Washington, D.C. Map & Census Facts
The District of Columbia is the federal capital of the United States. Treated as a single county-equivalent (FIPS 11001) by the US Census Bureau, it operates under the 1973 Home Rule Act with a unique municipal-county-state hybrid government under congressional oversight.
District of Columbia at a Glance
Map of District of Columbia
Boundary of District of Columbia, with the capital marked.
Printable Blank Map of District of Columbia
Download the District of Columbia outline as SVG or PNG, or print it to PDF, in several variants: blank boundary, with county equivalents lines, color-filled and labeled. Free to use (CC0).
How Local Government Operates in District of Columbia: Mayor & 13-Member Council of the District of Columbia
DC exercises combined municipal, county, and state-level functions. The DC Council enacts local laws and taxes, while the President appoints local trial judges and federal prosecutors handle adult local felony prosecutions.
The Retrocession of 1846: Why DC Lost Its County Balance
Originally established in 1790 as a 100-square-mile diamond spanning both banks of the Potomac River, DC historically contained two counties.
Under the Organic Act of 1801, Congress divided the District of Columbia into two counties: Washington County (east of the Potomac, ceded by Maryland) and Alexandria County (west of the Potomac, ceded by Virginia).
In 1846, residents of Alexandria County grew dissatisfied with economic neglect by Congress and fear of federal slave trade abolition, petitioning to return to Virginia. Congress agreed, retroceding Alexandria County (which today forms Arlington County and the City of Alexandria) back to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In 1871, Congress passed the District of Columbia Organic Act, abolishing Washington County and the separate charters of Georgetown and the City of Washington, unifying the entire federal district into a single municipality.
The 1846 retrocession reduced DC from its original 10-mile-by-10-mile diamond (100 sq mi) to its current 68.3 sq mi footprint (61.1 sq mi land).
Home Rule Act of 1973 & The County-State Functional Hybrid
DC government executes municipal trash collection, county jail administration, and state Medicaid management within a single unified budget.
Under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-198), DC residents elect a Mayor and a 13-member Council. The Council enacts local criminal and civil laws, levies income and property taxes, and issues municipal bonds.
However, DC lacks full sovereign statehood: all legislation passed by the Council is subject to a 30-day congressional review period before taking effect, and Congress retains constitutional authority to alter DC laws or attach budgetary riders prohibiting local funding allocations.
Unlike every other county in America where local prosecutors are locally elected, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia (a federal presidential appointee) prosecutes all local adult felony and misdemeanor offenses in DC Superior Court.
Which county equivalent of District of Columbia are you in?
Use your device location to see which county equivalent of District of Columbia you are in right now.
District of Columbia: Census Record
Every county equivalent in District of Columbia is listed below with its seat, 2020 Census population, land area and FIPS code. Search by name, seat or FIPS, sort any column, or export the full table as CSV.
County Equivalent | Seat | 2020 Census Pop | Land Area (sq mi) | FIPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
District of Columbia | District of Columbia | 689,548 | 61 sq mi | 11001 |
Neighboring States Bordering District of Columbia
County maps, lists and printable blank maps for the states that border District of Columbia:
Data Sources & FIPS Codes
District of Columbia uses state FIPS code 11; each county equivalent adds a three-digit code to form the five-digit FIPS (now INCITS 31) identifiers in the table. Populations are 2020 Census counts and land areas come from the Census Gazetteer. The map above is drawn from the Census Bureau's generalized 2017 cartographic boundary file (1:10,000,000), so it suits overview and printing, not parcel-level or legal boundary questions; for those, check the local assessor or GIS office.
Questions About District of Columbia County Equivalents
Is Washington, D.C. located in any county?
No. Washington, D.C. is a federal district created by the US Constitution. It is not inside any county or state. The US Census Bureau treats the entire District of Columbia as a single county equivalent (FIPS 11001).
Why did the District of Columbia lose land to Virginia in 1846?
Alexandria residents felt economically neglected by Congress and feared federal abolition of the domestic slave trade (a major local business). In 1846, Virginia and Congress approved the retrocession of Alexandria County (now Arlington County and Alexandria City) back to Virginia.
Who runs local government in the District of Columbia?
DC is governed by an elected Mayor and a 13-member Council of the District of Columbia under the 1973 Home Rule Act, performing combined city, county, and state functions subject to congressional budgetary oversight.
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