Washington metropolitan area

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the area as the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metropolitan statistical area, a metropolitan statistical area used for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau and other agencies. The region's three largest cities are the federal city of Washington, D.C., the county (and census-designated place) of Arlington, and the independent city of Alexandria. The Office of Management and Budget also includes the metropolitan statistical area as part of the larger Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, which has a population of 9,546,579 as of the 2014 Census Estimate.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

The Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncpc.gov/maps/national-capital-region/|title=National Capital Region Map|publisher=National Capital Planning Commission|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=March 31, 2020|archive-date=April 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410200356/https://www.ncpc.gov/maps/national-capital-region/|url-status=live}} portions of the metropolitan area are sometimes referred to as the National Capital Region, particularly by federal agencies such as the military,{{cite web |url=http://www.capitalregionupdates.gov/go/doc/4063/1130963/About-the-National-Capital-Region-NCR- |title=About the National Capital Region (NCR)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510095037/http://www.capitalregionupdates.gov/go/doc/4063/1130963/About-the-National-Capital-Region-NCR-|archive-date=May 10, 2016|access-date=April 30, 2016}} Department of Homeland Security,{{cite web |url=https://www.dhs.gov/xabout/content_multi_image_0019.shtm |title=National Capital Region – Office of National Capital Region Coordination |date=December 21, 2005 |publisher=Department of Homeland Security|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212055758/https://www.dhs.gov/xabout/content_multi_image_0019.shtm|archive-date=December 12, 2007|access-date=January 9, 2008}} and some local government agencies. The National Capital Region portion of the Washington metropolitan area is also colloquially known by the abbreviation "DMV", which stands for the "District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia."{{Cite web |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/special-issues/article/20854397/the-answers-issue-2017 |title=The Answers Issue 2017 |last=Cohen |first=Matt |website=Washington City Paper |date=March 9, 2017 |language=en |access-date=2019-06-18 |archive-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713153413/https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/special-issues/article/20854397/the-answers-issue-2017 |url-status=live }} Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway, is at the center of the region. This is the source of the term Inside the Beltway, referring to Federal government insiders and related interests. Washington, D.C. is colloquially referred to as simply "the District" due to its status as a federal district. The Virginian portion of the region is known as Northern Virginia. The Maryland portion of the region is sometimes called the Maryland-National Capital Region by local authorities but rarely by the general public.{{cite web |url=https://www.mders.org/ |title=MDERS |website=Maryland Emergency Response System |access-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810090239/https://mders.org/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.mncppc.org/27/About-Us |title=About Us | MNCPPC, MD |website=The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission |access-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810055005/https://www.mncppc.org/27/About-Us |url-status=live }}

Composition

File:Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area by Sentinel-2, 2020-07-29.jpg

File:ISS026-E-8529 - View of Washington, D.C..jpg]]

File:Dc22counties.jpg

The U.S. Census Bureau divides the Washington metropolitan statistical area into three (formerly two) metropolitan divisions:{{cite web |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/OMB-Bulletin-23-01.pdf |title=Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas |publisher=Office of Management and Budget |date=2023-07-21 |access-date=2024-12-10}}

• Washington, DC–MD Metropolitan Division, consisting of Washington D.C., Prince George's County and Charles County, Maryland
• Arlington–Alexandria–Reston, VA–WV Metropolitan Division, consisting of Northern Virginia and Jefferson County, WV
• Frederick–Gaithersburg–Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division, consisting of Montgomery and Frederick counties

{{US Census population

|title=Historical populations – Washington metropolitan area

|1950=1464089

|1960=2001897

|1970=2861123

|1980=3060922

|1990=3923574

|2000=4923153

|2010=5636232

|2020=6385162

|estimate=6373756

|estyear=2022

|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]}}

Founded in 1957, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is a regional organization of 21 Washington-area local governments, as well as area members of the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. MWCOG provides a forum for discussion and the development of regional responses to issues regarding the environment, transportation, public safety, homeland security, affordable housing, community planning, and economic development.{{cite web |url=http://www.mwcog.org/about/ |title=About Us |publisher=MWCOG.org |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=February 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219201038/http://www.mwcog.org/about/ |url-status=live }}

