Washington, D.C. is a city and a capital. Here's why it's neither a state nor part of one.

Washington, D.C. is both a city and the national capital of the United States. It is not a state, and it doesn't belong to any state. The "D.C." stands for District of Columbia, a federal district created by the U.S. Constitution to house the seat of government, independent of any state's control.

Both things are true at the same time

The short answer to "city or capital?" is: both. Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States and its only federal district. Those two facts are inseparable. It functions as a real, inhabited city with neighborhoods, a mayor, a city council, schools, and Metro stops. It also happens to be where the president lives, where Congress meets, and where the Supreme Court sits.

What it is not is a state. Washington, D.C. is neither a state nor a country. It's a federal district with a unique legal status that affects everything from voting rights to how it handles its own budget.

Why it exists as its own district

The legal basis for this comes from Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which authorizes Congress to establish a district to serve as the seat of government. By creating the District of Columbia, the framers ensured that the capital would remain outside the jurisdiction of any individual state. This independence was intended to prevent any single state from holding disproportionate power over the federal government.

The Residence Act, adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. The city was founded in 1791, and Congress held its first session there in 1800. The land for the district was contributed by Maryland and Virginia, although Virginia's portion was later returned.

Where it sits geographically

Geographically, Washington, D.C. is located between the states of Maryland and Virginia, but it does not belong to either. The city sits on the east bank of the Potomac River, which forms its southwestern border with Virginia, and borders Maryland to its north and east. People who live in Northern Virginia or suburban Maryland and commute downtown are in the DMV region, shorthand for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, but legally they are crossing into a separate federal jurisdiction when they enter the District.

How the city actually governs itself

For most of its history, D.C. had no elected local government at all. That changed on December 24, 1973. President Richard Nixon signed into law the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which created a local government for Washington, D.C. The 1973 act enables Washingtonians to elect their own mayor and council. But Congress retains authority over the city's budget and has final approval on all legislation passed by the D.C. Council.

A locally elected mayor and 13-member council have governed the district since 1973, though Congress retains the power to overturn local laws. The current mayor is Muriel Bowser, a Democrat who has held the office since January 2, 2015.

What residents can and cannot do politically

D.C. residents pay federal income taxes, serve on juries, and can be drafted into military service. The right to vote for president was secured by the 23rd Amendment in 1961. What residents cannot do is elect a voting member of the United States Senate or a fully voting member of the House of Representatives.

The District elects a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives who sits on committees, can introduce legislation, and advocates for D.C. interests, but cannot cast a vote on the House floor when final passage of a bill is called. The Senate has no equivalent position at all. D.C. has no senator, voting or otherwise.

Washington, D.C. has no representation in the Senate, meaning that district residents, who pay some of the highest rates of federal tax, have no say in federally appointed positions, such as the president's cabinet or those serving as U.S. ambassadors to foreign countries.

How big is D.C. actually?

The Census Bureau revised its 2024 population estimate to 691,310, and with assessed growth for 2025, puts the District's 2025 estimated population at 693,645. Washington, D.C.'s population is larger than two states: Vermont and Wyoming. The greater metro area that includes Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland is a different story entirely. In 2024, there were 6.44 million people in the Washington, D.C. area, making it the seventh-most populous metro area in the U.S.

On a typical workday, the city feels even larger. The population increases to over one million as commuters travel from neighboring Virginia and Maryland.

The statehood question

The political gap between how many people live in D.C. and how little representation they hold in Congress has driven a long-running push for statehood. The Washington, D.C. Admission Act (HR 51/S. 51) has already passed the full House of Representatives twice, but has not cleared the Senate. Statehood advocates have proposed the name Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, honoring Frederick Douglass while preserving the "DC" abbreviation. As of now, Washington, D.C. remains a federal district, and no change to its status has been enacted.

Since August 2025, the federal government has had the National Guard deployed on D.C. streets, without the consent of D.C.'s local leadership, a concrete illustration of exactly how much power Congress still holds over a city of nearly 700,000 people.

Sources

• DC.gov, official District of Columbia government website
• DC Office of Planning, 2025 Census population release
• Mayor Bowser statement on 50th anniversary of the DC Home Rule Act, mayor.dc.gov
• DC Statehood FAQ, statehood.dc.gov
• Washington DC Magazine, "Understanding DC Statehood"
• Ballotpedia, Home Rule in Washington, D.C.
• USAFacts, Washington DC population data