International Airport is 26 mi west of D.C. in Sterling, Virginia and serves as D.C.'s primary international and intercontinental airport. The main terminal is an architectural masterpiece, with a curved roof that arcs gracefully into air, suspended over a huge open ticketing and check-in area. Unfortunately some functionality was scrapped in pursuit of aesthetics—the layout includes lengthy corridors and long escalators and you will have to take a train between the main building and the concourses, so expect that you will need some extra time to get to the gate. Many carriers serve the airport, which serves as an East Coast hub for United Airlines.
If you have extra time in the area, consider taking Fairfax Connector Bus #983 to the free Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, which includes an unrivaled collection of spacecraft and aircraft, most famously the space shuttle Discovery.
To get to D.C. from the airport: WMATA operates Metrorail service to/from the airport via the Silver line. Hours of operation are generally M-Th 5AM-11:30PM, F 5AM-1AM, Sa 7AM-1AM, and Su 7AM-11PM Uber, Lyft, and Washington Flyer Taxi, the exclusive taxi provider from the airport, take about 40-60 minutes to Washington, D.C. The Uber/Lyft pickup points can be reached by walking up the ramps after exiting the baggage claim area, while the taxi stand is down the ramp from the baggage claim area.
The Dulles Access Road to/from the airport is divided into a tolled (outer lanes) and slower and often more congested toll free (inner lanes) section. At the approaches from the airport exit, it is very easy to drive onto the tolled section by accident so pay attention to the signs.
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is northeast of D.C. and south of downtown Baltimore, near Glen Burnie, Maryland.
To get to D.C. from the airport: MARC commuter-rail train and Amtrak operate between BWI Rail Station and Union Station on Capitol Hill, also stopping at the New Carrollton Metrorail Station (Orange Line). A free "Amtrak/MARC" shuttle bus runs from the airport terminal to the BWI Rail Station every 12 minutes. The journey takes 10 minutes. MARC service is infrequent on the weekends; check the online schedules. ICC Bus 201 operates hourly service between the airport and Gaithersburg, with a stop at the Shady Grove Metrorail Station (Red Line). From there, the Metrorail to the East End takes another 35 minutes. The bus makes 2 stops on the lower level of the airport. Uber, Lyft, and Taxis take around 45-75 minutes.
Amtrak. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. All Amtrak trains in the area stop at Union Station and a few lines also stop in adjacent Alexandria, very close to the King Street stop on the Blue/Yellow Metro lines. Routes stopping at Union station: Acela travels multiple times daily between Boston and Washington, D.C. with stops in Westwood, Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, D.C. including stops in South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Alliance, Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville. Cardinal operating three trips weekly between Chicago and New York City with stops in Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Indianapolis, Connersville, Cincinnati, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Hinton, White Sulphur Springs, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark. Carolinian between Charlotte and New York City via Raleigh, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. Crescent between New Orleans and New York City via Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. Northeast Regional is Amtrak's busiest regional service, connecting Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the many towns and cities in-between. Toward the east end of the route, some trips terminate at Springfield instead of Boston. Some services also continue south into Virginia towards Newport News, Roanoke and Norfolk on three separate branch routes from Alexandria. This is also Amtrak's most frequent service, with multiple daily departures, and the longest trip takes 12.5 hours. Stops at Union Station and State Street. The overnight Northeast Regional service from Boston includes sleeping cars, the train departs Boston in the evening and arrives early morning in Washington, D.C. Palmetto between Savannah and New York City. Silver Meteor and Silver Star between Miami and New York City via Savannah. Vermonter operates daily between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. including stops in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, White River Junction, Claremont, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and New Carrollton. Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) provides weekday service to/from Baltimore's Camden Station and daily service to Baltimore Penn Station, via the Camden or the Penn Line, both of which operate from D.C.'s Union Station. Only the Penn Line stops at BWI Airport. MARC also provides service on the Brunswick line towards western Maryland through the suburbs of Silver Spring, Kensington, Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Germantown, on the way out to Frederick and on to Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg, West Virginia on Monday through Friday. Virginia Railway Express (VRE) provides weekday rail service between Union Station and points southwest, starting in the Virginia suburbs of Manassas and Fredericksburg.
Operates the daily Auto Train for travelers coming from Florida. The 17.5 hour overnight trip operates non-stop service for vehicles and their occupants between Lorton, 20 miles southwest of Washington, and Sanford, 23 miles north of Orlando. The train can accommodate larger recreational vehicles, small boats, and jet skis.
By car D.C. is primarily served by the coastal superhighway, I-95 from Baltimore or Richmond. It does not go into the city itself (aside from a brief section in the city’s southernmost areas), dodging the District by running along the eastern portion of the Beltway (I-495). Coming from the south, I-395 serves as a sort of extension of I-95 going past the Beltway into the city. The original plan was to run I-95 straight through the city towards Baltimore, but locals scuttled the plan, leaving this section's terminus in the East End.
I-495 is the Capital Beltway. The Beltway is reviled across the nation for its dangerous traffic patterns and miserable rush hour congestion. Still, the Beltway is often the only practical way to travel between suburbs. Because the Beltway is a circle, the direction of travel is often referred to by which "loop" is being used. The Inner Loop runs clockwise around the city, and the Outer Loop runs counter-clockwise around Washington, D.C.
Other particularly notable routes include: I-270, which connects I-70 in Frederick to I-495 in Bethesda; I-66 starts at the western part of downtown and goes west, ending near Front Royal, Virginia; US-50 traverses D.C. primarily along city roads east–west, heading east toward Annapolis and Ocean City (the latter by way of the Bay Bridge), and west across the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge into Northern Virginia and then all the way cross-country to Sacramento, California; the Baltimore-Washington Pkwy (also "B-W Pkwy") starts at I-295 in Anacostia, crossing Central Maryland, passing near BWI Airport and terminating in Baltimore.
Inside the Beltway, I-66 is a toll road on weekdays from 5:30-9:30AM (eastbound) and 3-7PM (westbound) except for federal holidays. Vehicles with three or more people (HOV-3+) and E-ZPass Flex set to HOV mode can travel free. Buses and motorcycles also travel free. This applies to the entire highway between I-495 (The Beltway) and the Virginia-DC border along the Potomac River. US-50, US-29, and the George Washington Pkwy are alternatives.