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a component of MWCOG, is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the metropolitan Washington area.{{cite web |url=http://www.mwcog.org/transportation/tpb/ |title=– Transportation – TPB |publisher=Mwcog.org |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=February 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204013200/http://www.mwcog.org/transportation/tpb/ |url-status=live }}

Chartered in 1964, the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area is a regional organization of 20 colleges and universities in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the United States Institute of Peace, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts representing nearly 300,000+ students.{{Cite web|date=2019-06-09|title=AUC Partners with Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area {{!}} The American University in Cairo|url=https://www.aucegypt.edu/news/auc-partners-consortium-universities-washington-metropolitan-area|access-date=2020-07-17|website=The American University in Cairo|archive-date=October 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020051444/https://www.aucegypt.edu/news/auc-partners-consortium-universities-washington-metropolitan-area|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-07-08 |title=The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area Names Andrew Flagel President and CEO |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-consortium-of-universities-of-the-washington-metropolitan-area-names-andrew-flagel-president-and-ceo-301089786.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709021311/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-consortium-of-universities-of-the-washington-metropolitan-area-names-andrew-flagel-president-and-ceo-301089786.html |archive-date=2020-07-09 |access-date=2020-07-17 |website=www.prnewswire.com |publisher=Howard University |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Membership – Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area |url=https://consortium.org/who-we-are/membership/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |language=en-US |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114213718/https://consortium.org/who-we-are/membership/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Consortium Research Fellows Program – For Agencies – Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area |url=https://consortium.org/research-fellows-program/for-agencies/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |language=en-US |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923080021/https://consortium.org/research-fellows-program/for-agencies/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Fellows Programs – Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area |url=https://consortium.org/programs-and-initiatives/academic-collaborations/fellows-programs/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |language=en-US |archive-date=November 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129011338/https://consortium.org/programs-and-initiatives/academic-collaborations/fellows-programs/ |url-status=live }} The consortium facilitates course cross registration between all member universities, and universalizes library access across some of its member universities through the Washington Research Library Consortium. It additionally offers joint procurement programs, joint academic initiatives, and campus public safety training.{{cite web |url=https://www.consortium.org/ |title=– Consortium – CUWMA |publisher=consortium.org |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617131532/https://www.consortium.org/ |url-status=live }}

Formed in 1967 as an interstate compact between Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the WMATA is a tri-jurisdictional government agency with a board composed of representatives from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the United States Federal government that operates transit services in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is a multi-jurisdictional independent airport authority, created with the consent of the United States Congress and the legislature of Virginia to oversee management, operations, and capital development of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.{{cite web |url=https://law.lis.virginia.gov/compacts/metropolitan-washington-airports-authority/ |title=Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority |website=Legislative Information System |publisher=Commonwealth of Virginia |access-date=August 14, 2019 |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814142344/https://law.lis.virginia.gov/compacts/metropolitan-washington-airports-authority/ |url-status=live }}

Founded in 1889, the Greater Washington Board of Trade is a network of regional businesses that work to advance the culture, economy, and resiliency of the Washington metropolitan area.{{cite web |url=http://dchistorymatters.org/introduction.php?mod=29 |title=Module Introduction & Document List: Washington Board of Trade |website=Washington D.C. History Matters |date=April 28, 2006 |first=Craig |last=Clarke |access-date=June 25, 2019 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212040635/http://dchistorymatters.org/introduction.php?mod=29 |url-status=dead }}

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington (CAGW) works to increase appreciation, support, and resources for arts and culture in the Washington metropolitan area.

File:Aerial_view_of_Willard_Hotel,_White_House,_and_downtown_Washington,_D.C_LCCN2010630890.tif]]

File:US Navy 030926-F-2828D-062 This aerial view of the river entrance of the Pentagon shows some of the ongoing renovation that will continue for several more years.jpg with the skylines of Bailey's Crossroads, Ballston, and Courthouse in the background]]

The metropolitan area is defined as including the following principal cities (not all of which are incorporated as cities; one, Arlington, actually is a county, while Bethesda and Reston are unincorporated census-designated places).

