Research

Destination DC (DDC) releases key tourism facts and figures annually. The following documents provide additional and historical information about the Washington, DC hospitality industry. Please note that our research is released annually.

To learn more about DDC research and reports, or to discuss what information may be relevant to your organization and its needs, please contact Sandra Whitehead, Senior Research Manager, at sandra@washington.org.

For additional statistics about DC, visit census.gov

Top attractions include (with visitation numbers from 2024)

• FDR Memorial 2.8 million visitors)

• Korean War Veterans Memorial (4.0 million visitors)

• Lincoln Memorial (7.7 million visitors)

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (0.6 million visitors)

• National Air & Space Museum (1.9 million visitors)

• National Museum of African American History & Culture (1.4 million visitors)

• National Museum of American History (1.8 million visitors)

• National Museum of Natural History (3.3 million visitors)

• National Zoological Park (1.9 million visitors)

• Rock Creek Park (1.9 million visitors)

• Thomas Jefferson Memorial (2.6 million visitors)

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial (4.8 million visitors)

• World War II Memorial (4.0 million visitors)

• DC is also home to four major sporting event venues with 185,000 total seats and nine major professional teams including the Wizards, Mystics, Nationals, D.C. United, Capitals, Commanders, DC Defenders, Washington Spirit and DC Breeze.

• There are 52 performing arts/theatre venues with more than 27,000 total seats.

*Sources: National Park Service; Smithsonian Institution; Theatre Washington

• Population: 702,250
• 47% male and 53% female
• Greater Washington has one of the most highly educated workforces in the U.S. 64% of Washington, DC residents hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher (compared to 34% of U.S. population).
• DC’s population is 43% Black (compared to 14% of U.S. population) and 12% Hispanic/Latino (compared to 20% of U.S. population).
• 18% of the Washington, DC population is under the age of 18.
• Median household income: $109,870

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

• 703,000 square feet of prime exhibit space (five exhibit halls on two levels)
• 198,000 square feet of meeting room space
• 77 meeting rooms
• 52,000 square foot ballroom
• 38,000 square feet of flexible registration space

DC Armory National Guard Building

• 70,000 square feet of exhibit space
• 10,000 seat capacity for sports and theater events

• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) served more than 87 million passengers combined in 2025.

• Washington, DC is accessible via three major airports and Amtrak service through Union Station.

• WMATA Metrorail and Metrobus provided more than 300 million combined trips in 2025.

• For hours, fares and station information, visit wmata.com.

• Washington, DC offers a variety of transportation options including taxis, rideshare services, Metrorail, Metrobus, scooters and bike-share programs.
• The DC taxi cab network operates on a metered fare system regulated by the DC Department of For-Hire Vehicles.
• Uber and Lyft provide service throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with options ranging from shared rides to luxury SUVs.
• Capital Bikeshare operates thousands of bicycles and e-bikes across hundreds of stations throughout the region.

• The District is committed to achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2045 through the Sustainable DC 2.0 and Clean Energy DC initiatives.
• Approximately 90% of parkland within Washington, DC is managed by the National Park Service.
• The Greater Washington metropolitan area includes more than 250,000 acres of parkland.
• In 2025, Washington, DC continued to rank among the top park systems in the nation in the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index, which evaluates park access, acreage, amenities and investment.
• DC’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center is LEED Platinum certified.
• For more information, click here to learn about the green experience in DC.

Sources: National Park Service, Trust for Public Land

• 19% of DC residents speak a language other than English at home.
• 14% of DC residents are foreign-born.
• Washington, DC is home to more than 175 embassies, ambassadors’ residences, international cultural centers and international organizations.

*US Census Bureau, 2024

• DC sales tax: 6%
• DC hotel tax: 15.95%
• DC restaurant tax: 10%
• Maryland sales tax: 6%. Hotel taxes vary by jurisdiction, with most counties averaging between 5% and 8%.
• Virginia sales tax: 5.3% statewide minimum, with additional local taxes in some jurisdictions. Hotel taxes vary by jurisdiction, with most localities averaging between 9% and 11%.

Month: Average Low (Fahrenheit) | Average High (Fahrenheit)

• January: 25 | 44
• February: 27 | 47
• March: 35 | 56
• April: 44 | 67
• May: 54 | 76
• June: 63 | 85
• July: 68 | 89
• August: 66 | 87
• September: 59 | 81
• October: 46 | 69
• November: 37 | 59
• December: 30 | 48

• American University
• Bowie State University
• Gallaudet University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Howard University

1. MedStar Washington Hospital Center (749 beds)
2. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (453 beds)
3. The George Washington University Hospital (385 beds)
4. Children’s National Hospital (323 beds)
5. Saint Elizabeths Hospital (292 beds)
6. Sibley Memorial Hospital (318 beds)
7. Howard University Hospital (228 beds)
8. BridgePoint Hospital Capitol Hill (207 beds)

Source: American Hospital Directory, 2025