Parking Parking regulations are complicated in D.C. on weekdays. Metered parking is available throughout commercial areas, but meters limited to two hours during the daytime. Zoned parking is free, but you are limited to parking for two hours in each designated zone per day, although there is no parking time limit between 10PM and 7AM. Check the signs! Presumably, you could move your car to a different zone every 2 hours during the day and then find a metered spot to ditch your car overnight, but that would not be practical. Weekends and federal holidays are more accommodating to guests as there are less parking restrictions.
If you have a friend in the city, they can go to their local district police station to get you a temporary visitor parking permit, good for 15 days.
Four stations have a very limited number of multi-day parking spots, up to ten days: Greenbelt, Huntington, Franconia-Springfield, and Wiehle-Reston East. And if you just don't want to pay for parking at all, head over to a residential area in the suburbs outside of D.C. near a Metro station to ditch your car, then walk or catch a bus to the station and head into D.C.! However, if you are staying for a while, be aware that enforcement is strict on "abandoned" cars in the outlying counties.
Many bus companies operate service to/from New York City. Greyhound offers the most options to smaller cities around the United States. Most bus companies stop at Union Station in Capitol Hill; however, you have a lot of bus choices if coming from New York City - there are bus companies that stop at Dupont Circle; the East End; Bethesda, Maryland; and/or Arlington, Virginia and these may be much more convenient to your accommodation - check where you are staying before you book a bus. Buses are more crowded on Friday and Sunday evenings since weekend trips are popular among the locals. Most buses have power outlets and WiFi access on board, although the WiFi is not always reliable. Bus companies advertise a 4-4.5 hour journey time to/from New York City but delays are common:
BestBus. The buses to/from New York also stop in Manassas, and at the Vienna and Franconia-Springfield Metrorail stations.
Get around
Be prepared to walk until your feet hurt! It's no surprise that D.C. has been cited as the fittest city in the country; residents and visitors get a lot of exercise simply getting around the city! Even if you plan on taking public transportation or driving, you will often find yourself walking or biking for a large portion of the day. Most of the city's attractions, such as the museums and monuments along the National Mall, are located near each other, which makes driving or taking Metrorail between the sights either impractical or impossible.
Therefore, make sure to wear good walking shoes and, especially during the spring and summer, wear comfortable and light clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, apply sunscreen, and carry a bottle of water. Also, when it comes to shoes, lots of government buildings have metal detectors at the entrances, and if your shoes have any kind of metal reinforcement they will set off the metal detectors, forcing you to take them off, have them inspected, and just generally take more time getting in and out of the building than you had to spend. During the summer, visit air-conditioned museums during the day, and save the monuments, neighborhood tours, and other outdoor attractions for the cooler early morning and evening hours. Note that while the city is largely flat compared to those out west, there is significant variation in the topography. Below Florida Avenue is the geographical coastal plain, meaning consistently flat surfaces, but if you travel above it or travel east of the Anacostia, prepare for potentially steep hills!
City layout The city is split into four quadrants of unequal size, which radiate out from the Capitol Building: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). The NW quadrant is by far the largest and SW the smallest. Addresses in the city always include the quadrant abbreviation, e.g., 1000 H Street NE. Take note of the quadrant, otherwise you may find yourself on the exact opposite side of town from your destination!
City streets are generally laid out in a grid, with east-west streets primarily named with letters (A–W) and north-south streets named with numbers. The street numbers and letters increase as the distance from the Capitol building increases, and sometimes letters are skipped. The numerous diagonal avenues, many named after states, serve as the city's principal arteries. The grid has a few peculiarities that are a legacy from the city's foundation. The City of Washington originally occupied only a portion of the total area of the District. As a result, outside of what is now often called the "L'Enfant City", streets do not strictly adhere to the grid system. However, you will find that many street names were simply extended where practical and, past the letter "W", for east-west streets, two-syllable street names (e.g., Irving Street, Lamont Street) follow the single-letter streets in alphabetical order, followed by three-syllable street names.
There is no "J" St. This is because, until the mid-19th century, the letters "I" and "J" were largely considered interchangeable. Following that same idea, "I" Street is often written as "Eye" Street, to distinguish it from the letter "L" and the numeral "1".
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operates the city's public transportation system. Information about all modes of local public transportation is available on goDCgo.
Note that there was a single streetcar line from 2016 to 2026, however this line is no longer in operation.
The Metrorail (usually just called Metro) is D.C.'s subway train system. It is composed of six color-coded rail lines that run primarily underground within the District and above ground in the suburbs. It's clean, safe, user-friendly, and sports a surprisingly elegant and pleasing brutalist aesthetic.
Check the upcoming track work website before traveling, since track work, especially on weekends, may result in long delays and station closures.
The departure times for the first and last train at each station is available online. Hours of operation are generally M-Th: 5AM-midnight, F: 5AM-2AM, Sa: 6AM-2AM, and Su: 6AM-midnight.
In some areas, up to three different lines may share the same track. Trains may terminate before reaching the end of the line, especially during rush hour. Therefore, be careful to note both the color and final destination indicated on the electronic displays and train cars before boarding.
No food or drink is allowed on trains or in stations. Metro employees, police officers, and even fellow riders will ask you to dispose of any food before entering. Violators are subject to fines or even arrest. If you are carrying food/beverages, keep them closed and in a bag. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, this has been less enforced, but out of courtesy to others it's best to avoid consuming them.
Rider etiquette is key to smooth travel in the heavily-used system. Washingtonians are particularly sensitive about escalators: when using them, stand on the right, and leave the left side free for those who want to pass, or you may be admonished. Additionally, try not to obstruct train doors when passengers are leaving the train, keep belongings off of the seats, and fold strollers at all times on the trains and in elevators.
Up to two children ages four and younger may ride free per paying adult.
Riders must tap their payment card at both the entrance and exit stations. Consequently, travelers cannot share cards, and instead each traveler needs their own card.
In May 2025, Metrorail began to accept any contactless credit/debit card as payment, allowing visitors to bypass purchasing a SmarTrip.
