What is the capital of United States?
Washington sits on the Potomac River as the District of Columbia, a federal district that is deliberately not part of any US state.
Washington D.C. is the capital and seat of government of United States, a role it has held since 1800. United States itself has an estimated population of 341,784,857 (2025).
Washington D.C. is not the largest city in United States. That is New York City, which makes United States one of the countries whose capital is not their biggest city.
Washington D.C. at a glance
| City population | 689,545 (2020 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 6,304,975 (2023 estimate) |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Founded | 1791 |
| Capital since | 1800 |
| Largest city in United States | New York City |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD) |
About Washington D.C.
The city was laid out in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant on land ceded by Maryland and Virginia.
Washington D.C. has been the capital of United States since 1800, when the federal government moved to the purpose-built city from Philadelphia; it was named after George Washington, the first president.
New York City was the first capital under the Constitution (1789–1790), followed by Philadelphia (1790–1800), before the capital moved to the newly built Washington.
Washington is only around the 20th-largest US city; New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are far bigger.
As a federal district it belongs to no state, a design meant to keep the seat of national government independent.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Washington, D.C..
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of United States?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of United States on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.