Washington DC - MAJOR VAN LINES LONG DISATNCE MOVERS
the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country's East Coast. As permitted by the U.S. Constitution, the District is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States Congress and is therefore not a part of any U.S. state.
The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, which included the preexisting settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria; however, Congress returned the Virginia portion in 1846. Named in honor of George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital. Congress created a single municipal government for the whole District of Columbia after the American Civil War.
Washington, D.C., had an estimated population of 617,996 in 2011, the 25th most populous place in the United States. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city's population to over one million during the workweek. The Washington Metropolitan Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of nearly 5.6 million, the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the country.
The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations.
A locally elected mayor and 13-member council have governed the District since 1973; however, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. The District has a non-voting, at-large Congressional delegate, but no senators. The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, grants the District three electoral votes in presidential elections.
Washington, D.C., is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast. Due to the District of Columbia retrocession, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177 km2), of which 61.4 square miles (159 km2) is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km2) (10.16%) is water.[41] The District is bordered by Montgomery County, Maryland to the northwest; Prince George's County, Maryland to the east; and Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia to the south and west.
The Potomac River forms the District's border with Virginia and has two major tributaries: the Anacostia River and Rock Creek.[42] Tiber Creek, a natural watercourse that once passed through the National Mall, was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s.[43] The creek also formed a portion of the now-filled Washington City Canal, which allowed passage through the city to the Anacostia River from 1815 until the 1850s.[44] The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts in Georgetown and was used during the 19th century to bypass the Great Falls of the Potomac River, located upstream (northwest) of Washington at the Atlantic Seaboard fall line.[45]
The highest natural elevation in the District is 409 feet (125 m) above sea level at Fort Reno Park in upper northwest Washington.[46] The lowest point is sea level at the Potomac River.[47] The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L Streets NW.[48] Contrary to the urban legend, Washington was not built on a reclaimed swamp, but wetlands did cover areas along the water.[49][50]
The District has 7,464 acres of parkland, about 19% of the city's total area and the second-highest percentage among high-density U.S. cities.[51] About 23% of the District's land is owned by the U.S. government; lower than the percentage of federal lands in 12 states.[52] The National Park Service manages most of the city's parkland, including Rock Creek Park, the C&O Canal National Historical Park, the National Mall and Constitution Gardens, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Columbia Island, Fort Dupont Park, Meridian Hill Park, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, and Anacostia Park.[53] The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates the U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast Washington.[54]
Climate
See also: List of Maryland hurricanes (1980–present) and List of District of Columbia tornadoes
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated around the city each spring.
Washington is in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen: Cfa) and exhibits four distinct seasons.[55] Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas removed from bodies of water. The District is in plant hardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city, indicating a temperate climate.[56]
Spring and fall are warm, while winter is cool with annual snowfall averaging 15.6 inches (40 cm). Winter temperatures average around 38 °F (3.3 °C) from mid-December to mid-February.[57] Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.2 °F (26.2 °C) and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort.[57][58] The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.[59]
Blizzards affect Washington on average once every four to six years. The most violent storms are called "nor'easters", which often affect large sections of the U.S. East Coast.[60] Hurricanes (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, but are often weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location.[61] Flooding of the Potomac River, however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in Georgetown.[62]
[hide] Climate data for Washington, D.C. |
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Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
Record high °F (°C) |
79 |
84 |
93 |
95 |
99 |
104 |
106 |
106 |
104 |
96 |
86 |
79 |
106 |
Average high °F (°C) |
43.6 |
47.2 |
56.0 |
66.7 |
75.5 |
84.3 |
88.5 |
86.7 |
79.6 |
68.5 |
58.0 |
47.0 |
66.8 |
Average low °F (°C) |
28.7 |
30.9 |
37.7 |
47.1 |
56.6 |
66.3 |
71.2 |
69.8 |
62.6 |
50.7 |
41.2 |
32.5 |
49.6 |
Record low °F (°C) |
−14 |
−15 |
4 |
15 |
33 |
43 |
52 |
49 |
36 |
26 |
11 |
−13 |
−15 |
Precipitation inches (mm) |
2.80 |
2.58 |
3.48 |
3.06 |
3.99 |
3.77 |
3.72 |
2.92 |
3.72 |
3.40 |
3.17 |
3.05 |
39.66 |
Snowfall inches (cm) |
5.7 |
5.7 |
1.3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.5 |
2.3 |
15.5 |
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) |
9.6 |
9.0 |
10.5 |
10.4 |
11.1 |
10.7 |
10.3 |
8.2 |
8.3 |
7.7 |
8.6 |
9.7 |
114.1 |
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) |
3.1 |
2.5 |
.9 |
.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.2 |
1.5 |
8.3 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours |
145.7 |
152.6 |
204.6 |
228.0 |
260.4 |
282.0 |
279.0 |
263.5 |
225.0 |
204.6 |
150.0 |
133.3 |
2,528.7 |
Source #1: NOAA (1981−2010 normals at Reagan National, extremes 1872−present)[57] |
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Source #2: HKO (sun only, 1961−1990)[64] |
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