Your Community - Washington, D.C.

The nation’s capital is a thriving community of businesses and cultures. Washington, D.C.’s population is approximately 581,000, with an average household income of $47,000. Over 18% of the community’s population lives below the poverty level, as defined by the U.S. Government. The top five employers in Washington, DC are Fannie Mae located at 3900 Wisconsin Avenue, NW 200016-292, Sprint/Nextel Communications, Lockheed Martin , General Dynamics, and Capital One Financial.

The history of Washington D.C. is tied intrinsically to its role as the Capital of the United States. The site along the Potomac River was chosen for the capital city by George Washington, and approved by the U.S. in the 1790 Residence Act. The city came under attack during the War of 1812 in an episode known as the Burning of Washington. Upon return to the capital, numerous public buildings including the White House located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 20500 and U.S. Capitol (20515) needed to be rebuilt. The 1902 McMillan Plan  helped restore and beautify the downtown core area, including establishing the National Mall, along with numerous monuments and museums such as the Smithsonian Institution (20001).

Throughout much of its history, Washington D.C. residents lacked representation in the Federal government. The Twenty-third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1961, gave the District representation in the Electoral College. The 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act provided the local government more control of affairs, including direct election of the city council and mayor. Because it is not a state, the District of Columbia still lacks voting rights in Congress.

Four major courts are located in Washington: The Supreme Court of the United States the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia D.C. Court of Appeals and the D.C. Superior Court. Most cases involving D.C. residents and local disputes will be litigated in the D.C. Superior Court, located at 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20001. Once considered a favorable jurisdiction to plaintiffs bringing tort or personal injury actions, the jury pool has become more conservative in recent years. However it is still more favorable than some very conservative jurisdictions in the D.C. Metro area, like Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland.

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