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county · code 11001

District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia

The District of Columbia is a federal district created in 1791 from land ceded by Maryland and Virginia as the seat of the national government. Named after Christopher Columbus and George Washington, it was reorganized in 1871 as a unified territorial government without lower county divisions.

  • Founded1790
  • Named forGeorge Washington and Christopher Columbus
  • Land area61 sq mi + 7.2 sq mi water
  • Population689,545 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped137,389 checked 14 October 2026
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Updated

Arlington, VAAlexandria city, VAPrince George's, MDFairfax, VAMontgomery, MD Census outline

Where it is

District of Columbia on the map of District of Columbia

District of Columbia has 1 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

District of Columbia District of Columbia
Counties of District of Columbia · District of Columbia highlighted

History

Founded in 1790

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Created as an unnamed district in 1791, the United States established it from land ceded by Maryland and Virginia, designed as a square ten miles on each side. In 1801, the federal government created two counties—Alexandria (now Arlington, Virginia) and Washington—to administer the district's judicial and administrative functions. In 1846, all district territory west of the Potomac River was retroceded to Virginia, eliminating Alexandria County. The district was reorganized in 1871 as a unified territorial government, and Washington County was eliminated.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1791
    District of Columbia created The United States created an unnamed district from land ceded by Maryland and Virginia to be the seat of national government. The district was a square with each corner at a point of the compass (north, east, south, and west) and each side ten miles long. Until 1801 the county jurisdictions of Maryland and Virginia continued in the ceded areas. · Richardson, 1:102; Van Zandt, 90
  2. 1801
    District of Columbia created The federal government established a circuit court for the seat of national government, now called the District of Columbia, and created two counties to administer the new judicial system and to perform other functions: Alexandria (now Arlington, Virginia) covered the area west of the Potomac River that had been ceded from Virginia; Washington covered the area east of the river that had been ceded from Maryland.
    from Alexandriafrom Arlingtonfrom Washington
    · U.S. Stat., vol. 2, ch. 15 [1801]/pp. 103-108
  3. 1846
    Eliminated The federal government retroceded to Virginia all of the district territory west of the Potomac River; Alexandria (now Arlington, Virginia) eliminated from the District of Columbia.
    into Alexandriainto Arlington
    · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 35 [1846]/pp. 35-37, and appendix 3/p. 1000
  4. 1871
    Eliminated The federal government reorganized the District of Columbia on the model of a unified territorial government without lower levels of county or municipal government; Washington eliminated, although for a while it persisted informally as a geographic unit.
    into Washington
    · U.S. Stat., vol. 16, ch. 62 [1871]/pp. 419-429

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in District of Columbia

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

District of Columbia by the Census

Population
689,545 2020 Census count
Housing units
350,364 2020 Census count
Land area
61 square miles
Water area
7.2 square miles
People per sq mi
11,280 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

District of Columbia's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about District of Columbia

When was District of Columbia founded?
District of Columbia was founded in 1790, and named after George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
Is there an online parcel map for District of Columbia?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 137,389 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has District of Columbia's boundary or name changed?
District of Columbia was created in 1791. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Alexandria County, Arlington County and Washington County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for District of Columbia yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door