What Is Washington DC Famous For?

Definition of "What is Washington DC famous for?"

The city capital of Washington D.C. is famous for … well … for being the capital of the United States of America. That is probably the first thing that people think about when they hear of the city of Washington D.C., but that is only one reason why the city is famous. We’ll take a look at several factors to be considered when discussing the fame and popularity of our nation’s capital.

Washington DC - the Capital City of the US

As stated above, the city’s status as the nation’s capital is the number one thing people know when they think of DC. The idea of Washington D.C. becoming the capital of the United States of America began on July 9th, 1790. At that time, Congress approved through the Residence Act the creation of the US capital on the Potomac River. Afterward, Maryland and Virginia both ceded a total of 100-square miles of land for the construction of the federal city. By 1801 the District of Columbia was placed under the exclusive control of the federal government. At that time, the District of Columbia occupied 100 square miles with four equal 10 square mile sides. The District of Columbia was an exact square. Later on, it was decided that the territory ceded by Virginia, south of the Potomac River, being no longer necessary, was returned.

Washington DC - the Status of the Capital

Currently, Washington D.C. does not belong to either Maryland or Virginia. Despite this, Washington D.C. is not a state. The highest authority over the area is the U.S. Congress, being able to overthrow local laws. Because of this bizarre situation, after the District of Columbia was placed under the federal government’s rule, the capital residents had no right to vote in presidential elections before 1961.


Other factors that influence the city’s fame are its high concentration of embassies, museums, and monuments, especially on Capitol Hill, some of which can be visited for free. All three branches of government are located on Capitol Hill: Congress (legislative), the Presidents (executive), and the Supreme Court (judicial). The rest of the territory is residential, with approximately 714,000 people living there. If you’re planning on becoming a new Washingtonian, contact the local real estate agents in Washington DC and find your home in one of the best neighborhoods of the city’s 131 neighborhoods.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Questions

Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms

Same as term marginal land: Land that has poor income potential, usually used in an agricultural sense meaning that the land is untellable, has poor access, is extremely steep, has suffered ...

There’s a lot of confusion regarding the hazard insurance definition. Many people think it’s a synonym for homeowners insurance but they’re wrong. Hazard insurance is ...

Work required as a court judgment because of a crime committed. ...

Span of time a rental agreement is free to the occupant. A landlord may offer this as an incentive to stimulate rentals. For example, an owner of an office building may provide a free ...

Window(s) situated on top of a structure to furnish air and light for the inside. ...

Buying more house than a buyer can afford based on his or her income. ...

Person leaving from work to spend time in leisure activities. pay in full the balance on a debt either at or before the maturity date. Penalties may be assessed on prepaying a mortgage. ...

Examination of the financial records of a business to uncover errors and other irregularities. Involves looking at source documents to determine the legitimacy of transactions. An ...

Just to be clear: an Open house is not when you invite friends over to meet your new house. At least not in the real estate world.When you hear someone talking about an Open House, they ...