Welcome to Washington D.C. (District of Columbia)
Welcome to Washington D.C. - The city of the White House
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Washington D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington is the capital of the United States. The city was created after the signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790. The District is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and is therefore not a party of any U.S. state. Washington is the center of several american institutions, such as the White House, official residence of the President.
The centre of all three branches of the United States government is located in Washington.
There are also 174 foreign embassies and several organizations such as World Bank, which makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries, the International Monetary Fund, created in July 1944 with the goal to stabilize exchange rates, and there is also the Organization of America States.
Information and Facts
Night-life
A lot of areas in Washington can provide you a great nightlife whether you want to go party or just have a drink with your friends or family. Adams Morgan, Georgetown and the area near the Verizon Center are probably the best areas for visitors to experience the thrill of a night in Washington thanks to their various bars, restaurants and clubs.
Shopping
Washington has a lot of great places to go shopping. Union Station is a major transportation hub but also has a moderated size shopping mal where you can find jewelry, clothing, shoes, books and other merchandise. Georgetown is also a popular shopping district near the Potomac River, the Shops at Georgetown Park is a high-income indoor mall featuring upmarket stores for clothing, shoes and gifts. The nearby areas in Virginia and Maryland also have tons of shopping.
Sightseeing
As Washington is the capital of the United States, there are plenty of important sights related to the country's history. The Smithsonian Museum, the Capitol, the Abraham Lincoln Monumemt, the White House and more are part of the quite recent US history and are a must see.
Time
Time Zone: Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) UTC/GMT -4 hours
Climate
Washington has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons and notable variations of temperatures between Summer and Winter. Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas. Spring and Fall are warm, Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 26.6°C (79.8°F) and Winter is cool with temperatures average around 3.3°C (38°F).
Public transportation
Thanks to its different modes of transportation available for use, it is easy to travel around Washington.
Rail: the Washington area is served by the Washington Metro public transportation system, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Furthermore the Washington Metro connects with both commuter rail and intercity rail system at Union Station.
Bus: Metrobus is the main bus service in Washington and is operated by Metro. It consists of 176 bus lines serving 12,301 stops all around The District and almost all the Washington Metro station.
Bicycling: And if you feel like a more ecofriendly ride there is a network of 45 miles (72 km) dedicated bicycle lanes around Washington and there are 1,300 bicycle racks installed on sidewalks over the city. You can also find two bicycle sharing services which are SmartBike DC and Capital Bikeshare.