By bus Metrobus operates buses throughout the D.C. metro area. Metrobus will take you places hard to reach via Metrorail and can be a convenient, comfortable way to travel. Some high-ridership bus routes run 24-hours per day. See timetables and system maps. Contactless credit/debit card payments are accepted just like with Metrorail.
Free iPhone and Android apps that provide live Metrobus data are also available, such as Google Maps, Transit, and Metro's own MetroPulse.
By taxi Unlike ride-hailing services, taxis are able to be hailed from the street.
Roof lights on all D.C. cabs have LED text that explicitly state whether or not the cab is available for hire.
Silver Cab. in Prince George's County
Red Top. In Virginia, is the largest operator in both Arlington County and Alexandria.
Taxicab drivers are required to take passengers anywhere within the D.C.-area. With the exception of rides to and from the airport, it is illegal for cabs to pick up passengers outside the jurisdiction in which they are based.
By ride-hailing services Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft are extremely popular in D.C.
By car Driving in downtown D.C. is difficult, particularly during rush hour, where traffic can make it take 10 minutes to drive a couple city blocks. In addition, limited and expensive parking, ruthless enforcement of complicated parking rules, sadistic traffic circles, fines from automated red light cameras and absurd speed traps, potholes, frequent street direction changes, and street closures without warning make driving in D.C. a headache. A 2025 report showed that D.C. drivers were the most prone to accidents of any city in the U.S.
Avoid driving and parking during rush hour (weekdays, 7AM-10AM and 4PM-7PM), since this is when the majority of the city's traffic congestion, street direction changes, and parking restrictions are in effect. If you do park on the street, pay close attention to traffic signs. Most streets downtown restrict parking during rush hour and visitors often return to the spot where they parked only to find that their vehicle has been ticketed or towed!
In the 1950s, local opposition prevented the construction of interstate highways directly through Washington, which would have cut off access to certain neighborhoods and required demolition of historic buildings. The two freeways that feed into the city from Virginia, I-66 and I-395, both terminate quickly. Washington and its innermost suburbs are encircled by the Capital Beltway, I-495, which gave rise to the expression "Inside the Beltway" (which refers to matters only relevant to people in D.C. political circles).
Ideally, avoid driving in downtown areas as parking fees are high. Ride-sharing services are widely available and a stress-free alternative.
Washington has several scenic drives: Pennsylvania Ave from Fourteenth St NW toward the Capitol. Eastbound Independence Ave from the Lincoln Memorial, from the right lane of which you can continue in a loop around the Tidal Basin. Rock Creek Pkwy, one of the world's earliest highways, and which was planned as part of an inner beltway, follows Rock Creek through D.C.'s own central park, then traces the Potomac River to the Lincoln Memorial. This roadway becomes one-way (and terribly confusing) during weekday rush hour (6:45AM–9:30AM southbound only, 3:45PM–6:30PM northbound). Canal Road heading west from Georgetown's M St, which turns into the leafy Clara Barton Pkwy alongside the C&O Canal, continuing to the Capital Beltway. Embassy Row, Massachusetts Ave between Scott Circle and Wisconsin Ave. George Washington Memorial Pkwy, which follows the Potomac on the Virginia side of the river to Mount Vernon.
By bicycle and scooter D.C. is ranked as one of the top large cities in the U.S. for bicycling. Many streets, including the iconic Pennsylvania Ave, have dedicated bike lanes and there is plenty of bike parking available. Most of the downtown area is flat, although areas north of downtown are more hilly. The vehicle traffic is slow enough, but helmets are recommended (and required for those under age 16) as drivers in the city are often distracted and do not see cyclists, even when the cyclist is in a protected bike lane. Biking in the street is legal and biking on the sidewalk is legal for non-electric bikes everywhere except downtown. Bicycle maps of the city center are available online.
Capital Bikeshare, owned by Lyft, operates a bike-sharing network that has over 8,000 bicycles available at over 800 bike stations throughout the Washington, D.C. area. Dockless bikeshare and Dockless electric scooters are also available via several mobile apps; information can be found on the Transit app.
Bike trails You may also take advantage of some of the fantastic biking trails in the greater D.C. area: Capital Crescent Trail connects Georgetown to Bethesda and Silver Spring, Maryland. Metropolitan Branch Trail connects Union Station to Silver Spring, Maryland. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park offers a shaded trail from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland. passing through the waterfalls at Great Falls, up-stream from Georgetown. Mount Vernon Trail travels along the western edge of the Potomac River, offering a direct bike connection between downtown D.C., Alexandria, and George Washington's former estate in Mount Vernon. Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail offers a tour of the Virginia suburbs from dense urban Alexandria, through the leafy tech-company suburbs of Reston, Herndon, and Ashburn, into bucolic Loudoun County and onto Leesburg. For an ambitious all-day ride, try branching north at Leesburg, crossing the Potomac River on White's Ferry (inactive as of Nov 2024), and riding on the C&O Canal towpath to return to D.C.
By pedicab Pedicabs (tricycle rickshaws), commonly found on the National Mall, are regulated, insured, and offer tours or pre-arranged rides. Companies offering services include D.C.
See
Most of the attractions in D.C. are on the National Mall, the West End, and Capitol Hill. While there are many maps on display throughout the city, the official National Mall map and the Library of Congress map are great to have handy.
The National Mall is a unique park, filled with an intense concentration of monuments, memorials, museums, and monumental government buildings instantly recognizable to people all over the world. The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Gallery of Art, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, and the Holocaust Museum, are just a few of the top attractions on the National Mall. To walk down the National Mall is to thread the halls of world power in the modern era. Here the world's most powerful politicians and their staffs fill the grand neo-classical buildings of the three branches of US Government, making decisions that reverberate in the remotest corners of the world. The National Mall is larger than it looks, and a walk from one end of the National Mall to the other will take a while and may wear you down a bit. Plan ahead what you want to see and concentrate your activities in one section of the National Mall each day.
The East End, just north of the National Mall, includes many more museums and attractions, including the National Portrait Gallery, the American Art Museum, and the National Archives, which houses original copies of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
The White House, as well as The George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum and the Kennedy Center, are in the West End. The Capitol Building and the Supreme Court are on Capitol Hill. Another attraction here that shouldn't be missed is the Library of Congress, which has some of the most beautiful architecture that can be seen in the city.