• Washington, D.C.
• Arlington, Virginia
• Alexandria, Virginia
• Frederick, Maryland
• Gaithersburg, Maryland
• Rockville, Maryland
• Bethesda, Maryland
• Reston, Virginia

{{main|Politics of the United States}}

The Washington metropolitan area is considered a Democratic stronghold. The last Republican to win it was Richard Nixon in his 1972 landslide reelection. Since Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, Democratic candidates have easily won the area by double-digits.

File:Alexandria, Virginia (6045513083).jpg along the Potomac River, featuring portions of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Old Town Alexandria, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and National Harbor, Maryland are visible.]]

The area has been a magnet for international immigration since the late 1960s. It is also a magnet for internal migration (persons moving from one region of the U.S. to another).{{cite web |url=http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr02-496.pdf |title=Metro Magnets for Minorities and Whites: Melting Pots, the New Sunbelt, and the Heartland |date=February 2002 |first=William H. |last=Frey |publisher=Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=March 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325032010/http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr02-496.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Dubious|Magnet term|date=February 2009}}

Racial composition of the Washington metropolitan area.

• Non-Hispanic White: 43%
• Black or African American: 24% (including African 5.4%, West Indian 1.2%, and Ethiopian 0.8%{{cite web |url=https://statisticalatlas.com/metro-area/District-of-Columbia/Washington/Ancestry |title=Ancestry in the Washington Area (Metro Area) |date=September 14, 2018 |website=StatisticalAtlas.com |access-date=June 10, 2023 |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610021857/https://statisticalatlas.com/metro-area/District-of-Columbia/Washington/Ancestry |url-status=live }})
• Hispanic or Latino: 17%
• Asian: 11%
• Mixed and other: 6%

:

Source: Census Reporter{{Cite web |date=2023-04-30 |title=Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area - Profile data - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/profiles/31000US47900-washington-arlington-alexandria-dc-va-md-wv-metro-area/ |access-date=2023-05-11 |archive-date=April 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430043700/https://censusreporter.org/profiles/31000US47900-washington-arlington-alexandria-dc-va-md-wv-metro-area/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}

:{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

• White: 54.8%
• Black: 25.8%
• Asian: 9.3%
• Hispanic: 13.8%
• Mixed and other: 3.7%

:{{cite web |url=http://census.gov/popest/counties/asrh/CC-EST2006-RACE6.html |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Race Alone and Hispanic or Latino Origin for Counties: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100610095748/http%3A//www%2Ecensus%2Egov/popest/counties/asrh/CC%2DEST2006%2DRACE6%2Ehtml |archive-date=June 10, 2010 |access-date=January 12, 2016}}

• White: 51.7%
• Black: 26.3%
• Asian: 8.4%
• Hispanic: 11.6%
• Mixed and other: 2.0%

• White: 67.8%
• Black: 26.0%
• Asian: 2.5%
• Hispanic: 2.8%
• Mixed and other: 0.9%

File:Tysons Corner Center Mall (6923507902).jpg within a {{convert|5|mi|abbr=on}} radius of Tysons Corner Center is $174,809.{{cite web |url=http://www.macerich.com/FileManager%5CProperty%5CLongTermLeasing%5CTysonsCornerCenter%5CMarketProfile%5CTysons%202013%20Profile-LR.pdf |title=Macerich Tysons Corner Center Market Profile|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903200949/http://macerich.com/FileManager/Property/LongTermLeasing/TysonsCornerCenter/MarketProfile/Tysons%202013%20Profile-LR.pdf|archive-date=September 3, 2013}}]]

The Washington metropolitan area has ranked as the highest-educated metropolitan area in the nation for four decades.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/14/AR2010071405751.html?sid=ST2010071500135 |title=Washington region ranks as the best-educated in the country |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 15, 2010 |access-date=November 19, 2012 |first=Daniel |last=de Vise |archive-date=November 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111121046/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/14/AR2010071405751.html?sid=ST2010071500135 |url-status=live }} As of the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the three most educated places with 200,000 people or more in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria by bachelor's degree attainment (population 25 and over) are Arlington, Virginia (68.0%), Fairfax County, Virginia (58.8%), and Montgomery County, Maryland (56.4%).{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |title=2006–2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }} Forbes magazine stated in its 2008 "America's Best- And Worst-Educated Cities" report: "The D.C. area is less than half the size of L.A., but both cities have around 100,000 Ph.D.'s."{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/11/24/economics-education-colorado-biz-beltway-cx_jz_1124educated.html |title=America's Best- And Worst-Educated Cities |work=Forbes |date=November 24, 2008 |access-date=November 19, 2012 |first=Joshua |last=Zumbrun |archive-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122105035/http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/24/economics-education-colorado-biz-beltway-cx_jz_1124educated.html |url-status=live }}

The Washington metropolitan area has held the top spot in the American College of Sports Medicine's annual American Fitness Index ranking of the United States' 50 most populous metropolitan areas for two years running. The report cites, among other things, the high average fitness level and healthy eating habits of residents, the widespread availability of health care and facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and parks, low rates of obesity and tobacco use relative to the national average, and the high median household income as contributors to the city's community health.{{cite web |url=http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/docs/reports/washingtondc.pdf |title=Washington, DC (Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV MSA) 2010 AFI Report |access-date=May 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812204159/http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/docs/reports/washingtondc.pdf |archive-date=August 12, 2011}}

In the 21st century, the Washington metropolitan area has overtaken the San Francisco Bay Area as the highest-income metropolitan area in the nation. The median household income of the region is US$72,800. The two highest median household income counties in the nation – Loudoun and Fairfax County, Virginia – are components of the MSA (and No. 3 is Howard County, officially in Baltimore's sphere but strongly connected with Washington's); measured in this way, Alexandria ranks 10th among municipalities in the region – 11th if Howard is included – and 23rd in the entire United States. 12.2% of Northern Virginia's 881,136 households, 8.5% of suburban Maryland's 799,300 households, and 8.2% of Washington's 249,805 households have an annual income in excess of $200,000, compared to 3.7% nationally.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |title=ACS 2005–2007 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}

According to a report by the American Human Development Project, women in the Washington metropolitan area are ranked as having the highest income and educational attainment among the 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation, while Asian American women in the region had the highest life expectancy, at 92.3 years.{{cite web |url=http://www.measureofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Womens-Well-Being.pdf |title=Women'S Well-Being |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=July 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726102245/http://www.measureofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Womens-Well-Being.pdf |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Economy of the Washington metropolitan area}}

File:Stand up scene (8712578924).jpg is home to the tallest high-rises in the region, partly due to the District's height restrictions. As a result, many of the region's tallest buildings are located outside of Washington, D.C.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050501208.html |title=High-Rises Approved That Would Dwarf D.C |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 6, 2007 |access-date=November 19, 2012 |first=Kirstin |last=Downey |archive-date=January 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102210313/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050501208.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=54095447 |title=List of tallest buildings in DC, MD, VA, WV |publisher=Skyscraperpage.com |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-date=January 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113065503/http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=54095447 |url-status=live }}]]

The Washington metropolitan area has the largest science and engineering work force of any metropolitan area in the nation in 2006 according to the Greater Washington Initiative at 324,530, ahead of the combined San Francisco Bay Area work force of 214,500, and Chicago metropolitan area at 203,090, citing data from U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Claritas Inc., and other sources.

The Washington metropolitan area was ranked as the second best High-Tech Center in a statistical analysis of the top 100 Metropolitan areas in the United States by American City Business Journals in May 2009, behind the Silicon Valley and ahead of the Boston metropolitan area.{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/pages/251.html |title=The top 100 tech centers |date=May 11, 2009 |publisher=Bizjournals |access-date=March 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216154814/http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/pages/251.html |archive-date=February 16, 2010}} Fueling the metropolitan area's ranking was the reported 241,264 tech jobs in the region, a total eclipsed only by New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the highest master's or doctoral degree attainment among the 100 ranked metropolitan areas. A Dice.com report showed that the Washington–Baltimore area had the second-highest number of tech jobs listed: 8,289, after the New York metro area with 9,195 jobs.{{cite web |author=Nathan Eddy |url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/Tech-Jobs-Flourish-in-Silicon-Valley-but-Other-Regions-Offer-Opportunities-Dice-Report-383163/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122143843/http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/Tech-Jobs-Flourish-in-Silicon-Valley-but-Other-Regions-Offer-Opportunities-Dice-Report-383163/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 22, 2013 |title=Tech Jobs Flourish in Silicon Valley, but Other Regions Offer Opportunities: Dice Report |publisher=Eweek.com |date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=November 19, 2012 }} In 2020, the total gross domestic product for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (MSA) was $561,027,941,000.{{cite web |author=Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |url=https://alfred.stlouisfed.org/series?seid=NGMP47900 |title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (MSA) |publisher=alfred.stlouisfed.org |access-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811035057/https://alfred.stlouisfed.org/series?seid=NGMP47900 |url-status=live }}

Changes in house prices for the Washington metropolitan area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market.

