Washington, D.C., Capital of the United States of America
Washington, D.C. is the Capital of the United States. D.C. is the acronym for “District of Columbia.” Commonly referred to as Washington, D.C., the District.
Coordinates: 38°54’17″N 77°00’59″W
Population: 2016 estimate 681,170, Metro 6,097,684 and CSA 9,625,360
Rank: 22nd
ZIP Codes: 20001, 20098, 20201-20599
Area Code (s): 202
Named for: George Washington – 1st President of the United States
Approved: Congress passed the Residence Act on July 9, 1790, signed into law by George Washington on July 16, 1790, approving the beginning of a capital district next to the Potomac River covering 100 square miles.
Organized: 1801
Website: www.dc.gov
Washington D.C. is home to the federal government’s three (3) branches, including Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court. Additionally, it is home to 176 foreign embassies, headquarters to international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional organizations. Furthermore, it is home to many tourist attractions, including an estimated 95 national monuments and museums.
Congress possesses authority over the city and may overturn local law. The local law was not organized until 1973, then electing a mayor and 13-member city council. The District has no representation in the Senate; however, it receives three electoral votes in presidential elections, permitted by the 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961.
Georgetown, Maryland (founded in 1751) and Alexandria, Virginia (founded in 1749), two towns included in the territory. Andrew Ellicott surveyed the borders of Washington, D.C., in 1791 thru 1992, placing boundary stones every mile, which many of those stones remain.
The first session in Washington D.C. on November 17, 1800.
Our capital building was delayed after the Burning of Washington when British forces invaded the city on August 24-25, 1814, during the Was of 1812, burning the Capitol, Treasury, and the White House. The Capital was under construction but was not complete in its current form until 1868.
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