Washington DC

Demographics:

• The population of Washington DC is estimated at 591,833
• There are 265,557 households within the city limits
• The average income per household is $54,317
• People who live in Washington DC use the area code 202 (Find a phone number in Washington DC here)

Many famous people have lived in Washington DC, including:
Every United States President since John Adams, and a plethora of other American political figures, Goldie Hawn, Katherine Heigl, William Hurt, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stein, Duke Ellington, Henry Rollins, Roy Clark, Marvin Gaye, Orlando Brown, Pete Sampras, Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, J. Edgar Hoover

Historical Notes:
Washington DC is the capital of the United States, but it is not a state. The area is a federal district that is a separate and distinct part of the country.

People can still visit Ford's Theatre, the famous location where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

Residents of the District of Columbia were not allowed to vote in Presidential elections until 1961.

The official motto of Washington DC is "Justia Omnibus", which translates to Justice for All.

The District of Columbia is a body of land near the Potomac River that was chosen to be the capital of the United States. Both Maryland and Virginia gave up some of their territory for the new capital, although 32 square miles were officially returned to Virginia in 1846. In 1790 Pierre L'Enfant mapped out a city for the District, and it was promptly named after President George Washington.

Sadly, George Washington passed away one year before the government transferred from Philadelphia to Washington DC. Congress adjourned from their final meeting at the original state capital in May of 1800, and public offices were relocated to the District of Columbia. President John Adams was the first to move into the White House, although it was largely unfinished and littered with garbage upon his arrival.

In 1814 Britain and the United States were at war, and British troops invaded Washington DC. During their occupation the soldiers started fires that burned down much of the city. The White House and other notable locations were completely destroyed during the attack. Reconstruction efforts began immediately, and the new White House was finished by 1817, just in time for President James Monroe's inauguration. Most of the restoration process went quickly, but the capitol building was not finished until 1868.

Today Washington DC is one of the most commonly visited cities in the United States. It is the home of many historical sites, modern architecture and all three branches of the United States government.