11 Must-Know Fun Facts About Washington DC

I used to live in the nation’s capital, blocks away from the National Mall and the Air and Space Museum. I spent Saturdays jogging through Rock Creek Park and waving at the congressional staffers jogging in the opposite direction.

Washington, DC is the capital city of the United States. DC lies on the Potomac River. The city is not so affectionately referred to as “the swamp,” referring to both its location and its politics. Regardless, I enjoyed my time living there and would like to go back someday in the future.

Enjoy a visit to Washington, DC with Rustic Pathways, but first ,enjoy these 11 fun facts about Washington, DC.

11 Fun Facts About Washington DC

George Washington never lived in the White House
Many Presidents kept animals on the White House grounds in Washington, DC
Washington, DC has some wacky building history
DC residents nickname their Safeway locations
There are no skyscrapers in Washington DC
The Cherry blossoms in Washington DC were a gift from the Tokyo mayor
The city design is inspired by Europe
There is no J street in DC
DC is the home to spies
Washington DC residents do not have full voting rights
The Lincoln Memorial is layered with hidden optical illusion and secret meaning

1. George Washington never lived in the White House

Washington, DC is named after the first president, George Washington, and features many tributes to his legacy, including the Washington Monument. However, Washington never actually lived in the White House. John Adams was the first president to reside in what was originally called the President’s House or the Executive Mansion.

The city’s name honors George Washington, and the three stars on the Washington, DC flag are derived from his family coat of arms. The flag’s design, featuring three red stars above two red bars on a white background, is based on the coat of arms granted to Lawrence Washington, an ancestor of George Washington, in 1592.

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2. Many Presidents kept animals on the White House grounds in Washington, DC

The White House has hosted some unusual pets throughout its history. John Quincy Adams once kept an alligator, and Herbert Hoover’s son Allan had two alligators. Calvin Coolidge had a veritable Washington Zoo, including a raccoon, donkeys, and a bobcat.

Theodore Roosevelt allowed his six children to bring various pets to the White House in 1901. In addition to many dogs, they had a small bear, a lizard, guinea pigs, a pig, a badger, a blue macaw, a garter snake, and even a one-legged rooster.

3. Washington, DC has some wacky building history

The White House has 35 bathrooms, 132 rooms, 28 fireplaces, 8 stairs, and 3 elevators.
In the Capitol basement, there are marble bathtubs hand-carved by Italian artists, used by senators for bathing after long hours of work. Gross!
The Washington Monument was once the tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was built. It has two different colors due to the use of different marble after they ran into funding issues.
Andrew Jackson Statue: Located at Lafayette Square, it’s partly made of British cast guns from the Anglo-American War of 1812.
There is now a karaoke bar at the Lincoln Assassination Planning Site where John Wilkes Booth and his Conservative conspirators planned the assassination of Abraham Lincoln after the Civil War.
Maine Avenue Fish Market: Operating nonstop since 1805, it is the oldest continuously functioning fish market in the country.
Darth Vader Gargoyle: The National Cathedral features a gargoyle of Darth Vader. The Library of Congress has naked baseball players painted on its ceiling.
James Garfield was shot at the site where the National Gallery now stands.

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4. DC residents nickname their Safeway locations

Residents of DC nickname their Safeway grocery store locations with affection. For instance, the location in Dupont Circle has a limited selection and is reminiscent of grocery stores in the old Soviet Union. It has earned the moniker Soviet Safeway.

Nickname	Safeway Location	Address
Swanky Safeway	Safeway 4th St SW	1100 4th St SW
	Safeway Maryland Ave NE	1601 Maryland Ave NE
Soviet Safeway	Safeway Corcoran St NW	1701 Corcoran St NW
Spanish Safeway	Safeway Columbia Rd NW	1747 Columbia Rd NW
Social Safeway	Safeway Wisconsin Ave NW	1855 Wisconsin Ave NW
	Safeway Alabama Ave SE	2845 Alabama Ave SE
	Safeway 40th St NE	322 40th St NE
Stroller Safeway	Safeway Georgia Ave NW	3830 Georgia Ave NW
Un-Safeway	Safeway 14th St SE	415 14th St SE
Sexy Safeway	Safeway L St NW	490 L St NW
Senior Safeway	Safeway Connecticut Ave NW	5545 Connecticut Ave NW
	Safeway Piney Branch Rd NW	6500 Piney Branch Rd NW

5. There are no skyscrapers in Washington DC

Washington, DC is known for its low-rise skyline, with building heights strictly regulated to preserve the city’s monumental views. The Height of Buildings Act of 1910 ensures that no building can be taller than the width of the adjacent street plus 20 feet. This regulation maintains the visibility of landmarks like the Capitol and the Washington Monument, ensuring that the city’s historic and monumental skyline remains unobstructed.

Empty downtown street in Washington D.C.

6. The Cherry blossoms in Washington DC were a gift from the Tokyo mayor

The famous cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC were a gift from Japan in 1912. Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki donated 3,000 cherry trees to celebrate the growing friendship between the United States and Japan. As a resident of Washington, DC, I always thought it was funny that every spring thousands of Japanese citizens rush into the city to view the same trees they have back home.

Washington Monument framed by cherry blossoms

7. The city design is inspired by Europe

Pierre L’Enfant’s design for Washington, DC was inspired by European capitals and differed from Philadelphia. His original plan included wide avenues and open spaces, creating a unique layout where all roads seem to lead to the Capitol. He more or less delivered on that.

The streets in DC follow an alphabetical order with syllable patterns in their names. This thoughtful design aimed to make navigation easier and added a rhythmic flow to the city’s structure. L’Enfant’s vision was to establish a grand and organized city, centering on the Capitol as the heart of the nation.

8. There is no J street in DC

Washington, DC’s street grid lacks a J Street. This omission is often attributed to the fact that the letters I and J were nearly indistinguishable in early typesetting and handwriting. J Street was excluded to avoid confusion.

9. DC is the home to spies

Washington, DC is one of the top cities in the world for espionage. As a very international city, DC is home to more than 175 embassies and international cultural centers. Fifteen percent of DC residents speak a language other than English, adding to its global atmosphere and making it easy for spies to blend in.

The presence of numerous international organizations in DC provides good coverage for spy craft, making it a hotspot for intelligence activities. The International Spy Museum in DC is proof positive of the city’s history of intelligence gathering and covert operations.

10. Washington DC residents do not have full voting rights

Interestingly, DC has more residents than Vermont and Wyoming. But despite that and being the capital of the United States, DC residents do not have full voting representation in Congress. They elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives and have no representation in the Senate.

Before 1961, DC residents couldn’t even vote in presidential elections. This has led to the slogan “Taxation Without Representation” being featured on DC license plates, which was signed in to law by former President Bill Clinton.

11. The Lincoln Memorial is layered with hidden optical illusion and secret meaning

Construction of the Lincoln Memorial began in 1914 and was completed in 1922. The statue of Abraham Lincoln inside was designed with an optical illusion where one of Lincoln’s hands is clenched, representing strength, while the other is relaxed, symbolizing peace. This duality captures the complex nature of Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War. Additionally, the Lincoln statue is 19 feet tall to create a sense of grandeur and importance. Now we just need Nicholas Cage pointing us to the next clue!

The Lincoln Memorial was the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The spot where King stood is marked with an inscription.

Side view of Lincoln Memorial

About the Author

Scott Ingram

Scott is the Director of Admissions at Rustic Pathways. He has spent the last 15 years in the student travel and experiential education world. Before helping families find the perfect Rustic Pathways program, he led gap year programs that took students around the world and spent three years teaching English in Japan.