For those people who move to Washington DC; finding your way around can be the 1st biggest challenge you face!  2nd of course is parking - but you can't park if you can't find where you are going!

Washington DC's streets was designed to "confuse invading armies".  I think it was a bad joke - it didn't stop the British in the war of 1812; but it sure as heck stops every tourist visiting from across the world.

Here is a beginners Guide to Navigating Washington DC:

• First of all, you need to think of DC has a Diamond shape with the lower left hand side cut off by the Potomac river. (Part of historic DC was actually in what is now Virginia).

• DC is divided into 4 quadrants.  Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest.  The diving lines start at the US Capitol Building.  So everything NW of the US Capitol is in NW DC. (However the Capitol is NOT in the exact center of the Diamond.  Thats some of the confusing part.  16th Street NW, running N/S (16 blocks West of the Capitol), is actually (almost) the exact center of the of the Diamond).

• Then we have Number Streets going out from the Capitol running North to South.  1st, 2nd up to 49th on the West and 62nd on the Eastern tip.  

• Then we have letter streets running East and West "A", "C", up to "V" in the South and "W" in the North. Of course there is no J or B streets.  I think "B" streets were renamed to Constitution and Independence and "J" - well you would confuse it with JAY street.

So what happens when you run out of letters?  What comes after "W" Street?  Well there IS a system.  Of course there are a thousand exceptions; but as a general guide here is how to figure out how far you are from the "Center" of DC:

• The letter system, A,B,C start over in 2 syllable street names. Belmont, Clifton....Varnum, Webster.   THEN we go to 3 syllable names; Allison, Buchanan...Van Buren, Whittier.  

It's not exact; but it helps!

• Now add in the "State" streets.  Alabama, Arkansas...Wyoming,West Virginia.  These run throughout the city, criss-crossing in a no-nonsense pattern on Diagonals. The most traveled like Massachusetts and Connecticut are MAJOR busy roads; while roads like Illinois and Kansas are not so much.

Just remember the most important thing when Navigating DC.  Are you meeting someone at 19th and P NORTHWEST  or  SOUTHEAST.  One is in Dupont Circle; the other over the Anacostia River, past Capitol Hill. This simple mistake is over 6 miles and 30-45 minutes in traffic apart!

Contact James Downing of the Downing Real Estate Group, if you are selling, buying or have questions!

Office: 202-362-5800   Cell: 703.244.3971

Licensed in Washington DC, Virginia & Maryland.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Chevy Chase
5028 Wisconsin Ave NW  Suite 100 * Washington DC 20016