Introduction to Washington, D.C.

Area: 170 sq km
Population: 570,000
Country: USA
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -5 (Eastern Time)
Telephone Area Code: 202

Washington DC is the nation's capital city. Washington is in the District of Columbia. It is bounded on one side by the Potomac River (on the other side of the river you'll find Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia) and on the other sides by the state of Maryland. The city covers 170sq km (65sq mi). Washington is ringed by a freeway bypass called the Beltway, which divides the urban areas from the suburban areas. The Capitol is the symbolic center of Washington; from the Capitol the city is divided into four quadrants along axes following N Capitol St, E Capitol St, S Capitol St and the Mall. Streets are arranged on a grid of north-south numbered streets and east-west lettered streets. This grid is overlaid by diagonal avenues. Most tourist sights are located around the Capitol, along the Mall and in the Northwest quadrant. Downtown includes the monuments along the Mall. Dupont Circle is an upscale business and residential address; Adams-Morgan is funky and international; Shaw has historically elite residential areas and ghettos, and Georgetown has pristine historic houses, a university and lively restaurants.

Links to Points of Interest

Washington Convention & Visitors Bureau (official tourism site of Washington, D.C.)

The White House

The National Air and Space Museum

The National Zoo

The Smithsonian Institute