Washington, D.C. , is administratively divided into four geographical quadrants of unequal size, each delineated by their ordinal directions from the medallion located in the Crypt under the Rotunda of the Capitol . Street and number addressing, centered on the Capitol, radiates out into each of the quadrants, producing a number of intersections of identically named cross-streets in each quadrant. Originally, the District of Columbia was a near-perfect square but contained more than one settlement; the Capitol was to be the center of the City of Washington. Thus, the Capitol was never located at the geographic center of the whole territory, which was eventually north of the Potomac River, consolidated into one city. (The geographic center was located near the onetime marshy area of the present-day intersection of 17th Street, NW and Constitution Ave. ) As a result, the quadrants are of greatly varying size. Northwest is quite large, encompassing over a third of the city's geographical area, while Southwest is little more than a few neighborhoods, large parks, and a military base.
16-520: Northeast ( NE or N.E. ) is the northeastern quadrant of Washington, D.C. , the capital of the United States . It encompasses the area located north of East Capitol Street and east of North Capitol Street . Northeast includes the 35 neighborhoods of: A significant section of Capitol Hill is also located in Northeast, as is part of NoMa . Northeast is home to Gallaudet University ,
32-688: A federally chartered private university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing located in the Trinidad neighborhood. It is also home to The Catholic University of America and Trinity Washington University , two of the Catholic institutions which give the Brookland neighborhood its nickname of "Little Rome" or "Little Vatican." Others include the Basilica of the National Shrine of
48-673: A rich cultural history, including the historic Capitol Hill and Anacostia neighborhoods, the Navy Yard , the Marine Barracks , the Anacostia River waterfront, historic Eastern Market , the remains of several Civil War -era forts, historic St. Elizabeths Hospital , RFK Stadium , Nationals Park , and the Congressional Cemetery . The quadrant is divided by the Anacostia River , with the portion that
64-537: Is a major intermodal hub, combining the busiest station in the Metrorail system; rail service by Amtrak , MARC , and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail systems. Bus services are provided by Greyhound , Peter Pan , Trailways , Megabus , and other companies. The DC Streetcar 's H Street NE/Benning Road Line also serves the area. Politically, Northeast includes most of Ward 5 , much of Ward 6 and Ward 7 , and parts of Ward 4 . The population of Northeast
80-513: Is home to two large public gardens located below the waistline of the Anacostia River : the United States National Arboretum and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens . The headquarters of The Heritage Foundation , one of the nation's largest think tanks , and The Washington Times , a daily newspaper in the city, are also located in Northeast. Northeast is bounded by North Capitol Street on the west, Eastern Avenue to
96-544: Is predominantly African-American , particularly east of the Anacostia River . 38°57′51.8″N 77°0′16.5″W / 38.964389°N 77.004583°W / 38.964389; -77.004583 Quadrants of Washington, D.C. The boundaries of the quadrants are not necessarily straight lines radiating from the medallion, but in three instances follow the paths of the boundary streets (which in some cases curve around topographical features): North Capitol Street, South Capitol Street, and East Capitol Street. The axis of
112-610: Is the smallest quadrant of the city. Although roughly half of the quadrant is located south of the Anacostia River in Anacostia , references to "Southwest" generally allude to the area near downtown, within about a mile of the Capitol, much of which was demolished and redeveloped in the 1960s with modern federal office and apartment buildings. Fort McNair and the National War College are also there. The section south of
128-564: Is west of the river sometimes referred to as " Near Southeast " and the portion east of the river is known as "River East." Many people mistakenly (or in some instances, pejoratively) call the entire eastern portion of the quadrant Anacostia , although the name refers only to a small area along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue . " Southwest " (SW or S.W.) is located south of the National Mall and west of South Capitol Street and
144-540: The National Mall through the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial forms the boundary running west of the medallion. " Northwest " (also written as NW or N.W. ) is located north of the National Mall and west of North Capitol Street. It is the largest of the four quadrants of the city, containing more than 42% of the entire city's area and over half of its population. It includes
160-769: The Supreme Court , Union Station , the Catholic University of America , Trinity University , National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception , Franciscan Monastery , Providence Hospital, Gallaudet University , the National Arboretum , Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens , and the Benning Road Power Plant . " Southeast " (SE or S.E.) is located south of East Capitol Street and east of South Capitol Street . It has
176-636: The central business district , Federal Triangle , the Smithsonian National Zoo, and the museums along the northern side of the National Mall, as well as such prestigious neighborhoods as Foggy Bottom , West End , Columbia Heights , Petworth , Dupont Circle , Logan Circle , LeDroit Park , Georgetown , Adams Morgan , Embassy Row , Glover Park , Tenleytown , Piney Branch , Shepherd Park , Crestwood , Bloomingdale , and Friendship Heights . The large Rock Creek Park divides
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#1732765479656192-553: The D.C. Office of Planning. Neighborhoods can be defined by the boundaries of wards, historic districts, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions , civic associations, and business improvement districts (BIDs); these boundaries will overlap. The eight wards each elect a member to the Council of the District of Columbia and are redistricted every ten years. As the nation's capital Washington, D.C.'s local neighborhood history and culture
208-986: The Immaculate Conception , the Saint John Paul II National Shrine , the Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery , the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family , Saint Anselm's Abbey Benedictine Monastery, the Dominican House of Studies , the Missionaries of Charity Gift of Peace Home , the Capuchin College , and the headquarters of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops . The quadrant
224-667: The east, and East Capitol Street to the south. Other principal roads include the Baltimore–Washington Parkway (DC 295); Bladensburg Road and South Dakota Avenue running north–south; and Florida Avenue , Benning Road, New York Avenue ( U.S. Route 50 ), and Rhode Island Avenue ( U.S. Route 1 ) running east–west. Northeast is served by five of the six lines of the Washington Metro : the Orange , Silver , Red , Blue , and Green Lines . Washington Union Station
240-432: The northwest quadrant in two. " Northeast " (NE or N.E.) is located north of East Capitol Street and east of North Capitol Street . Northeast neighborhoods include Brentwood , Brookland , Ivy City , Marshall Heights , NoMa , Pleasant Hill , Stanton Park , Trinidad , Michigan Park , Riggs Park , Fort Totten , Fort Lincoln , Edgewood , and Woodridge , as well as much of Capitol Hill . Notable landmarks include
256-767: The river, except for the Bellevue neighborhood, is almost entirely devoted to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling , the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory , and the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant . Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.#Ward 7 Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. , the capital of the United States , are distinguished by their history, culture, architecture, demographics, and geography. The names of 131 neighborhoods are unofficially defined by
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