Washington metropolitan area - wikipedia Washington metropolitan area This article is about the metropolitan area encompassing the capital of the United States. For other uses, see Washington metropolitan area ( disambiguation ). Washington metropolitan area ( Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria ) Metropolitan statistical area Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia ; Rosslyn in Arlington, Virginia ; National Mall in Washington, D.C. Nickname ( s ) : DMV ( D.C., Maryland, Virginia ) Calvert Charles Frederick Montgomery Prince George 's Alexandria Arlington Clarke Fairfax Fairfax County Falls Church Fauquier Loudoun Manassas Manassas Park Prince William Spotsylvania Stafford Fredericksburg Warren Washington Jefferson Country United States of America U.S. state / federal district District of Columbia Virginia Maryland West Virginia Principal municipalities Washington, Arlington, Alexandria Area ( 2010 ) Urban 1,407.0 sq mi ( 3,644.2 km ) Metro 5,564.6 sq mi ( 14,412 km ) Elevation 0 -- 2,350 ft ( 0 -- 716 m ) Population ( 2014 ) Metropolitan statistical area 6,131,977 ( 6th ) Density 1,084 / sq mi ( 418.7 / km ) Urban 4,586,770 ( 8th ) CSA 9,546,579 ( 4th ) MSA = 2014, CSA = 2014, Urban & Densities = 2010 Time zone ET ( UTC - 5 ) Summer ( DST ) EST ( UTC - 4 ) The Washington metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia, along with a small portion of West Virginia. While not a part of the Washington metropolitan area, St. Mary 's County is part of the Baltimore -- Washington metropolitan area. The Washington metropolitan area is one of the most educated and most affluent metropolitan areas in the United States. The metro area anchors the southern end of the densely populated Northeast megalopolis, with an estimated total population of 6,131,977 as of the 2016 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, making it the sixth - largest metropolitan area in the country and largest metropolitan area in the Census Bureau 's Southeast region. Contents 1 Nomenclature 2 Composition 2.1 Political subdivisions 2.1. 1 District of Columbia 2.1. 2 Maryland 2.1. 3 Virginia 2.1. 4 West Virginia 3 Regional organizations 3.1 Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 4 Principal cities 5 Demographics 5.1 Politics 5.2 Racial composition 5.3 Social indicators 6 Economy 6.1 Real estate and housing market 6.2 Net worth, wealth disparities, and business ownership 6.3 Primary industries 6.4 Largest companies 6.5 History 7 Transportation 7.1 Major airports 7.2 Rail transit systems 7.3 Bus transit systems 7.4 Major roads 7.5 Bicycle sharing 8 Culture 8.1 Sports teams 8.2 Media 9 Area codes 10 Sister cities 11 See also 12 References 13 External links Nomenclature The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the area as the Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV metropolitan statistical area, a metropolitan statistical area used for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau and other agencies. The region 's three largest cities are the federal territory of Washington, D.C., the county ( and census - designated place ) of Arlington, and the independent city of Alexandria. The Office of Management and Budget also includes the metropolitan statistical area as part of the larger Baltimore -- Washington metropolitan area, which has a population of 9,546,579 as of the 2014 Census Estimate. The area is also sometimes referred to as the National Capital Region, particularly by federal agencies such as the military Department of Homeland Security. Another term used to describe the region is the D.C. Area. The area in the region that is surrounded by Interstate 495 is also referred to as being `` inside the Beltway ''. The city of Washington, which is at the center of the area, is referred to as `` the District '' because it is the federal District of Columbia, and is not part of any state. The Virginian portion of the region is known as Northern Virginia. Composition Satellite photo of the Washington metropolitan area Map highlighting labor patterns of regional counties Washington, D.C. metropolitan area map The U.S. Census Bureau divides the Washington statistical metropolitan area into two metropolitan divisions : Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV Metropolitan Division, comprising the majority of the metropolitan area Silver Spring -- Frederick -- Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division, consisting of Montgomery and Frederick counties Political subdivisions The area includes the following counties, districts, and independent cities : District of Columbia Washington Maryland Calvert County Charles County Frederick County Montgomery County Prince George 's County Virginia Alexandria Arlington County Clarke County Culpeper County Fairfax County Fairfax Falls Church Fauquier County Fredericksburg Loudoun County Manassas Manassas Park Prince William County Rappahannock County Spotsylvania County Stafford County Warren County West Virginia Jefferson County Historical populations - Washington Metropolitan Area Census Pop. % ± 1950 1,464,089 -- 1960 2,001,897 36.7 % 1970 2,861,123 42.9 % 1980 3,060,922 7.0 % 3,923,574 28.2 % 2000 4,923,153 25.5 % 5,636,232 14.5 % U.S. Decennial Census 2011 estimate Regional organizations Metropolitan Washington Council of governments Founded in 1957, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments ( MWCOG ) is a regional organization of 21 Washington - area local governments, as well as area members of the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. MWCOG provides a forum for discussion and the development of regional responses to issues regarding the environment, transportation, public safety, homeland security, affordable housing, community planning, and economic development. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a component of MWCOG, is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the metropolitan Washington area. Principal cities View of downtown Washington, with the skylines of Arlington and Tysons Corner in the distance. The metropolitan area includes the following principal cities ( not all of which are incorporated as cities ; one, Arlington, is actually a county, and another, Bethesda, is not a city, simply a census - designated unincorporated area. Washington, D.C. Arlington, Virginia Alexandria, Virginia Bethesda, Maryland Frederick, Maryland Gaithersburg, Maryland Reston, Virginia Rockville, Maryland Silver Spring, Maryland Demographics Presidential election results Year DEM GOP Others 2016 69.0 % 1,860,678 25.7 % 692,743 5.4 % 145,269 2012 67.5 % 1,813,963 30.9 % 829,567 1.7 % 44,708 2008 68.0 % 1,603,902 31.0 % 728,916 1.0 % 25,288 61.0 % 1,258,743 38.0 % 785,144 1.4 % 19,735 2000 58.5 % 1,023,089 37.9 % 663,590 3.6 % 62,437 57.0 % 861,881 37.0 % 558,830 6.0 % 89,259 53.0 % 859,889 34.1 % 553.369 12.9 % 209,651 50.4 % 684,453 48.6 % 659,344 1.0 % 14,219 1984 51.0 % 653,568 48.5 % 621,377 0.4 % 5,656 1980 44.7 % 484,590 44.6 % 482,506 11.1 % 115,797 1976 54.2 % 590,481 44.9 % 488,995 1.0 % 10,654 1972 44.2 % 431,257 54.8 % 534,235 1.1 % 10,825 1968 49.4 % 414,345 39.1 % 327,662 11.5 % 96,701 1964 69.8 % 495,490 30.2 % 214,293 0.1 % 462 1960 52.5 % 204,614 47.3 % 184,499 0.1 % 593 The southern portion of the Capital Beltway along the Potomac River, featuring portions of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Old Town Alexandria, Joint Base Anacostia - Bolling, and National Harbor, Maryland are visible. Politics The relative strength of the major political parties within the region is shown by the presidential election results since 1960, as presented in the adjacent table. Racial composition The area has been a magnet for international immigration since the late 1960s. It is also a magnet for internal migration ( persons moving from one region of the U.S. to another ). Racial composition of the Washington, D.C. area : 2011 American Community Survey Non-Hispanic White : 48.2 % Black or African American : 25.3 % Hispanic or Latino : 14.1 % Asian : 9.3 % Mixed and Other : 3.1 % 2010 U.S. Census White : 54.8 % Black : 25.8 % Asian : 9.3 % Hispanic : 13.8 % ( 4.1 % Salvadoran, 2.1 % Mexican, 1.1 % Colombian, 0.9 % Guatemalan, 0.9 % Puerto Rican, 0.8 % Peruvian, 0.7 % Honduran, 0.7 % Bolivian ) Mixed and Other : 3.7 % 2006 White : 51.7 % Black : 26.3 % Asian : 8.4 % Hispanic : 11.6 % Mixed and Other : 2.0 % 1980 White : 67.8 % Black : 26.0 % Asian : 2.5 % Hispanic : 2.8 % Mixed and Other : 0.9 % Social indicators The Washington metropolitan area has ranked as the highest - educated metropolitan area in the nation for four decades. As of the 2006 -- 2008 American Community Survey, the three most educated places with 200,000 people or more in Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria by bachelor 's degree attainment ( population 25 and over ) are Arlington, Virginia ( 68.0 % ), Fairfax County, Virginia ( 58.8 % ), and Montgomery County, Maryland ( 56.4 % ). Forbes magazine stated in its 2008 `` America 's Best - And Worst - Educated Cities '' report : `` The D.C. area is less than half the size of L.A., but both cities have around 100,000 Ph. D. 's. '' The Washington, D.C. metro area has held the top spot in the American College of Sports Medicine 's annual American Fitness Index ranking of the United States ' 50 most populous metropolitan areas for two years running. The report cites, among other things, the high average fitness level and healthy eating habits of residents, the widespread availability of health care and facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and parks, low rates of obesity and tobacco use relative to the national average, and the high median household income as contributors to the city 's community health. The average household income within a 5 - mile ( 8 km ) radius of Tysons Corner Center is $174,809. In the 21st century, the Washington metropolitan area has overtaken the San Francisco Bay Area as the highest - income metropolitan area in the nation. The median household income of the region is US $72,800. The two highest median household income counties in the nation -- Loudoun and Fairfax County, Virginia -- are components of the MSA ( and # 3 is Howard County, officially in Baltimore 's sphere but strongly connected with Washington 's ) ; measured in this way, Alexandria ranks 10th among municipalities in the region -- 11th if Howard is included -- and 23rd in the entire United States. 