GeoStats:

Common Name: DC

Population: 599,657

Predominant Religions: Christian, Jewish, and many others represented

Languages: English, but you'll hear many foreign languages

Telephone Codes: 202, area code for Washington, D.C.; 703, Virginia suburbs; 301, Maryland suburbs; many cell phones have a 571 area code

Time Zone:: Eastern Standard Time, 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-5 GMT)

Destination:

Washington D.C.


Basics

topWhen to Go

Springtime in D.C. means one thing: cherry blossoms. When the city's nearly 3,000 Japanese Cherry Trees bloom in early April, the streets come alive with gorgeous shades of white, red and pink. The weather is wonderful in the spring and this is the busiest time of year for the tourist attractions.

During the summer months, D.C. can get hot, humid and uncomfortable, with late afternoon (at times violent) thunder and lightening storms. Late July and most of August are a good time to stay indoors in the air conditioning.

Fall may be the best season of the year. The most vibrant red, orange and yellow leaves appear on D.C.'s trees in mid to late October. Rainy days are scarce from September to November, and the days are still long enough to enjoy several hours of this warm, golden season, making fall a great time to enjoy lots of outdoor recreation.

In the winter, the D.C. area gets an occasional snowstorm. The temperatures often hover just above freezing in the winter, so the city can get lots of rain or freezing rain during the colder months.

topWeather & Temperature

Washington D.C.
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Average High Temperature °F 45 48 57 66 77 85 89 87 81 70 59 48
°C 7 9 14 20 25 29 32 31 27 21 15  9
Average Low Temperature °F 29 30 37 47 50 65 70 69 62 50 41 32
°C -2 -1 3 8 10 18 21 21 17 10 5 0
Average Precipitation in 3.7 2.5 3.7 3.2 4.2 3.6 4.2 3.5 3.9 3.6 3.2 3.2
cm 9.4 6.4 9.4 8.1 10.7 9.1 10.7 8.9 9.9 9.1 8.1 8.1

topTime Difference

Washington D.C. is in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT).