Official bird
Wood thrush
Sources: Designation & background
Local timeWashington, D.C. ·
U.S. States / South · Card 048
District of Columbia
The Nation’s Capital
Rock Creek Park protects a wooded stream valley inside Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia and its surroundings
● Federal capital · Gold highlights District of Columbia.
Map: Natural Earth. Neighboring states use postal abbreviations.
Map: Natural Earth. Neighboring states use postal abbreviations.
At a glance
- Federal capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Postal abbreviation
- DC
- Population
- 693,645July 1, 2025 · Census estimate
- Total area
- 177 km²68 square miles · land and water
- Capital authorized
- July 16, 1790Federal district; not a state
- Region
- South
Sources: Census · population · Census · area
District symbols & traditions
Official song
Washington
Sources: Designation & background
Official fruit
Cherry
Sources: Designation & background
Geography & flag
01
Location
The District of Columbia borders Maryland and Virginia along the Potomac River.
02
Landscape & places
Rock Creek Park protects a wooded stream valley inside Washington, D.C. Its location shows how a major city can contain substantial natural habitats alongside streets, homes and public institutions.
03
Land and water
The total area includes 158 km² of land and 19 km² of water, according to Census area measurements.
District flag
Three red stars above two red horizontal bars on a white field.
Sources: Census · geographic reference · Census · area measurements · National Park Service · Rock Creek
How the landscape works
Rock Creek Park is a wooded stream valley within a densely developed capital. It shows that an urban landscape can contain substantial habitats as well as buildings. Water, slopes, and vegetation connect parts of the city that a map of streets alone might not explain. Conservation in a city concerns relationships with surrounding communities, not separation from all human activity.
History
Why D.C. has home rule but is not a state
The Constitution gave Congress authority over a separate federal district so that the national capital would not depend on a state government. Congress selected the Potomac site in 1790, and the federal government moved to Washington in 1800.
For much of its history, Washington’s local government was controlled directly by federal officials. The Home Rule Act of 1973 created an elected mayor and council, giving residents a stronger role in local affairs. Congress retained oversight and can intervene in district legislation. Home rule therefore provides local self-government without making D.C. a state or giving it the same voting representation in Congress.
Read more: Historical source ↗
Why this mattered
Home rule gives District residents an elected mayor and council, but Congress retains authority over the District. Local self-government is therefore different from statehood. D.C. has presidential electoral votes but no voting U.S. senators. These institutions should be explained individually instead of assuming that one kind of representation automatically includes all the others.
Key dates
-
Residence Act authorized the federal capital
-
Capital authorized
-
Home Rule Act established an elected local government
Sources: D.C. Council · home rule
People and place
Indigenous history and communities today
The National Museum of the American Indian presents Native histories and contemporary life in the nation’s capital. Its location in D.C. should not be confused with a claim that every community represented is local to the District.
Continue with National Museum of the American Indian. This is one starting point, not a complete account of the peoples connected to this land.
Compare
District of Columbia and Maryland
| Measure | District of Columbia | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 693,645 | 6,265,347 |
| Land area (km²) | 158 | 25,142 |
| People per km² of land | 4,390.2 | 249.2 |
District of Columbia has more people per square kilometer of land. Population density divides population by land area. It is an average across the whole jurisdiction, not a claim that residents are evenly spread out.
Calculated from the Census population series and land-area measurements used on these pages. Rounded figures; water area is excluded. Explore Maryland.
Economy
Main activities
In 2025, government and government enterprises was the largest of the broad industry groups compared here by current-dollar output. Other major groups included professional and business services, real estate and rental and leasing, and educational services, health care, and social assistance.
Total economic output was $192.6 billion in current dollars in 2025.
Largest industry groups · 2025
- Government and government enterprises: 30.1%
- Professional and business services: 24.2%
- Real estate and rental and leasing: 8.6%
- Educational services, health care, and social assistance: 7.9%
Share of total current-dollar GDP. These figures measure output, not employment.
Sources: BEA · annual GDP by state, SAGDP2
Production, jobs and wages answer different questions
The industry chart measures the value of production. It does not count workers. An industry with a large share of GDP need not employ the most people or pay the highest wages. Employment and wage data would be needed to answer those questions.
Population & economic trends
Population, 2020–2025
Thousands of people693.642025 · thousands of people
July 1 resident population estimates, using the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 series.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau
View data table
| Year | People |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 670,958 |
| 2021 | 669,637 |
| 2022 | 674,501 |
| 2023 | 682,559 |
| 2024 | 691,310 |
| 2025 | 693,645 |
Real GDP, 2010–2025
Billions of chained 2017 dollars145.702025 · billions of chained 2017 dollars
Real GDP measures economic output adjusted for inflation. The chart uses BEA’s chained 2017 dollars.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
View data table
| Year | Millions of chained 2017 dollars |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 120,393.2 |
| 2011 | 122,636.4 |
| 2012 | 123,567.9 |
| 2013 | 124,094.8 |
| 2014 | 126,883.9 |
| 2015 | 129,110.2 |
| 2016 | 132,217.8 |
| 2017 | 134,298.8 |
| 2018 | 138,056.8 |
| 2019 | 138,909.7 |
| 2020 | 137,828.9 |
| 2021 | 143,338.7 |
| 2022 | 143,050.8 |
| 2023 | 143,179.2 |
| 2024 | 145,088.0 |
| 2025 | 145,696.5 |
Read the trend, then ask what explains it
District of Columbia’s population increased by about 3.4% between 2020 and 2025 in this series. That shows the size of the change. The chart alone cannot tell us how much came from births, deaths or migration.
Real GDP adjusts for changes in prices, so it helps compare production over time. Current-dollar GDP includes price changes. Neither measure tells us how income is distributed among residents.
Representation
- Electoral votes
- 32024 & 2028 elections
- Voting U.S. House seats
- 0One nonvoting delegate
- U.S. Senate seats
- 0
D.C. has three electoral votes, a nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House, and no U.S. senators. The Home Rule Act of 1973 established an elected mayor and Council; Congress retains oversight of District legislation.
Sources: National Archives · 2024 and 2028 electoral votes · D.C. Council · home rule
Practice
Test your knowledge
Use the explanations and data on this page to answer ten questions. Hints and links to the relevant sections are available throughout.
10 questions about District of Columbia
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Sources & notes
Narrative and quiz updated 5 October 2026. Statistical data prepared 27 September 2026. Population: Census Bureau Vintage 2025, July 1 estimates for 2020–2025. Real GDP: BEA annual state accounts, SAGDP9, millions of chained 2017 dollars; industry shares: SAGDP2, current dollars. Data downloaded 27 September 2026. Area measurements include land and water.
Sources: Census · population estimates · BEA · state GDP · Census · area measurements · Natural Earth · map data
The capital clock shows current local time. Statistical figures are dated estimates and may be revised.
Updated 29 October 2026. Statistics retain the dated series shown in the charts; these are not live figures. Sources are linked beside each topic.