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 statistics are 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 Kelly Jiang, Senior Research Manager, at [email protected].

For additional statistics about DC, visit census.gov

Top attractions include (with visitation numbers from 2022)

• FDR Memorial (3.3 million visitors)

• Korean War Veterans Memorial (4.0 million visitors)

• Lincoln Memorial (7.8 million visitors)

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (3.3 million visitors)

• National Air & Space Museum (0.5 million visitors)

• National Gallery of Art (3.3 million visitors)

• National Museum of African American History & Culture (11.2 million visitors)

• National Museum of American History (1.2 million visitors)

• National Museum of Natural History (3.9 million visitors)

• National Zoological Park (1.6 million visitors)

• Rock Creek Park (2.0 million visitors)

• Thomas Jefferson Memorial (3.0 million visitors)

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial (4.9 million visitors)

• World War II Memorial (4.8 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: 671,803

• 48% male and 52% female

• Greater Washington has one of the most highly educated workforces in the U.S. 61% of Washington, DC residents hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher (compared to 34% of U.S. population).

• DC’s population is 45% Black (compared to 14% of U.S. population) and 12% Hispanic/Latino (compared to 19% of U.S. population).

• 19% of the Washington, DC population is under the age of 18.

• Median household income: $93,547

Sources: US Census Bureau, 2022

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

• There are three DC-area airports - Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

• These airports serve 75 million passengers each year.

• Reagan National Airport offers over 400 daily departures to 106 domestic & international nonstop destinations.

• Dulles International Airport offers over 320 daily departures to 135 domestic & international nonstop destinations.

• BWI handles over 280 daily departures with nonstop flights to 85 domestic & international destinations.

• Union Station in DC is home to Amtrak and multiple commuter rail services; 1.8 million Amtrak passengers traveled through DC in 2021.

• The Metro system is the nation’s third-largest heavy rail system with 6 rail lines, 118 miles of track and 91 stations. In 2022, it provided 40.7 million trips.

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

• 6 bus routes service 5 million trips each year, connecting Union Station with Georgetown, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Nationals Park, the Zoo with downtown, , and a seasonal loop around the National Mall, all for just $1.

• For hours, passes and route maps, visit dccirculator.com.

• The DC taxi cab network operates on a meter system.

• Fares begin at $3.50, plus $2.16 per each additional mile. A 15-20% tip is customary.

• Uber and Lyft provide service throughout the metro DC area, and include options ranging from ride-shares to luxury SUVs. Shared ride rate is $1.20 per mile.

• 90 percent of parkland in Washington, DC is controlled by the National Park Service. There are 250,000 acres of parkland in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area.
• In 2023, DC was named first in the country for ParkScore by the Trust for Public Land, which evaluates the size of park land, access and city investment.
• The district was the first jurisdiction in the country to establish Building Energy Performance Standards to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings, including affordable housing, in 2021.
• The Washington Nationals ballpark is the country’s first LEED Silvercertified ballpark by the U.S. Green Building Council.
• 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.

Sources: National Park Service, Trust for Public Land

• 17% 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 and international cultural centers and hundreds of international organizations and association.

*US Census Bureau, 2022

• DC sales tax: 6%

• DC hotel tax: 14.95 % (prior to April 1, 2023)

• For the period of time beginning on April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2027, hotel tax is increased from 14.95% to 15.95% to provide support for the recovery of tourism in the District.

• 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 5.3%. Hotel tax varies by county with most counties 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

• uly: 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 (748)
2. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (402)
3. The George Washington University Hospital (375)
4. Children’s National Medical Center (323)
5. Saint Elizabeths Hospital (292)
6. Sibley Memorial Hospital (251)
7. Howard University Hospital (228)
8. BridgePoint Hospital National Harbor (207)

Source: American Hospital Directory, 2023