What is the capital of the United States of America?

The correct answer is Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia) serves as the capital of the United States. Unlike many other global capitals, it is not located within any state. Instead, it is a federal district created specifically to house the seat of the national government. Established by the U.S. Constitution, the city was designed to ensure that the federal government would not be dependent on or controlled by any single state.

The Residence Act and the Compromise of 1790

The location of the capital was the result of a famous political compromise between Alexander Hamilton and northern states, and Thomas Jefferson and James Madison representing southern interests. At the time, northern states wanted the federal government to assume their Revolutionary War debts, while southern states wanted the capital located in the South.

The Residence Act of 1790 authorized President George Washington to select a site along the Potomac River. The land was carved out of the states of Maryland and Virginia (though Virginia’s portion was later returned to the state). This central location on the East Coast was seen as a geographical middle ground between the North and South.

The L'Enfant Plan: Designing a Symbol

The city was meticulously planned by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French-born engineer. His vision was to create a city of wide boulevards, grand public spaces, and monumental architecture that reflected the dignity of a new republic. The design centered on the "Federal Triangle," with the U.S. Capitol building and the White House as the primary anchors.

One of the most unique features of the city’s layout is the National Mall, a long, open park that stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. This area houses many of the nation's most famous monuments and the Smithsonian Institution museums, often referred to as "America's Front Yard."

The Three Branches of Government

As the capital, Washington, D.C. is the headquarters for all three branches of the U.S. federal government:

• 
  

  Legislative: The U.S. Capitol building, where Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives) meets to make laws.

  
  
   
  
  


• 
  

  Executive: The White House, the official residence and workplace of the President.

  
  
   
  
  


• 
  

  Judicial: The Supreme Court Building, where the highest court in the land interprets the Constitution.

  
  
   
  
  

Unique Status and Governance

The "D.C." in the name stands for the District of Columbia, named in honor of Christopher Columbus. Because it is a federal district and not a state, the residents of Washington, D.C. face a unique political situation. While they pay federal taxes, they do not have a voting representative in the U.S. Senate and only have one non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives. This has led to the long-standing local slogan "Taxation Without Representation," and an ongoing movement for D.C. statehood.

Today, Washington, D.C. is not just a center of politics, but also a global hub for diplomacy, hosting over 170 foreign embassies. It is a city defined by its neoclassical architecture, its cherry blossom trees (a gift from Japan in 1912), and its role as the stage for some of the most important moments in American history.