12.2 % of Northern Virginia 's 881,136 households, 8.5 % of suburban Maryland 's 799,300 households, and 8.2 % of Washington 's 249,805 households have an annual income in excess of $200,000, compared to 3.7 % nationally. According to a report by the American Human Development Project, women in the Washington metropolitan area are ranked as having the highest income and educational attainment among the 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation, while Asian American women in the region had the highest life expectancy, at 92.3 years. Economy Rosslyn is home to the tallest high - rises in the region, partly due to the District 's height restrictions. As a result, many of the region 's tallest buildings are outside the city proper. The Washington, D.C. area has the largest science and engineering work force of any metropolitan area in the nation in 2006 according to the Greater Washington Initiative at 324,530, ahead of the combined San Francisco Bay Area work force of 214,500, and Chicago metropolitan area at 203,090, citing data from U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Claritas Inc., and other sources. The Washington, D.C. area was ranked as the second best High - Tech Center in a statistical analysis of the top 100 Metropolitan areas in the United States by American City Business Journals in May 2009, behind the Silicon Valley and ahead of the Boston metropolitan area. Fueling the metropolitan area 's ranking was the reported 241,264 tech jobs in the region, a total eclipsed only by New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the highest master 's or doctoral degree attainment among the 100 ranked metropolitan areas. A Dice.com report showed that the Washington -- Baltimore area had the second - highest number of tech jobs listed : 8,289, after the New York metro area with 9,195 jobs. Real estate and housing market Changes in house prices for the D.C. area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case -- Shiller index ; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor 's and is also a component of S&P 's 10 - city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market. McLean ZIP code 22102 had the highest median home prices among ZIP codes within the Washington metropolitan area as of 2013. Net worth, wealth disparities, and Business ownership The economy of the Washington metropolitan region is characterized by significant wealth disparities, which were heightened by the Great Recession and the 2007 -- 09 housing crisis, which adversely affected black and Hispanic households more than other households. A 2016 Urban Institute report found that the median net worth ( i.e., assets minus debt ) for white households in the D.C. region was $284,000, while the median net worth for Hispanic / Latino households was $13,000, and for African American households as $3,500. Asian Americans had the highest median net worth in the Washington area ( $220,000 for Chinese American households, $430,000 for Vietnamese American households, $496,000 for Korean American households, and $573,000 for Indian American households ). Although the median net worth for white D.C. - area households was 81 times that of black D.C. - area households, the two groups had comparable rates of business ownership ( about 9 % ). The Urban Institute report suggests that this `` may be driven by the presence of a large federal government and a local district government whose membership and constituents have been largely Black, coupled with government policies designed to increase contracting opportunities for minority - owned businesses. '' Primary industries NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda. See also : List of federal installations in Maryland and List of federal agencies in Northern Virginia Biotechnology The Washington metropolitan area has a significant biotechnology industry ; companies with a major presence in the region as of 2011 include Merck, Pfizer, Human Genome Sciences, Martek Biosciences, MedImmune and Qiagen. Defense contracting Many defense contractors are based in the region to be close to the Pentagon in Arlington. Local defense contractors include Lockheed Martin, the largest, as well as Raytheon, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Northrup Grumman, Computer Sciences Corporation ( CSC ), Science Applications International Corporation ( SAIC ), CACI, and Orbital Sciences Corporation. Tourism Tourism is a significant industry in the Washington metropolitan region. In 2015, more than 74,000 tourism - sector jobs existed in the District of Columbia, a record - setting 19.3 million domestic tourists visited the city, and domestic and international tourists combined spent $7.1 billion. The convention industry is also significant ; in 2016, D.C. hosted fifteen `` city - wide conventions '' with an estimated total economic impact of $277.9 million. Tourism is also significant outside the District of Columbia ; in 2015, a record - setting $3.06 billion in tourism spending was