The free National Zoo in Upper Northwest is one of the nation's most prestigious zoos, and the National Cathedral is an awe-inspiring mammoth. Dupont Circle is home to much of Embassy Row, an impressive stretch of some 50 foreign-owned historic and modernist mansions along Massachusetts Ave, as well as several brilliant small museums, such as the Phillips Collection and the Woodrow Wilson House.
The historic neighborhood of Georgetown is the oldest part of the city, full of beautiful old colonial buildings, the 200+ year-old Jesuit campus of Georgetown University that resembles a Harry Potter film set, restaurants along the waterfront, the C&O canal, and the infamous Exorcist steps.
By car or bus, you can get to some of the capital's more far-flung and less-frequented attractions, such as the National Arboretum in the Near Northeast, or the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in eastern Anacostia. By taking the Metro red line to Brookland-CUA, you can visit the magnificent Catholic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in North America.
Views and panoramas D.C.'s building height restrictions—no taller than the width of the street the building is on plus 20 feet—have resulted in a skyscraper-less downtown, giving D.C. a distinctly muted feel for what is actually the heart of a huge metropolis. The obvious downside to this law is that it limits the supply of housing and office space and tax revenues and results in very high rents. Since many buildings downtown are of the same height level, many rooftop terraces offer great views.
There are several classic spots to get a look out over the city: Old Post Office Tower (free) in the East End, the second-tallest structure in downtown D.C., offers great views in all directions. Kennedy Center Rooftop Terrace (free), in the West End, or Arlington House (free), in Arlington National Cemetery, provides a nice skyline somewhat removed from the city, with the Lincoln Memorial prominent in the foreground. Washington Monument (free), on the National Mall, though as a vista point its small, bunker-like ports covered with scratched plastic make it less inspiring than might be expected. Vue Rooftop Bar at the Hotel Washington, in the West End, just a block from the White House, has an 11th floor rooftop terrace, bar, and lounge with a view of the White House from above, close enough to make out the Secret Service overwatch. Meals and drinks are pricy. Top of the Gate at The Watergate Hotel in the West End is a rooftop bar with great 360-degree views.
Do
D.C. has the highest ratio of parkland to population in the country for a city its size. Many of these parks are crowded with soccer, football, rugby, kickball, baseball, and ultimate frisbee players. The National Mall may be the most famous park, but there are several other large beautiful parks in the city.
The 2,000 acre Rock Creek Park, a national park, bisects the city north of the Anacostia River. The park is full of deer (who overpopulate, due to lack of predators), squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, birds, and even a few coyotes. The park includes paved biking/running trails that extend from Maryland to the Lincoln Memorial and connecting with the Mount Vernon trail in Northern Virginia. There are plenty of nice outdoor spaces just beyond the park. South of Massachusetts Ave, you can take a path west out to the beautiful Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, and then on to enormous Archibald-Glover Park, where the trails can lead you as far south and west as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Palisades Park. Following the main trail along the creek all the way south will take you under the Whitehurst Freeway and down to the National Mall, where joggers avail themselves of the incredible path right along the Potomac beneath the monuments.
Roosevelt Island is one of those gems just far enough out of the way that it is missed by most tourists. The Teddy Roosevelt Memorial is at the center of the island, which includes a couple fountains and several stone obelisks inscribed with his quotes. The rest of the island is a nice natural park of woods and swamp with a boardwalk in the center of the Potomac, with great views of Georgetown University on the northwest side and of the Kennedy Center on the east. What could be better befitting the "conservationist president" than an island park memorial? To reach the island, walk down the stairs at the Rosslyn side of the Key Bridge—which connects Rosslyn with Georgetown—then head east on the trail (the Mount Vernon Trail) to the footbridge to the island. Rosslyn is the nearest Metro stop. By car, you can access the parking lot just north of the Roosevelt Bridge from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Pkwy only.
There are several other parks worth visiting, including the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Anacostia, the National Arboretum in Near Northeast, Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park in Columbia Heights, and the C&O Canal Towpath in Georgetown.
Events Events DC, Free in DC, PopVille, 730DC, Washington City Paper, Washingtonian, and the Going Out Guide by the Washington Post are websites that will keep you up-to-date on current events in the city.
Things to Do DC offers visits to embassies including cultural presentations by the ambassador and local food as well as scavenger hunts at the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo.
Capital Hiking Club and Wanderbirds offer hikes in local parks on weekends, with transportation included.
D.C. has a bustling live music scene, most of which takes place at small and medium sized bars and clubs. More information on these venues is available in the Drink section of this article.
The Kennedy Center, in the West End, offers a free 1-hour show every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 6PM on its Millennium Stage. Shows range from poetry to plays to music to dance and are always top-notch. Tickets are free and are available online or at the box office. The Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra also both perform at the Kennedy Center, although these events are rarely free.
Major concerts and gatherings are held at the 18,200 seat Capital One Arena in the East End. There are more intimate classical music concerts in various locations. Try the Dumbarton Concerts by Candlelight in Georgetown!
In the summer, the weekly Jazz in the Garden on Friday evenings on the National Mall and the Sunday Drum Circle in Meridian Hill Park in Columbia Heights are both free events that are extremely popular with the locals and tourists alike.
Theater Thanks to its national pedigree, D.C. is a theater city through-and-through and is home to one of the strongest scenes in the country, easily rivaling that of New York's Broadway. But unlike Broadway, there is no central location for theatre in D.C.; it's found all over the city, and greater region. You can find deals with each theatre or on the TodayTix app.
Shakespeare Theatre Company performing at both the majestic Harman Hall and the more intimate Klein Theatre in the East End. Focuses on Shakespeare, either via adaptations or more straightforward productions, but known to produce a wide array of works. Arena Stage (Waterfront) and its three venues was the first integrated theater in the city and is nationally known as a venue for the most prestigious American premieres and revivals. James Earl Jones and Mahershala Ali both began their careers on these stages, among countless other names. Woolly Mammoth (East End) is a Tony-winning house that is known for showing lesser-known, but generally more innovative or thought-provoking works. GALA Hispanic Theatre (Columbia Heights) is one of the nation's foremost Spanish-language performing arts centers, producing most shows in Spanish while featuring English subtitles. Studio Theatre (Shaw) produces more realist works.
