Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, are distinguished by their history, culture, architecture, demographics, and geography. The names of 131 neighborhoods are unofficially defined by the D.C. Office of Planning.[1] Neighborhoods can be defined by the boundaries of wards, historic districts, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, civic associations, and business improvement districts (BIDs); these boundaries will overlap. The eight wards each elect a member to the Council of the District of Columbia and are redistricted every ten years.
As the nation's capital Washington, D.C.'s local neighborhood history and culture is often presented as distinct from that of the national government.