reported in Arlington, Virginia, and $2.9 million in Fairfax County, Virginia. A 2016 National Park Service report estimated that there were 56 million visitors to national parks in the National Capital Region, sustaining 16,917 and generating close to $1.6 billion in economy impact. Largest companies See also : List of companies headquartered in Northern Virginia 1812 N Moore in Arlington, currently the tallest office building in the region and home to the U.S. operations of Nestlé. Largest public companies ( Fortune 500 2016 ) Company Industry Headquarters National rank AES Corporation Energy Arlington, Virginia 190 Booz Allen Hamilton Defense McLean, Virginia 487 Capital One Finance McLean, Virginia 112 Computer Sciences Corporation Defense Falls Church, Virginia 233 Danaher Corporation Conglomerate Washington, D.C. 133 Discovery Communications Mass Media Silver Spring, Maryland 406 Fannie Mae Finance Washington, D.C. 16 Freddie Mac Finance McLean, Virginia 43 General Dynamics Defense Falls Church, Virginia 88 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. Hospitality McLean, Virginia 254 Host Hotels and Resorts Hospitality Bethesda, Maryland 472 Lockheed Martin Defense Bethesda, Maryland 60 Marriott International Hospitality Bethesda, Maryland 195 Northrop Grumman Defense Falls Church, Virginia 118 NVR, Inc. Construction Reston, Virginia 498 Largest private companies ( Forbes America 's Largest Private Companies 2016 ) Company Industry Headquarters National rank BrightView Landscaping Rockville, Maryland 220 Carahsoft Defense Reston, Virginia 161 Clark Construction Construction Bethesda, Maryland 102 Mars, Incorporated Food processing McLean, Virginia 7 History NGA headquarters in Fort Belvoir. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( January 2013 ) The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure resulted in a significant shuffling of military, civilian, and defense contractor employees in the Washington D.C. area. The largest individual site impacts of the time are as follows : Fort Belvoir gained 11,858 employees, primarily as a result of the relocation of the National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency ( NGA ) into a massive new headquarters within the fort. Fort Meade gained 5,361 employees, primarily as a result of the expansion of the National Security Agency. Walter Reed Army Medical Center lost 5,630 employees as part of its realignment. It was later closed and consolidated into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. BRAC 2005 was the largest infrastructure expansion by the Army Corps of Engineers since World War II, resulting in the Mark Center, tallest building they have ever constructed, as well as National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency Campus East, which at 2.4 million square feet is the largest building the Corps have constructed since the Pentagon. Transportation Main article : Transportation in Washington, D.C. Washington Dulles International Airport The Metro Center station on the Washington Metro ' WMATA ' - indicated systems are run by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and always accept Washington Metro fare cards, others may or may not. Major airports Washington Dulles International Airport ( IAD ), located in Dulles, Virginia -- the busiest in the region Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ( DCA ), located in Arlington County, Virginia -- the closest to Washington Baltimore -- Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport ( BWI ), located in Linthicum, Maryland -- in the Baltimore metropolitan area Rail transit systems Washington Metro -- DC, MD, VA ( rapid transit ) ( WMATA ) MARC Train -- DC, MD, WV ( commuter rail ) Virginia Railway Express -- DC, VA ( commuter rail ) Amtrak -- US ( commuter rail, inter-city rail ) Bus transit systems DC Circulator -- Washington, D.C. ( DDoT, WMATA ) Metrobus -- Washington metropolitan area ( WMATA ) Metroway -- Arlington County, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia ( bus rapid transit ) ( WMATA ) Ride On -- Montgomery County, Maryland TheBus -- Prince George 's County, Maryland ART -- Arlington County, Virginia DASH -- Alexandria, Virginia Fairfax Connector -- Fairfax County, Virginia CUE Bus -- Fairfax, Virginia Loudoun County Transit -- Loudoun County, Virginia PRTC -- Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park TransIT -- Frederick County, Maryland Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland -- Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George 's County, Laurel, Maryland Maryland Transit Administration -- Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland, Prince George 's County, Frederick County, Maryland, Charles County, Maryland, Calvert County, Maryland, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Saint Mary 's County, Maryland Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority -- Jefferson County, West Virginia, Berkeley County, West Virginia Virginia Regional Transit -- Loudoun County, Virginia, Fauquier County, Virginia, Warren County, Virginia Fredericksburg Regional Transit -- Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County