Claim: Barack Obama lives in a city.

Washington , D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as `` Washington '' , `` the District '' , or simply `` D.C. '' , is the capital of the United States .   The signing of the Residence Act on July 16 , 1790 , approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country 's East Coast . The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state . The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district , which included the pre-existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria . Named in honor of President George Washington , the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital . In 1846 , Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia ; in 1871 , it created a single municipal government for the remaining portion of the District .   Washington had an estimated population of 681,170 as of July 2016 . Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city 's population to more than one million during the workweek . The Washington metropolitan area , of which the District is a part , has a population of over 6 million , the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country .   The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District , including the Congress , President , and Supreme Court . Washington is home to many national monuments and museums , which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall . The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organizations , trade unions , non-profit organizations , lobbying groups , and professional associations .   A locally elected mayor and a 13‑member council have governed the District since 1973 . However , the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws . D.C. residents elect a non-voting , at-large congressional delegate to the House of Representatives , but the District has no representation in the Senate . The District receives three electoral votes in presidential elections as permitted by the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution , ratified in 1961 .