McLean ZIP code 22102 had the highest median home prices among ZIP codes within the Washington metropolitan area as of 2013.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2013/10/16/the-complete-list-americas-most-expensive-zip-codes-in-2013/ |title=America's Most Expensive Zip Codes In 2013: The Complete List |newspaper=Forbes |first=Morgan |last=Brennan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094839/http://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2013/10/16/the-complete-list-americas-most-expensive-zip-codes-in-2013/#2b55604f1358 |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}

File:Interior of Eden Center annex.jpg restaurants and shops at the Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia]]

The economy of the Washington metropolitan region is characterized by significant wealth disparities, which were heightened by the Great Recession and the 2007–09 housing crisis, which adversely affected black and Hispanic households more than other households.Perry Stein, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/11/02/net-worth-of-white-households-in-d-c-region-is-81-times-greater-than-black-households/ Net worth of white households in D.C. region is 81 times that of black households] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220214712/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/11/02/net-worth-of-white-households-in-d-c-region-is-81-times-greater-than-black-households/ |date=December 20, 2016 }},Washington Post (November 2, 2016).Kilolo Kijakazi et al., [http://www.urban.org/research/publication/color-wealth-nations-capital The Color of Wealth in the Nation's Capital] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220143412/http://www.urban.org/research/publication/color-wealth-nations-capital |date=December 20, 2016 }}, Urban Institute (October 31, 2016).

A 2016 Urban Institute report found that the median net worth (i.e., assets minus debt) for white households in the D.C. region was $284,000, while the median net worth for Hispanic{{En dash}}Latino households was $13,000, and for African American households as $3,500. Asian Americans had the highest median net worth in the Washington area ($220,000 for Chinese American households, $430,000 for Vietnamese American households, $496,000 for Korean American households, and $573,000 for Indian American households).

Although the median net worth for white D.C.-area households was 81 times that of black D.C.-area households, the two groups had comparable rates of business ownership (about 9%). The Urban Institute report suggests that this "may be driven by the presence of a large federal government and a local district government whose membership and constituents have been largely Black, coupled with government policies designed to increase contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses."

{{See also|List of federal installations in Maryland|List of federal agencies in Northern Virginia}}

File:NIH Clinical Center south entrance.jpg Clinical Center in Bethesda]]

The Washington metropolitan area has a significant biotechnology industry; companies with a major presence in the region as of 2011 include Merck, Pfizer, Human Genome Sciences, Martek Biosciences, and Qiagen.Renee Winsky & Mark Herzog, [http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2011/06/md-va-biotech-industries-take-center.html Maryland, Virginia biotech industries take center stage in D.C.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323035634/http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2011/06/md-va-biotech-industries-take-center.html |date=March 23, 2017 }}, Washington Business Journal (June 28, 2011). Additionally, many biotechnology companies such as United Therapeutics, Novavax, Emergent BioSolutions, Parabon NanoLabs and MedImmune have headquarters in the region. The area is also home to branch offices of many contract research organizations. Firms with a presence in the area include Fortrea, IQVIA, Charles River Laboratories, and ICON plc. The area's medical research is driven by government and non-profit health institutions, such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, J. Craig Venter Institute, and the National Institutes of Health.

Local consumer goods companies include Nestle USA and Mars, Incorporated.

File:US Navy 051128-N-2383B-013 An aerial view of the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense located between the Potomac River and Arlington National Cemetery.jpg in Arlington.]]

Many defense contractors are based in the region to be close to the Pentagon in Arlington. Local defense contractors include Lockheed Martin, the largest, as well as General Dynamics, BAE Systems Inc., Northrop Grumman,{{cite news |title=Defense firm Northrop Grumman's second-quarter profit rose nearly 81 percent |first=Marjorie |last=Censer |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 30, 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072905681.html |access-date=September 18, 2017 |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709233444/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072905681.html |url-status=live }} Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), CACI, ManTech International, DynCorp, and Leidos.

The Washington metropolitan area contains the headquarters of numerous companies in the hospitality and hotel industries. Major companies with headquarters in the region include Marriott International, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Hilton Worldwide, Park Hotels and Resorts, Choice Hotels, Host Hotels and Resorts, and HMSHost.

File:One Franklin Square - November 2023.jpg is where The Washington Post is headquartered.]]

The media industry is a significant portion of metropolitan Washington's economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Washington DC region has the second largest concentration of journalists and media personnel in the United States after the New York metropolitan area.{{cite news |title=Occupational Employment Statistics – Reporters and Correspondents |newspaper=Bureau of Labor Statistics |date=May 2018 |url=https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes273022.htm |access-date=January 31, 2021 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117072322/https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes273022.htm |url-status=live }} Washington's industry presence includes major publications with national audiences such as The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today, as well as new media publishers such as Vox Media, RealClearPolitics, Axios, and Politico. A secondary portion of this market is made up of periodicals such as National Affairs, those by The Slate Group, Foreign Policy, National Geographic, The American Prospect, and those by Atlantic Media, including The Atlantic. There are also many smaller regional publications present, such as The Washington Diplomat, The Hill, Hill Rag, Roll Call, Washington City Paper and the Washington Examiner.

Anchored by the Dulles Technology Corridor, the telecommunications and tech industry in DC spans a diverse range of players across internet infrastructure, broadcasting, satellite communications, and datacenters. Firms headquartered in the area include Cogent Communications, GTT Communications, Hughes Network Systems, iCore Networks, Iridium Communications, Intelsat, Ligado Networks, NII Holdings, Oceus Networks, OneWeb, Tegna Inc., Transaction Network Services, Verisign, WorldCell, and XO Communications.

File:Arlington House.jpg in Arlington County is a major tourist attraction.]]

Tourism is a significant industry in the Washington metropolitan region. In 2015, more than 74,000 tourism-sector jobs existed in the District of Columbia, a record-setting 19.3 million domestic tourists visited the city, and domestic and international tourists combined spent $7.1 billion.Perry Stein, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/05/03/d-c-breaks-tourist-record-in-2015-with-visitors-spending-7-1-billion/ D.C. breaks tourist record in 2015 with visitors spending $7.1 billion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220214716/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/05/03/d-c-breaks-tourist-record-in-2015-with-visitors-spending-7-1-billion/ |date=December 20, 2016 }}, Washington Post (May 3, 2016).Ben Nuckols, [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/60fb33ab69e04334aeda2cf69a77e059/dc-sets-record-more-2-million-foreign-tourists DC sets record with more than 2 million foreign tourists] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220192116/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/60fb33ab69e04334aeda2cf69a77e059/dc-sets-record-more-2-million-foreign-tourists |date=December 20, 2016 }}, Associated Press (August 24, 2016). The convention industry is also significant; in 2016, D.C. hosted fifteen "city-wide conventions" with an estimated total economic impact of $277.9 million.

Tourism is also significant outside the District of Columbia; in 2015, a record-setting $3.06 billion in tourism spending was reported in Arlington, Virginia, and $2.9 billion in Fairfax County, Virginia.[http://washington.cbslocal.com/2016/09/19/arlington-county-tourism-3-billion/ Arlington County Sets Tourism Spending Record with $3 Billion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102115855/http://washington.cbslocal.com/2016/09/19/arlington-county-tourism-3-billion/ |date=January 2, 2017 }}, CBS Washington (September 19, 2016). A 2016 National Park Service report estimated that there were 56 million visitors to national parks in the National Capital Region, sustaining 16,917 and generating close to $1.6 billion in economy impact.[https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/news/2015-economic-impact.htm Tourism at national parks in the Greater Washington area generates almost $1.6 billion in economic benefit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221214925/https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/news/2015-economic-impact.htm |date=December 21, 2016 }} (press release), National Park Service (April 21, 2016).

