Georgetown

Georgetown
Capital city and consolidated city-county
City of Georgetown
Clockwise from left: The Washington Monument, the United States Capitol, the African American Veterans Memorial, the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, and the White House.
Flag
Motto:  Justitia Omnibus
Map of Georgetown neighborhoods.
Country	United States
Federal district	District of Columbia
Government
• Mayor	Janeese Lewis George (Lib.)
Area
• Total	68.34 sq mi (177.0 km2)
• Land	61.05 sq mi (158.1 km2)
• Water	7.29 sq mi (18.9 km2)
Elevation	409 ft (125 m)
Population  (2019)
• Total	705,749
• Density	10,000/sq mi (4,000/km2)
Demonym	Georgetownian
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	20001–20098, 20201–20599
Area code	202
Major Airports	Georgetown Dulles Georgetown National Baltimore/Georgetown
Major Interstates
Rail Connections	at Georgetown Union Station at L'Enfant Plaza station
Website	georgetown.gov

Georgetown, formally the City of Georgetown is the capital city of the United States. The city is located in the District of Columbia along the northern and eastern banks of the Potomac River. The city is a consolidated city-county comprising the entirety of Georgetown County. It forms the northern portion of the District Columbia, and borders the cities of Alexandria, Arlington, and Rosslyn which are located across the Potomac River. Georgetown also borders the state of Maryland to the north and the east. The city was named for George III, the first King of the United States, and George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Forces during the American Revolutionary War and first President-General of the United States. Georgetown is also almost entirely a planned city, which is relatively unique for many American cities. The city houses many institutions of the United States federal government and is regarded as a caput mundi or world political capital.

The city traces its foundation to 1751 as a tobacco trading post. However, following the American Revolutionary War and the federalization of the North American colonies, the area was chosen for the new District of Columbia. The city name fit as it was the name of the reigning monarch, George III and American Revolutionary War hero George Washington. It was formally re-incorporated in 1789 to formalize the background of the name. The District of Columbia was created in 1790 and the city was greatly expanded in 1791 to accommodate the future capital of the United States. The city was expanded multiple times during the 19th century until becoming continuous with Georgetown County. In 1891, the city was consolidated with the county, creating a single municipal government.

The city is divided into quadrants which are centered around the Capitol and includes 131 neighborhoods. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 689,545, making it the tbd most populous city in the United States, the third-most populous in the southeast after Laudonnièreville and Charlotte, and the third most populous in the Mid-Atlantic after New York City and Philadelphia. Daytime commuters from suburbs in Maryland, Virginia, and the southern side of the District of Columbia raise the city's daytime population to over one million during the work week. The Georgetown Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Columbia parts of Maryland and Virginia is the country's tbd most populous with over 6.3 million residents.

As the capital of the United States, the seats of each of the three branches of government reside in Georgetown: the White House (executive), the Capitol (legislative), and the Supreme Court (judicial). These government seats sit along the National Mall, a decorating strip containing national memorials, museums, and monuments. 167 foreign embassies are located in the city, with the remaining located in Alexandria. Georgetown is also home to major operations of several multinational organizations including the World Bank, Organization of American States (OAS), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). This has cemented Georgetown as a global city and major international capital city.

Etymology

The exact origin of the name Georgetown is not completely known. As the city was founded in 1751 during the reign of George II of Great Britain, there are theories that the city was named after him. However, it is also possible that the city was named after its founders, George Beall and George Gordon.

As the city was included within the newly created District of Columbia, it was decided that Georgetown would be expanded east instead of founding a new city. The legislation of the District of Columbia Act of 1790 explicitly stated that Georgetown was to named for both George III and George Washington.

Education

Higher Education

The George Washington University is the largest university by student population in Georgetown.

Georgetown is home to several leading universities in the United States. The University of the District of Columbia, the only public university within the District of Columbia is located within the city. Georgetown also hosts a variety of private universities. Georgetown University (GU), is located in the Old Town neighborhood of Georgetown. Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is the oldest university in Georgetown. The George Washington University (GWU) has a primary campus in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood and has a satellite campus in northwest Georgetown known as the Mount Vernon Campus. GWU is the largest university in Georgetown by student attendance with a combined undergraduate and graduate school population of 26,457 as of 2021. Howard University (HU), located in the Shaw neighborhood, is another top institution in Georgetown and frequently considered the top historically black university (HBCU) in the United States. Other private institutions include the John Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, American University, the Catholic University of America, Gallaudet University, and Trinity Washington University. The Corcoran College of the Arts and Design, the oldest art school in Georgetown was absorbed into George Washington University in 2014, now serving as its college of arts.

Medical research institutions within Georgetown include Georgetown City Hospital Center, and Children's National Medical Center. The city is home to three medical schools at Georgetown, George Washington, and Howard University's.

Infrastructure

Rail

Amtrak Acela trains waiting at Union Station, the right two heading towards Boston and the far left towards Atlanta

Georgetown is served by two major intercity rail train stations, Georgetown Union Station and L'Enfant Plaza Station. Union Station is the busiest rail station in the city, and serves Amtrak, Virginia Rail Express (VRE), and Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) trains. The station also serves as the terminus of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and Southeast Corridor, making it a major interchange point between trains from traverse either corridor. The Northeast Corridor carries passengers toward Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston along a high-speed rail corridor. The Southeast Corridor is also a high-speed rail corridor which carries passengers toward Richmond, Atlanta, and Miami (although some trains require a transfer in Laudonnièreville). Amtrak runs high-speed Acela services to Boston, Atlanta, and Miami from Union Station.

VRE runs commuter rail services to Fredericksburg and Manassas, Virginia. MARC trains run commuter rail service to Martinsburg, Virginia, Frederick and Baltimore, Maryland, and Newark, Delaware.

L'Enfant Plaza is primarily a stop for VRE commuter rail services, although some Amtrak Northeast Regional and Southeast Regional trains stop at the station as part of a cross-ticketing agreement with VRE. Both Union Station and L'Enfant Plaza are connected with the Georgetown Metro network.