Additionally, outside of city limits:
Round House Theatre is in Bethesda, Maryland, a block from the Bethesda Metro station. Signature Theatre is in Arlington, Virginia, and is known for their robust musicals, especially those of Stephen Sondheim. Not Metro accessible directly but easily reached by bicycle or via bus from Pentagon station.
Visit Theatre Washington for a full, updated list of what's on in the region; there are 91 (!) different production companies, many sharing the same space. Each May, the city holds the Helen Hayes Awards, which are effectively D.C.'s Tony equivalent, and is considered a highly prestigious accolade within American theatre.
Free outdoor movies During the summer, there is generally a free outdoor movie shown every weekday evening on a large outdoor screen at one of several locations in D.C. There are also similar movie showings in nearby suburbs such as National Harbor, Columbia, Bethesda, Frederick, Hagerstown, and Ellicott City. It's good to show up as early as possible to stake out a good spot, lay down the picnic blanket, and socialize. People start arriving at 7:00PM and films generally start at sunset, approximately 8:30PM. The movies being shown as well as the days of the week and locations change yearly but are aggregated on this site.
Social dance D.C. has a vibrant social dance scene. The Josephine Butler Parks Center is a popular spot for swing dancing on Tuesdays. To the northwest, Glen Echo Park, a former amusement park converted into an arts and culture center, hosts social dance events most days of the week, including a popular contra dance series on Fridays.
Festivals D.C. is awash in free public events all throughout the year, but especially in the summer. A few highlights include:
A Capitol Fourth. The nation's capital is the best place to celebrate Independence Day! Fireworks over the Potomac River, the National Independence Day Parade, and a huge orchestral concert on Capitol Hill all make for a big time celebration. Expect enormous crowds.
Around the World Embassy Tour. You can go into most of the embassy buildings, learn about the countries, view presentations and performances, eat food (sometimes free, sometimes for purchase), and buy souvenirs. Expect long lines, especially during peak hours and at larger countries.
National Cherry Blossom Festival. Washington's cherry blossoms do not necessarily bloom during the festival—the bloom varies every year, depending on the winter weather. When the blossoms are in bloom, which lasts for about a week, Washington is at its prettiest. The traditional cherry blossom promenade is around the Tidal Basin, although you will have to go very early in the morning to avoid the crowds. You will pay top dollar to stay at hotels during cherry blossom season.
Blossom Kite Festival. The main attraction is of course all the people showing up to fly their kites by the Washington Monument, but there are also a bunch of tent exhibits on topics from things like West Indian kitemaking to U.S. wind power projects. There are several kite flying competitions throughout the day, the most popular being the Rokkaku Kite Battle.
Shakespeare Free for All. Free performances of a different Shakespeare play every year by the renowned Shakespeare Theatre Company in the Harman Center for the Arts. You can get free tickets via the online lottery or same-day tickets available at the door (via queue) in the morning.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This annual festival presents folk traditions focused on a central theme.
Annual conventions The convention center in East End hosts several major annual events:
Library of Congress National Book Festival. Sponsored by the Library of Congress, this festival celebrates books, authors, and reading. Highlights include listening to your favorite author speak, queuing up to have a book signed, taking the kids to visit their beloved PBS Kids characters, and collecting stamps from all the US states and territories in the Pavilion of the States.
Otakon. One of the largest and longest-running anime conventions in the United States. Even if you are not into anime, you'll get to see throngs of Japanese cartoon-inspired costumed attendees (cosplayers) take over the Convention Center during the convention. You need to buy an admission badge to enter the convention, but you can just stand on the street and ogle the costumes for free. The best times for this are Thursday evening (a long line often forms for picking up badges) and Saturday, the day when the most people are in costume.
Washington Auto Show. Showcases the latest innovations in sustainable automotive technologies. The winners of the Green Car Vision Award are announced at the show.
Washington DC Travel & Adventure Show.
Football The Washington Commanders are one of professional American football's most established and storied clubs, boasting five NFL championships. The Commanders play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. To get there using public transport, take the Blue Line Metrorail to the Morgan Blvd stop, then walk one mile straight up Morgan Blvd to the stadium.
The Maryland Terrapins, representing the main campus of the University of Maryland, also have a large following in the area. They are the only "power five" NCAA Division I college football team in the region as part of the Big Ten conference. The team plays just outside D.C. in College Park, accessible via Metro's Green line (with shuttles to the stadium on game days).
Hockey The Washington Capitals, under coach Barry Trotz and led by superstar Alexander Ovechkin, won the Stanley Cup in 2018. The team plays at the Capital One Arena, in the East End.
Basketball The Washington Wizards also play at the Capital One Arena. In the 2010s, led by young talents John Wall then Bradley Beal, the Wizards developed into a fun and competitive if somewhat underdog side. As of 2025, they are in the middle of a painful rebuilding process, but this means tickets are cheap.
The WNBA Washington Mystics, a women's team owned by the same company as the Wizards and the NHL's Capitals, play in the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Anacostia and also in Capital One Arena.
The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team is far and away the most popular college sports team in the city, and the Hoyas often sport a more exciting season than even the Wizards. The team also plays at the Capital One Arena since the crowds for the Hoyas' games are too big for the University to hold.
The Maryland Terrapins also have a large following in the area. The team plays just outside D.C. in College Park.
Three other NCAA Division I teams play in the District, and a fourth plays in the immediate metropolitan area. The District also has the George Washington Colonials in Foggy Bottom, the American Eagles in Tenleytown, and the Howard Bison in Shaw. The George Mason Patriots are in Fairfax County, Virginia.
The Washington Nationals, a.k.a. the Nats play at a stadium by the Waterfront. In 2019, they won their first World Series.
Soccer D.C. United is one of the MLS' most successful teams, with 4 MLS cups under its belt, as well as successful international competition in CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, where the club has both a CONCACAF championship and a Copa Interamericana. D.C. is a big soccer town, owing to the metropolitan area's very international population and its big Latino communities, as well as to a home-grown affection for soccer in this section of the Mid-Atlantic, and the games are high-energy and well attended. United plays at Audi Field in Waterfront.
The Washington Spirit, of the National Women's Soccer League, play at Audi Field; the season runs from March to November. As United have struggled, the Spirit have cultivated a devoted fanbase and regularly pack the stadium as perennial playoff contenders.
Loudoun United FC, the reserve side for D.C. United, plays in the second-level USL Championship at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia. It's the only MLS reserve side that doesn't play in the third-level MLS Next Pro.
Rugby Old Glory, of the Eastern Conference of Major League Rugby, play at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Maryland. The ownership team is led by D.C. natives Paul Sheehy and Chris Dunlavey. The team has a strong New Zealand and Polynesian presence among its coaching and playing staff and an expat-heavy fanbase. The season lasts from March to September, with most games on Sunday afternoons.
Learn
Universities D.C. has a long list of highly accredited universities. It's a political town, and the best known institutions are undoubtedly those with the political connections. People from all over the world, in particular many elites from other countries, attend school here. Georgetown University is arguably the best academic program period for those looking to cozy up to the Washington elite and/or launch a public career. George Washington University American University is great for international students looking for a politics-oriented exchange program, producing world leaders from kings to African finance ministers. Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Johns Hopkins Carey Business School The Catholic University of America University of the District of Columbia is the only public university in D.C. and serves mostly local students. Gallaudet University is the only university worldwide specifically designed for the deaf. Howard University is one of the nation's most esteemed historically black universities. National Defense University serves the military elite.
Think tanks D.C. has more think tanks than anywhere else in the U.S., with varying political orientations. Think tanks host events such as talks and panels, mostly online, but also in person. Schedules are available as follows: Conservative / Libertarian CATO Institute American Enterprise Institute Heritage Foundation Left / Progressive Center for American Progress New America Urban Institute Nonpartisan Brookings Center for Strategic and International Studies Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Author talks Many of the book stores in D.C. also host frequent free author talks, most notably Politics and Prose.
Work
D.C. is the best place to be for certain career paths. While everyone knows that this is where politicians go, you can also find a fair share of diplomats, lawyers, lobbyists, journalists, defense contractors, and civil servants. Good fields for international visitors to pursue include the various NGOs, national lobbying groups, and for the select few, embassies and consulates. Many ambitious young people come to Washington for internships, and the huge student-aged population peaks in the summer.
With so many high-powered people out to change the world, the need for child care is obvious. Nannies and au pairs, mostly placed through agencies, provide child care to many of Washington's elite; the city has the highest proportion of in-home childcare in the country. U.S. citizen nannies are especially sought after as government types carefully follow employment law to avoid problems with security clearances or negative publicity. Wages for legal U.S.
Buy
Souvenirs are easy to find at stands and stores near the National Mall and East End. However, these offerings tend to be tacky (shot glasses, magnets, t-shirts, etc.) The gift shops of the Smithsonian museums have unique but more expensive offerings and are great places to buy gifts.
Eastern Market in Capitol Hill is a favorite Saturday or Sunday afternoon shopping destination for locally produced food and artwork. Even if you're not buying, it's a great time.
Eclectic boutiques and vintage stores abound in Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Upper Northwest, and Shaw. However, prices are high; you are not likely to find many bargains.
Art galleries are plentiful throughout the city and make for great browsing, although the prices are on the high side.
Specialty book stores such as Politics & Prose, Kramers, and Second Story Books in Dupont Circle carry a nice selection of political humor-themed accessories.
Clothing and household items Popular stores within the D.C. borders include Macy's, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Zara, and Guess, while Marshalls is the best bet for discounts. Upscale shopping dominates in Washington, D.C./Georgetown, the East End, and Friendship Heights. Expect boutiques from the all the big name international brands here as well as the smaller American designers. More unique and vintage shopping is available in Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, and Columbia Heights. Walmart and Target are the best bets for cheap groceries and household items.
Leesburg Premium Outlets in Leesburg, northwest of Dulles Airport and northwest of Washington D.C., has the best bargains in the area. Getting there by public transport requires taking 2 buses from the Innovation Center Metrorail station; however, it is a 1-hour drive from D.C. Potomac Mills is a humongous shopping mall in Woodbridge that contains over 200 stores. It is a 25 minute bus ride (Free) from the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station. Tanger Outlet Mall at National Harbor is accessible by Metrobus from the Southern Ave Metrorail station. Fashion Centre at Pentagon City has over 170 generally high-end stores is adjacent to the Pentagon City Metrorail station in Arlington. Tysons Corner Center contains over 300 stores and is adjacent to the Tysons Corner Metrorail station in Tysons. Tysons Galleria is an upscale mall in Tysons. Fashion Centre at Pentagon City has over 170 generally high-end stores and is adjacent to the Pentagon City Metrorail station.
Eat
As a general rule, expect higher prices in popular tourist haunts such as Georgetown, Penn Quarter and Dupont Circle, while more exciting and innovative cuisine can be found to the east in Logan Circle, Adams Morgan and H Street.
Ethnic food D.C.'s international might draws representatives from all over the world, and they all need ex-pat cafes and restaurants to haunt.
Salvadoran cuisine such as the pupusa is common in Columbia Heights. Pupusas are thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, optionally fried pork, refried beans, or all sorts of other things, then topped with a tart cabbage salad and an Italianesque red sauce.
Ethiopian food is a D.C. staple due to the city's large Ethiopian community. Ethiopian food is a wild ride of spicy stewed and sautéed meats and vegetables served atop a plate covered with a spongy bread called injera. You eat the dishes with your hands, using an extra plate of injera (similar to bread) as your sole "utensil"—rip off a piece of the injera and use it to pick up your food. It's proper in Ethiopia to use only the tips of your fingers in this exercise, and with good reason: you'll have a messy meal otherwise. It's also perfectly proper to feed your date, making this a fun cuisine if you know your date well. The best places to try Ethiopian food are in Shaw, which includes Little Ethiopia.