{{See also|List of companies headquartered in Northern Virginia}}

File:Capital One World Headquarters.jpg in Tysons, the tallest building in the region and centerpiece of the {{convert|5000000|sqft|m2|-2|abbr=on}} headquarters campus for Capital One{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/03/positive-review-for-capital-ones-massive.html |work=Washington Business Journal |title=Positive review for Capital One's massive headquarters in Tysons |access-date=December 5, 2018 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025031312/https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/03/positive-review-for-capital-ones-massive.html |url-status=live }}]]

File:Marriott Intl HQ - August 2022a.jpg in Bethesda, Maryland]]

Most of the following companies are located along Interstate 66 and Dulles Toll Road from Washington, D.C. to Dulles International Airport. Amazon is dual-headquartered in Seattle and secondarily in Arlington.

File:NGA New HQ.jpg headquarters in Fort Belvoir]]

{{expand section|date=January 2013}}

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure resulted in a significant shuffling of military, civilian, and defense contractor employees in the Washington metropolitan area. The largest individual site impacts of the time are as follows:{{Cite web |url=http://www.defense.gov/brac/pdf/pt1_11_app_co.pdf |title=Appendix C BRAC 2005 Closure and Realignment Impacts by State |access-date=January 8, 2013 |archive-date=December 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221143252/http://www.defense.gov/brac/pdf/pt1_11_app_co.pdf |url-status=dead }}

• Fort Belvoir gained 11,858 employees, primarily as a result of the relocation of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) into a massive new headquarters within the fort.
• Fort Meade gained 5,361 employees, primarily as a result of the expansion of the National Security Agency.
• Walter Reed Army Medical Center lost 5,630 employees as part of its realignment. It was later closed and consolidated into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

BRAC 2005 was the largest infrastructure expansion by the Army Corps of Engineers since World War II, resulting in the Mark Center, tallest building they have ever constructed, as well as National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus East, which at 2.4 million square feet is the largest building the Corps have constructed since the Pentagon.{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mil/article/65544/BRAC_2005__on_time__on_budget_in_Northeast/ |title=BRAC 2005: on time, on budget in Northeast |author=Justin Matthew Ward |date=September 14, 2011 |work=army.mil |access-date=January 25, 2013 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306150540/http://www.army.mil/article/65544/BRAC_2005__on_time__on_budget_in_Northeast/ |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Transportation in Washington, D.C.}}

File:Washington Dulles International Airport at Dusk.jpg in Dulles, Virginia]]

File:L'Enfant Plaza Station.jpg on the Washington Metro]]

File:Fairfax Connector 9742 at West Falls Church.jpg bus at the West Falls Church station on the Washington Metro]]

"WMATA"-indicated systems are run by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and always accept Washington Metro fare cards; others may or may not.

• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), located in Loudoun County, Virginia 
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), located in Arlington County, Virginia – the closest to Washington
• Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), located in Linthicum, Maryland (outside of but serving the Washington metropolitan area)
• Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR), located in Washington County, Maryland – serves western Maryland, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and portions of south-central Pennsylvania and north-western Virginia along the Interstate 81 corridor

• Washington Metro – DC, MD, VA (rapid transit) (WMATA)
• MARC Train – DC, MD, WV (commuter rail)
• Virginia Railway Express – DC, VA (commuter rail)
• Amtrak – US (commuter rail, inter-city rail)

• DC Circulator – Washington, D.C. (DDoT, WMATA)
• Metrobus – Washington metropolitan area (WMATA)
• Metroway – Arlington County, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia (bus rapid transit) (WMATA)
• Ride On – Montgomery County, Maryland
• TheBus – Prince George's County, Maryland
• ART – Arlington County, Virginia
• DASH – Alexandria, Virginia
• Fairfax Connector – Fairfax County, Virginia
• CUE Bus – Fairfax, Virginia
• Loudoun County Transit – Loudoun County, Virginia
• PRTC – Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park
• TransIT – Frederick County, Maryland
• VanGO – Charles County, Maryland
• Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland – Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George's County, Laurel, Maryland
• Maryland Transit Administration – Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Frederick County, Maryland, Charles County, Maryland, Calvert County, Maryland, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Saint Mary's County, Maryland
• Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority – Jefferson County, West Virginia, Berkeley County, West Virginia
• Virginia Regional Transit – Loudoun County, Virginia, Culpeper County, Virginia, Fauquier County, Virginia, Warren County, Virginia
• Fredericksburg Regional Transit – Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County and Stafford County

File:Capital Beltway Map Color.svg circles Washington, D.C.]]

