Washington
United States · Country profile
Washington is the great regional metropolis of the American east coast that spreads across the District of Columbia and the surrounding counties of Virginia and Maryland, the sprawling world of the federal city at its heart, the international airport corridors, the leafy suburbs and the historic rivertowns of the Potomac that together form one of the most powerful and pleasant populated regions of the country. This great metro blends the monumental centre of the capital, the think tanks, the universities, the embassies and the tech campuses of its dozens of jurisdictions, with a genuinely green everyday life of parks, rivers, markets and walkable historic cores. Around the western rim, the endless business corridor of the Dulles highway runs past the aerospace holdings of the National Air and Space Museum, the wineries and the horse country of the Virginia hunt, and the old tobacco port towns of the Potomac. Monumental yet domestic, powerful yet leafy, the greater Washington region rewards visitors who look beyond the museum mile and into the surrounding counties.
About Washington
Washington is a city in United States. The city's documented population is around 6,283,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the US Dollar (USD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +1. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Washington Dulles International Airport.
The Airport of the Dulles and the Hangars of the Aerospace
The region runs on its metro lines, its ring roads and its parkways, and the essential stays split between the dense, walkable capital district of the monuments and the museums and the surrounding county centres of the west, from the charming old towns along the river to the vineyards and the estates of the Virginia countryside. The aerospace museum outpost at the Dulles airport, with the airliners and the spacecraft hanging in its vast hangars, and the scenic parklands, the waterfront towns and the wineries of the region give the days beyond the city, while the commuter rhythms and the shopping cores of the suburbs show the everyday human scale of the metro. Heritage, high tech and haute countryside come together in a genuinely varied corner of the eastern United States.
The Wineries of the Virginia and the Towns of the River
The climate of the region is the classic four-season of the mid-Atlantic, with the hot, humid summers, the mild springs and autumns and the modest snows of the winter, with the cherry blossom of the spring as the great annual landmark of the calendar. The metro trains, the buses and the roads connect the districts well, though the western corridor of the airport and its museums truly needs a car. The aerospace hangars, the river towns of the Potomac and the wineries of the hills fill the west of the region, while the monuments of the capital anchor the essentials. Comfortable shoes, a jacket for the seasons and time enough to linger in the neighbourhoods complete the sensible preparation for this sprawling metro.
The Corridor of the Tech and the Parks of the Region
The great aviation temple of the region, the extension of the National Air and Space Museum that stands beside the Dulles airport, holds the enormous collection of the history of flight, from the earliest airliners and the tilt-wing aircraft to the space shuttle and the supersonic jet of the Concorde, all hanging from the glass roof of the giant hangars, and its terrace gives the non-stop view of the operations of the international airport. The old towns of the river, with their tobacco-era warehouses, their antique shops and their waterside restaurants, make relaxed half-day trips, and the country roads beyond climb into the horse and the wine country of the Virginia hunt. The region works best as a base for the capital and a springboard for the countryside of the mid-Atlantic, mixing the federal spectacle with river farms, estate gardens and the easy rhythms of the American suburb. Big, green and wonderfully varied, the greater Washington holds far more than the capital mile that gives it the name.
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- Country
- United States
- Population
- 6,283,000
- Coordinates
- 38.9531, -77.4565
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Region
- North America
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +1
- Country code
- US
Entry requirements for United States
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting United States for tourism.
Getting to Washington
Airports we list for Washington:
Other airports in the area:
Cities in United States
Other cities we cover in United States:
Frequently asked questions
Is Washington the capital of United States?
No — the capital of United States is Washington, D.C..
What currency do I need in Washington?
The local currency is the US Dollar (USD). Languages spoken in United States include English.
What is the dialling code for United States?
The international dialling code for United States is +1.
Which airport should I fly into for Washington?
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is the airport we list for Washington.
How far is Washington from the nearest airport?
Washington is about 216 km from Philadelphia International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit United States?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Argentina (visa required), Japan (e-visa), Morocco (visa required), Singapore (e-visa) and South Korea (e-visa). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Washington? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.