Asian food is extremely popular in D.C. Generally more affordable than other cuisines, it is led by the flavors of Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. Cuisines less well known in other parts of the country such as Laotian, Burmese and Filipino are in abundance here. Popular places include Ramen bars and Korean BBQ places (which sometimes feature Karaoke and offer you the chance to grill your own meats tableside). Cheaper eats are available in the suburbs, notably Wheaton, Rockville and Silver Spring in Maryland and Annandale and Falls Church's Eden Center in Northern Virginia. Chinese food can still be found in D.C., though with much of the ethnic Chinese community having moved to the suburbs, most of the restaurants in Chinatown are tourist traps. While good to excellent authentic Chinese food remains available in the metropolitan area, the best Chinese restaurants are located in the suburbs, particularly near the Metrorail stations in Wheaton and Rockville. Check Washingtonian Magazine's annual "Cheap Eats" article on the web for reliable ethnic restaurant recommendations throughout the Washington Metropolitan area.
The closest thing that D.C. has to a unique local cuisine is the half-smoke: smoked half-beef, half-pork sausages. They have a firm "snap" when you bite into one, are served on a hot dog bun, and are often topped with chili. They are commonly sold at food trucks on the National Mall as well as at Ben's Chili Bowl in Shaw.
Also undeniably classic Washington is mumbo sauce, a sweet, yet spicy red sauce that goes on everything from fried fish to chicken wings. It is best associated with the city's African American restaurants and has also been adopted by many Caribbean and Chinese takeout places.
True to its Mid-Atlantic heritage, a visit to D.C. is not complete until you try locally steamed crabs, especially if you want to impress the locals! And though suburban Virginians may complain, only Maryland blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay will suffice. Head to the Municipal Fish Market at the Waterfront to sample some of the region's best seafood. During the summer harvest season (May to September), picking crabs or indulging in a crab feast in warm weather (with Old Bay seasoning, of course!) is a popular way to spend the afternoon with family and friends, especially among native Washingtonians. However, offseason, crab may be imported from as far away as the Carolinas or Gulf of Mexico. Steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage and beer are popular side dishes. If steamed crabs sound a bit adventurous, you should at least sample a crab cake (nearby Maryland does it best after all), or crab bisque.
Many of D.C.'s older restaurants were founded by Greek immigrants in the immediate post-World War II era (such as the parents of author and D.C. native, George Pelecanos). Many have survived into the present day and are particularly popular with office workers and students. The Greek Deli in Dupont Circle is a popular and well-regarded example of the city's unique Greek culinary heritage.
D.C. is also home to several unique styles of pizza:
Oblong personal-style pizzas (popularized by local chain &pizza) Maryland-style tavern pizza (popularized by local chain Ledo) and the locally (in)famous jumbo slice, which is available near any nightlife strip in the city.
Kosher dining There are only two kosher restaurants in D.C., and they are very casual: Char Bar (meat) near West End and Silver Crust (dairy) inside the JCC. However, there are dozens more options for kosher dining in neighboring Montgomery County, especially in areas with large Jewish populations such as Kemp Mill, Wheaton, Silver Spring, Rockville and Bethesda. Metro accessible kosher restaurants in Montgomery County include: Nut House Pizza (dairy) in Wheaton; and Siena's Restaurant (dairy) near the Twinbrook metro station. There are also several more kosher restaurants in Montgomery County accessible by car, mostly in Rockville and Kemp Mill.
Drink
The legal drinking/purchasing age is 21 and it is strictly enforced in D.C. Be prepared to have your identification checked, even if you appear to be well over 21. Last call can be as late as 3AM, although many establishments will let you stay beyond that, especially downtown. It is rare but not unknown for nightclubs to stay open beyond 3AM though they may lock you in or stop serving alcohol.
As in most American cities, drinking alcoholic beverages on the street is illegal. The law is flouted openly in many areas but bars will not generally let you take your drink even a step off-premise.
Bars and dance clubs Near downtown, Dupont and Logan Circle are probably the best neighborhoods to go if you are in town for just a brief period, full of locals of all ages, especially D.C. young professionals. U Street has lots of clubs and a thriving nightlife scene, and if you are European and looking for a good club, this is where you want to be. The larger Shaw neighborhood is well gentrified, though attracts a well to do, good-looking African American crowd, particularly at many of the city's brunch places which often double as nightlife venues as the evening progresses.
Georgetown has classier bars and clubs and some very expensive restaurants, but is shunned by the hip, cool crowd. The nearby West End has some interesting locales close to its border with Dupont Circle. Adams Morgan, formerly the dingy alternative to Dupont, has become hipper, cooler and trendier today, especially with young residents and visiting cool kids. You'll find many of the city's best bars and new restaurants here. Columbia Heights also has lots of bars, as well as a sizeable cluster of Asian, African and Hispanic bars and restaurants. Nearby, Mount Pleasant is home to most of the city's Salvadoran population and its signature comfort food, the pupusa, as well as a growing hip, if you know you know bar and restaurant scene akin to Adams Morgan. Woodley Park, Cleveland Park and Van Ness (aka Forest Hills) attract a wealthier older crowd, with many decent restaurants and plenty of watering holes, including a couple of bars and pubs. Nearby is upscale Tenleytown, which is surprisingly sedate for a student area but remains popular with middle aged residents. Takoma Park lives up to its nickname as the 'Berkeley of the East' and is home to many bohemian, alternative haunts, albeit aimed at an increasingly mature crowd. Penn Quarter/Chinatown is a very touristy area with a plenty of good but pricey restaurants, many of which seem to be New York imports, although very few hip locals would be caught dead in this part of town.
In Northeast, H Street and Petworth are the capitals of DC's cool scene, and many small music venues and cult restaurants can be found here. Brookland offers a quieter, more relaxed slice of DC life, largely around its neighborhood cafes, restaurants and bars oft overlooked by outsiders, and NoMa is the new yuppie epicenter of Washington, rapidly gentrified and with plenty of brunch spots to match, though still somewhat rough around the edges. In Southeast, Capitol Hill and Hill East mirror the scene in Woodley Park, with many decent watering holes aimed at a mature, well to do crowd, though Hill East is much more geared towards local residents.