• {{jct|country=USA|I|66}}
• {{jct|country=USA|I|70}}
• {{jct|country=USA|I|95}}
• {{jct|state=MD|I|270}}
• {{jct|state=DC|I|295}}
• {{jct|state=MD|I|370}}
• {{jct|state=DC|I|395}}
• {{jct|country=USA|I|495|dab1=Capital Beltway}} – the Capital Beltway
• {{jct|state=MD|I|595}} – signed as US 50
• {{jct|state=DC|I|695}}

• {{jct|country=USA|US|1}}
• {{jct|country=USA|US|15}}
• {{jct|country=USA|US|17}}
• {{jct|country=USA|US|29}}
• {{jct|country=USA|US|50}}
• {{jct|country=USA|US|301}}

• Capital Bikeshare – Washington, D.C., Arlington, Virginia, Alexandria, Virginia, Fairfax County, Virginia, Prince George's County, Maryland, and Montgomery County, Maryland

{{Further|Sports in Washington, D.C.}}

Listing of the professional sports teams in the Washington metropolitan area:

{{Notelist}}

{{Main|Media in Washington, D.C.}}

File:North capitol & L street NE.jpg (NPR) headquarters in Washington.]]

The Washington metropolitan area is home to

DCTV, USA Today, C-SPAN, PBS, NPR, Politico, BET, TV One and Discovery Communications. The two main newspapers are The Washington Post and The Washington Times. Local television channels include WRC-TV 4 (NBC), WTTG 5 (FOX), WJLA 7 (ABC), WUSA 9 (CBS), WDCA 20 (MyNetworkTV), WETA-TV 26 (PBS), WDCW 50 (CW), and WPXW 66 (Ion). WJLA 24/7 News is a local news provider available only to cable subscribers. Radio stations serving the area include: WETA-FM, WIHT, WSBN, and WTOP.

{{Main|Area code}}

• 202 and 771{{cite web|url=https://dcist.com/story/21/04/05/dc-new-area-code-771-to-start-in-november-2021/|title=D.C.'s New (771) Area Code Will Start Being Assigned in November|access-date=April 10, 2021|archive-date=April 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426175047/https://dcist.com/story/21/04/05/dc-new-area-code-771-to-start-in-november-2021/|url-status=live}} – Washington, D.C.
• 703 and 571 – Northern Virginia suburbs of Arlington and Fairfax Counties, independent cities Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park, as well as parts of Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties (571 created March 1, 2000; 703 in October 1947).
• 301, 240, and 227 – portions of Maryland in the Washington metropolitan area, southern Maryland, and western Maryland
• 540 and 826 - Northern Virginia suburbs of City of Fredericksburg, (Western) Loudon County, Spotsylvania County and Stafford County along with nearby Fauquier County
• 304 and 681 – Jefferson and Berkeley County, West Virginia

{{Portal|United States|Virginia|Maryland}}

• List of people from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
• List of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in Virginia
• Potomac primary
• Northeast megalopolis

{{clear}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Wikivoyage|Washington, D.C. area}}

• [https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/omb/bulletins/fy05/b05-02.html OMB Bulletin No. 05-02]
• [http://www.virginiaplaces.org/regions/urbanareas.html Urban Areas of Virginia]
• [http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_47894.htm May 2006 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV Metropolitan Division]
• [http://www.bls.gov/oes/2005/may/oes_47894.htm May 2005 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV Metropolitan Division]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071222135731/http://recenter.tamu.edu/data/popm00/pcbsa47900.html Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV MSA Population and Components of Change]

{{DCMetroArea}}

{{District of Columbia}}

{{Virginia}}

{{Maryland}}

{{West Virginia}}

{{Northeast Megalopolis}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|38|53|24|N|77|02|48|W|region:US-MD|display=title}}

Category:Capital districts and territories

Category:Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area

Category:Metropolitan areas of Maryland

Category:Metropolitan areas of Virginia

Category:Metropolitan areas of West Virginia

Category:Regions of Maryland

Category:Regions of Virginia

Category:Regions of West Virginia

Category:Washington, D.C.