and Stafford County Major roads Capital Beltway -- Maryland and Virginia Bicycle sharing Capital Bikeshare -- Washington, D.C., Arlington, Virginia, Alexandria, Virginia, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland Culture Sports teams Further information : Sports in Washington, D.C. Listing of the professional sports teams in the Washington metropolitan area : National Basketball Association ( NBA ) Washington Wizards Major League Baseball ( MLB ) Washington Nationals National Football League ( NFL ) Washington Redskins National Hockey League ( NHL ) Washington Capitals Major League Soccer ( MLS ) D.C. United Women 's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ) Washington Mystics Atlantic League of Professional Baseball ( ALPB ) Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Arena Football League ( AFL ) Washington Valor National Women 's Soccer League ( NWSL ) Washington Spirit Media Main article : Media in Washington, D.C. The Washington metropolitan area is home to USA Today, C - SPAN, PBS, NPR, POLITICO, BET, TV One and Discovery Communications. The two main newspapers are The Washington Post and The Washington Times. Local television channels include WRC - TV 4 ( NBC ), WTTG 5 ( FOX ), WJLA 7 ( ABC ), WUSA 9 ( CBS ), WDCA 20 ( MyNetworkTV ), WETA - TV 26 ( PBS ), WDCW 50 ( CW ), and WPXW 66 ( Ion ). NewsChannel 8 is a 24 / 7 local news provider available only to cable subscribers. Radio stations serving the area include : WETA - FM, WIHT, WMAL - AM, and WTOP. Area codes 202 -- Washington, D.C. 571 / 703 -- Northern Virginia including the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church as well as Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties ( 571 created 1 March 2000 ; 703 in October 1947 ). 240 / 301 -- portions of Maryland in the Greater Washington, D.C. metro area, southern Maryland, and western Maryland 540 -- Fredericksburg / Spotsylvania / Warrenton 304 -- Jefferson County, West Virginia Sister cities City Country Year Washington, D.C. Bangkok Thailand 1962, renewed 2002 Dakar Senegal 1980, renewed 2006 Beijing China 1984, renewed 2004 Brussels Belgium 1985, renewed 2012 Athens Greece 2000 Paris France 2000, renewed 2005 Pretoria South Africa 2002, renewed 2008 Seoul South Korea 2006 Accra Ghana 2006 Sunderland United Kingdom 2006 Alexandria, Virginia Gyumri Armenia Helsingborg Sweden Dundee United Kingdom Caen France Arlington County, Virginia Aachen Germany Reims France San Miguel El Salvador Coyoacán Mexico Ivano - Frankivsk Ukraine Herndon, Virginia Runnymede United Kingdom Fairfax County, Virginia Harbin China 2009 Songpa - gu South Korea 2009 Falls Church, Virginia Kokolopori Congo District Heights, Maryland Mbuji - Mayi Congo Frederick, Maryland Aquiraz Brazil Moerzheim Germany Schifferstadt Germany La Plata, Maryland Jogeva County Estonia Walldorf Germany Rockville, Maryland Pinneberg Germany Jump up ^ Paris is a `` Partner City '' due to the one Sister City policy of that commune. ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` Historic Alexandria City of Alexandria, VA ''. Oha.alexandriava.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Exploration phase Jump up ^ Town twin ( 2 ) Jump up ^ Rejected by Washington due to not being a national capital. ( 3 ) Jump up ^ `` Sisterhood Partnerships ''. Fairfaxcounty.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2012. See also District of Columbia portal Virginia portal Maryland portal West Virginia portal United States portal List of people from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area List of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in Virginia Potomac primary Northeast megalopolis References Jump up ^ `` After initial obscurity, ' The DMV ' nickname for Washington area picks up speed ''. Washington Post. July 30, 2010. Jump up ^ Yager, Jane ( July 30, 2010 ). `` Nation 's Capitol Now Known as ' the DMV ' ''. Newser. Retrieved March 11, 2016. Jump up ^ ( Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas ) ^ Jump up to : `` Washington area richest, most educated in US : report ''. Washingtonpost.com. June 8, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Four Texas Metro Areas Collectively Add More Than 400,000 People in the Last Year, Census Bureau Reports ''. United States Census Bureau. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2016 - 04 - 17. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2016 - 05 - 10. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 30. Jump up ^ `` National Capital Region -- Office of National Capital Region Coordination ''. Department of Homeland Security. December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas '' ( PDF ). Office of Management and Budget. February 20, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013. Jump up ^ `` About Us ''. MWCOG.org. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` -- Transportation -- TPB ''. Mwcog.org. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` OMB Bulletin No. 13 - 01 : Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas '' ( PDF ). U.S. Office of Management and Budget. February 28, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Metro Magnets for Minorities and Whites : Melting Pots, the New Sunbelt, and the Heartland '' ( PDF ). Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Race Alone and Hispanic or Latino Origin for Counties : April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 ''. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2016. Jump up ^ de Vise, Daniel ( July 15, 2010 ). `` Washington region ranks as the best - educated in the country ''. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` 2006 -- 2008 American Community Survey 3 - Year Estimates ''. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Zumbrun, Joshua ( November 24, 2008 ). `` America 's Best - And Worst - Educated Cities ''. Forbes.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Washington, DC ( Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV MSA ) 2010 AFI Report '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on August 12, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Macerich Tysons Corner Center Market Profile '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2013 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ `` ACS 2005 -- 2007 ''. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Women 'S Well - Being '' ( PDF ). Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Downey, Kirstin ( May 6, 2007 ). `` High - Rises Approved That Would Dwarf D.C ''. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` List of tallest buildings in DC, MD, VA, WV ''. Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` The top 100 tech centers ''. Bizjournals. May 11, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010. Jump up ^ Nathan Eddy ( March 13, 2012 ). `` Tech Jobs Flourish in Silicon Valley, but Other Regions Offer Opportunities : Dice Report ''. Eweek.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Brennan, Morgan. `` America 's Most Expensive Zip Codes In 2013 : The Complete List ''. Forbes. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Perry Stein, Net worth of white households in D.C. region is 81 times that of black households, Washington Post ( November 2, 2016 ). ^ Jump up to : Kilolo Kijakazi et al., The Color of Wealth in the Nation 's Capital, Urban Institute ( October 31, 2016 ). Jump up ^ Renee Winsky & Mark Herzog, Maryland, Virginia biotech industries take center stage in D.C., Washington Business Journal ( June 28, 2011 ). Jump up ^ Censer, Marjorie ( July 30, 2010 ). `` Defense firm Northrop Grumman 's second - quarter profit rose nearly 81 percent ''. The Washington Post. ^ Jump up to : Perry Stein, D.C. breaks tourist record in 2015 with visitors spending $7.1 billion, Washington Post ( May 3, 2016 ). Jump up ^ Ben Nuckols, DC sets record with more than 2 million foreign tourists, Associated Press ( August 24, 2016 ). Jump up ^ Arlington County Sets Tourism Spending Record with $3 Billion, CBS Washington ( September 19, 2016 ). Jump up ^ Tourism at national parks in the Greater Washington area generates almost $1.6 billion in economic benefit ( press release ), National Park Service ( April 21, 2016 ). Jump up ^ `` Fortune 500 ''. Fortune.com. Retrieved June 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` America 's Largest Private Companies ''. Forbes. Retrieved June 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Appendix C BRAC 2005 Closure and Realignment Impacts by State Jump up ^ Justin Matthew Ward ( September 14, 2011 ). `` BRAC 2005 : on time, on budget in Northeast ''. army.mil. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Washington, D.C. area. OMB Bulletin No. 05 - 02 Urban Areas of Virginia May 2006 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates ; Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV Metropolitan Division May 2005 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates ; Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV Metropolitan Division Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV MSA Population and Components of Change Washington -- Arlington -- Alexandria, DC -- VA -- MD -- WV metropolitan area Principal cities Maryland Silver Spring Frederick Rockville Bethesda Gaithersburg Virginia Arlington County Alexandria Reston District of Columbia Washington Counties and county equivalents * Maryland Calvert Charles Frederick Montgomery Prince George 's Virginia Arlington Alexandria city Clarke Culpeper Fairfax Fairfax city Falls Church city Fauquier Loudoun Prince William Manassas city Manassas Park city Rappahannock Spotsylvania Fredericksburg city Stafford Warren Other District of Columbia Jefferson County, West Virginia The District of Columbia itself, and Virginia 's incorporated cities, are county equivalents. Virginia 's incorporated cities are listed under their surrounding county. The incorporated cities bordering more than one county ( Alexandria, Falls Church and Fredericksburg ) are listed under the county they were part of before incorporation as a city. 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Question: what part of maryland is close to washington dc
Answer: Washington metropolitan area; Calvert County; Calvert County