Hotel Facts

• There are approximately 121 properties and 28,711 hotel rooms located in Washington, DC. The Greater Washington Metropolitan Region is home to approximately 660 properties and 106,051 rooms (including those located within DC proper).
• There are 4,635 committable rooms within 1 mile of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
• There are 23 properties currently in the construction pipeline that are expected to be delivered in 2013 and beyond, including 2 that are currently under construction.
• The 1,175-room Washington Marriott Marquis will be located next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, connected by a pedestrian concourse. Projected to open in 2014, the Marriott Marquis will join the bustling Penn Quarter neighborhood. Following an official groundbreaking ceremony in the Fall 2011, construction is well underway. Click here for a brochure.
• DC’s hotel occupancy’s reach their peak in March through July and October. Average daily rates reach their highest levels during April, May and October.

Restaurant Facts

• There are more than 100 restaurants located in downtown Washington, DC alone, not including fast food, delis and take out.
• Forty restaurants in the metropolitan region received Zagat scores of 25 or higher (out of a possible 30).
• Called “one of the most exciting restaurant cities on the East Coast” by Travel + Leisure, DC’s culinary distinctions include James Beard award-winning chefs, AAA Five Diamond ratings and restaurants included on Esquire’s list of the “Best New Restaurants in America.”
• More than 90 DC restaurants offer private dining space, including 10 within a few blocks of the convention center. Another 26 restaurants with private dining space are located within 1.5 miles of the convention center.

Visitor Statistics

• DC welcomes approximately 17 million visitors each year, generating an estimated $5.7 billion in visitor spending for the city alone.
• In 2011, DC hosted 808 conventions, meetings and tradeshows, including 48 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. These meetings attracted more than 1 million attendees, generating 1,065,600 hotel room nights and nearly $1.2 billion in delegate spending.
• Approximately 1.7million international visitors come to DC annually. Top countries of origin include: United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, China, Italy, Brazil, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands.
• For additional visitor statistics, visit the research and statistics page.

Attractions

• Top attractions include*:
  • National Air & Space Museum (7.0 million visitors)
  • National Museum of Natural History (6.6 million)
  • Lincoln Memorial (5.4 million visitors)
  • National Museum of American History (4.6 million visitors)
  • World War II Memorial (4 million visitors)
  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial (3.8 million visitors)
  • Korean Memorial (2.9 million visitors)
  • FDR Memorial (2.3 million visitors)
  • Rock Creek Park (2.0 million visitors)
  • Thomas Jefferson Memorial (1.9 million visitors)
  • National Zoological Park (1.9 million visitors)
• DC is also home to 4 major sporting event venues with 167,000 total seats and 8 major professional teams including the Redskins, Wizards, Mystics, Nationals, United and Capitals
• There are more than 40 performing arts/theatre venues with 31,000 total seats.
• More than 50 private tour companies offer nearly 40 regularly scheduled tours.

*Source: National Park Service/Smithsonian Institution

Washington, DC Demographic Information

• Population: 601,723
• 47% male and 53% female
• Greater Washington has the best educated workforce in the U.S., with 49% of DC residents holding a Bachelor’s Degree or higher (compared to 28% of US of population) and 22% possessing a graduate or professional degree..
• DC’s population is 51% African American (compared to 13% of US population) and 9% Hispanic/Latino (compared to 16% of US population).
• Median age: 33.8
• Median household income: $58,526

(Source: US Census Bureau, 2010, Bureau of Labor & Statistics, 2006-2010 and Greater Washington Initiative Analysis, 2011)

Meeting/ Convention Facilities

• There is more than 4 million square feet of event/exhibit/meeting space in the Greater Washington region, with 2.2 million square feet of event space in the city of DC alone.
• Major Meeting/ Convention Facilities in Washington, DC include:
  
  Walter E. Washington Convention Center
  • 703,000 square feet of prime exhibit space (five exhibit halls on two levels)
  • 150,000 square feet of meeting room space
  • 67 meeting rooms
  • 52,000 square foot ballroom
  • 36,000 square feet of dedicated registration space
  
  
  DC Armory National Guard Building
  • 118,000 square feet of exhibit space
  • 2 meeting rooms
  
  
  Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
  • 65,000 square feet of exhibit space
  • 22 meeting rooms
  
  
  Marriott Wardman Park
  • 1,256 guest rooms and 76 suites
  • 173,000 square feet of event space
  
  
  Hilton Washington
  • 1,119 guest rooms and 82 suites
  • 110,000 square feet of event space
  
  
  Grand Hyatt Washington
  • 888 guest rooms and 37 suites
  • 40,0000 square feet of event space
  
  
  Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
  • 834 guest rooms and 32 suites
  • 39,000 square feet of event space
  
  
  Omni Shoreham Hotel
  • 783 guest rooms and 51 suites
  • 100,000 square feet of event space
  
  Renaissance Washington, DC
  • 807 guest rooms and 13 suites
  • 60,000 square feet of event space

Transportation

Airports

• There are 3 DC-area airports - Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• These airports serviced more than 64 million passengers in 2011 and about half of these (or 32 million) deplaned in the region.
• Reagan National Airport offers 391 daily nonstop flights to 78 domestic destinations.
• Dulles International Airport supports 317 daily nonstop flights to 83 domestic destinations and 415 weekly departures to 49 international destinations.
• BWI handles 632 scheduled domestic flights and 18 nonstop international flights daily. This includes non-stop flights to 66 domestic and 10 international destinations. In 2011, BWI services more than 22 million passengers.

Train

• Union Station in DC is home to Amtrak and multiple commuter rail services; 3.8 million Amtrak passengers travel through DC each year

Public transportation

• Metrorail & Metrobus
  • The Metro system is the nation’s secon-largest heavy rail system with 5 rail lines, 106 miles of track and 86 stations, servicing more than 217 million trips each year.
  • For hours, fares and station information, visit wmata.com.
• DC Circulator:
  • 5 bus routes service 5.8 million riders each year, connecting Union Station with Georgetown, the National Mall with Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and a seasonal loop around the National Mall.
  • For hours, passes and route maps, visit dccirculator.com.
• Taxis:
  • The DC taxi cab system operates on a meter system.
  • Fares begin at $3, plus 25 cents per each additional 1/6 mile and 25 cents per minute of wait time.
  • Cab fare from Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) to Walter E. Washington Convention Center are $11-15.

Union Information
The Washington, DC and Baltimore area Carpenters and Teamsters Unions in partnership with local Contractors formed the TSCAWDC to ensure consistency, performance, standardized policies and contract negotiations and overall labor.

Current initiatives of the association are:

• Continuation of Certification Program
• Standardized Training
• Interview and Orientation process
• Pre-Employment Drug testing along with Random Drug Testing throughout employment
• Creation of larger pool pf employees through merging of local unions (Baltimore and Washington, DC)

Green Initiatives

• 70 percent of land in Washington, DC is controlled by the National Park Service. There are 250,000 acres of parkland in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area.
• In 2007, DC was named the most walkable city in the US in a study by the Brookings Institute.
• In late 2006, City Council passed an initiative making the nation’s capital the first major city to require developers to adhere to guidelines established by the U.S. Green Building Council.
• The Washington Nationals Ballpark is striving to be the country’s first green-certified ballpark
• The Walter E. Washington Convention Center is a green meeting facility, with earth-friendly features like low emission glass that controls heat gain and loss and maximizes natural lighting; energy-conserving heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that operate in zones; high-efficiency lighting; automatic controls on restroom fixtures; plus recycling programs and easy public transportation access.
• DC’s hotels have implemented green initiatives, including wind power, renewable energy credits, recycling and adopt-a-park programs with neighborhood green spaces.
• For more information, click here to learn about the green experience in DC.

International DC

• 90,000 DC residents (15%) speaking a language other than English at home
• 78,000 DC residents (13%) are foreign-born
• The Greater Washington region is home to 400 international association, 1,000 internationally owned companies and more than 180 embassies and international cultural centers.

Sales Tax

• DC sales tax: 5.75%
• DC hotel tax: 14.5%
• DC restaurant tax: 10%
• Maryland: Sales tax is 6%. Hotel tax varies by county with most counties averaging between 5% and 8%.
• Virginia: Sales tax is 5%. Hotel tax varies by county with most counties averaging between 9% and 11%.

Climate

DC has a generally temperate climate, with pleasant springs and autumns, and mild winters with approximately 17 inches of seasonal snowfall.

Industry

Leading employers (with number of employees)

• District of Columbia government (36,342)
• Lockheed Martin (22,500)
• Northrup Grumman (20,700)
• SAIC, Inc. (18,200)
• Inova Health System (16,123)
• Verizon Communications, Inc. (16,100)
• Booz Allen Hamilton (14,000)
• MedStar Health (13,852)
• Marriott International Inc. (13,349)
• University of Maryland (13,081)

(Source: Washington Business Journal Book of Lists, 2009)

Largest Colleges/Universities (by number of undergraduates)

• Northern Virginia Community College (46,619)
• University of Maryland, College Park (26,542)
• Montgomery College (26,147)
• University of Maryland, University College (24,284)
• George Mason University (19,702)
• Prince George’s Community College (13,685)
• The George Washington University (10,224)
• Strayer University (7,900)
• Howard University (7,165)
• Georgetown University (7,092)
• American University (6,623)
• University of the District of Columbia (4,770)
• Bowie State University (4,400)
• University of Phoenix (4,108)
• The Catholic University of America (3,466)
• Marymount University (2,224)
• Trinity Washington University (1,397)
• Gallaudet University (1,145)

(Source: Washington Business Journal Book of Lists, 2009)

Largest Hospitals (with number of total beds)

• Washington Hospital Center , Washington, DC (926)
• Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA (833)
• Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC (609)
• St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, DC (530)
• Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC (482)

(Source: Washington Business Journal Book of Lists, 2008)