Further afield Navy Yard and the Wharf are the cities newest neighborhoods, a former warehouse zone turned waterfront condo site, recalling Baltimore's Inner Harbor with the prices to match. It covers multiple blocks and is controversial for having displaced many fisherman and long term residents on D.C.'s old waterfront.
The downtown nightlife is lacking; many bars in the East End are tourist traps and the West End has relatively few bars despite the student population from GW University.
However, bars and dance clubs are plentiful along 18th St in Adams Morgan, along 14th St and along U St in nearby Shaw, and in Near Northeast, and Waterfront. Several hotels in Georgetown include very classy popular bars.
D.C.'s coolest clubs and bars are to be found along U Street, H Street and the larger Shaw area. Hipsters, cool kids and the young at heart congregate here from across the D.C. area and beyond. Complementing the above scene, is a more bar focused nightlife scene in Adams Morgan/Columbia Heights and Logan Circle respectively, the former being more hip and alternative and the latter far more upscale.
Less fashionable, but slicker, are the dance clubs along Connecticut Avenue in Dupont Circle. Unlike the house/techno/hip hop/underground scene in Shaw and H Street, music genres played at clubs here include more mainstream top 40, R&B, hip hop, and Latin music. Many of these bars and clubs have a stricter door policy and dress code than U Street. Much of the audience at these clubs are suburbanites looking for a night out on the town rather than D.C. locals. U Street and Shaw also have many bars/clubs that cater to a gay crowd.
Live music clubs Pop and rock There are several music venues in Shaw, Waterfront, and Capitol Hill that bring in internationally-known acts. The Fillmore Silver Spring, which also features international acts, is just outside of the city limits in Silver Spring, and is accessible by Metrorail.
Jazz and Blues Live jazz is very popular in D.C. Jazz legend Duke Ellington frequently played at clubs in Shaw, centered around U St. Blues Alley in Georgetown is the city's most prestigious jazz club - the interior looks like it is from a Spike Lee movie - straight from the 1920s! Takoma Station Tavern near Takoma Park has weekly jazz jams as well as regular performances of go-go music, a musical genre related to funk and early hip-hop that originated in D.C. in the 1960s.
Sleep
The hotel tax in D.C. is 15.95%, while the tax is 14.25% in the nearby suburb of Arlington, 13.00% in Bethesda and Reston, and 12.00% in Tysons Corner and most of Herndon. Hotels in the D.C. area are generally most expensive on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, when business travel reaches its peak, and cheapest on the weekend.
The hotels of the East End, the business-centric West End, and charming Georgetown (which features many boutique choices) are the most popular accommodation options due to their proximity to the tourist attractions and top dining spots. Naturally, these areas have many brand-name options to choose from. If booking in these areas, be aware that the West End consists mainly of office buildings and is generally dead after dark. Georgetown is not accessible by Metrorail, although it is easy to travel to/from Georgetown by bus or a ride-hailing service.
Better bargains may be had in the nightlife-centered districts of Dupont Circle, Shaw, Near Northeast, and Capitol Hill, all of which are a short metro or bus ride to, or, when the weather is nice, a nice walk to, the National Mall. These areas may actually be preferable because their nightlife options make a late night out more convenient. Moreover, it is easier to find street parking on the weekend.
There are also many hotels of all classes located close to metro stations just outside the city limits in Arlington and Alexandria, Bethesda, and Silver Spring. If you are flying into or out of Dulles or Reagan, you may want to look into hotels in the nearby areas of Tysons, Reston, or Herndon, although the ride to D.C. via public transport can take up to an hour. These hotels are generally much cheaper than hotels in D.C., especially on the weekends.
Respect
Most people in Washington have left-wing, cosmopolitan, secular and environmentalist values by American standards. This spares both domestic and foreign tourists from cultural clashes which might be imminent elsewhere. However, some strict rules of etiquette are almost distinctive in Washington DC.
On Metrorail When boarding at the station, let those exiting the train step off onto the platform before boarding, and once aboard move to the center of the car. If you have luggage, move it as far out of the path of others as possible. Certain stations have escalators to cover the distances between platforms — walk on the left and stand on the right!
Business People in Washington DC are punctual, so show up on time. The standard greeting is a firm handshake. Small talk and bringing up the subject indirectly are neither necessary nor expected. Most meetings get straight down to business.
Similarly, salespeople, waiters and other service employees are usually less attentive than their colleagues in other states, to respect customers' privacy, except a short "hello" to entering customers. Customers are supposed to make eye contact with servers for attention.
Dress With its highly educated, professional, and political populace, D.C. is a relatively formal and fashion-conscious city. Even in the summer, t-shirts and shorts are in the minority downtown or at bars and restaurants. However, if you just want to enjoy being a tourist, wear what is comfortable and don't worry—you'll be in good company! But if you prefer to blend in, a safe bet anytime of day for men are nice dark jeans and an untucked button-up or polo shirt, and perhaps dark sneakers or something a little nicer and more stylish. Women will often blend in better in a nice pair of sandals, boots, or other nice shoes, and maybe skipping the T-shirt and sneakers in the evening.
For fine dining or the theater, expect to dress nicely. A good button-up shirt and slacks are a must for any nice restaurant.
Make Washington, D.C. your own.
Before committing, pick one main reason for this visit and two nearby experiences that support it. Check the guide’s transport sections against current operator information. A convenient base can save more time than adding another attraction.
- Choose your arrival point and one base. Write down the real transfer time, not just the map distance.
- Build a first-day plan with room to settle in. Cluster the places you want to see rather than crossing the city repeatedly.
- Use actual accommodation and transport quotes in your budget. Add fees to the quote before comparing it.
- Keep one uncommitted block. Weather, energy and a good local recommendation can all change your plan.
Source transparency
This guide adapts licensed text by Wikivoyage contributors. It is not a claim that Lakhou has visited or independently verified every listing. We converted the source to plain text, selected practical sections and removed price sentences and private contact information. The planning framework and any related-business booking recommendations above are Lakhou editorial additions.
Original revision 5374827 · Contributor history · CC BY-SA 4.0. Reused text and adaptations on this page are available under that license. Source revision date: 2026-09-30. This is not a date of field verification.
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