Quick facts
Washington overview
Washington (orange) and the other large cities of United States
Washington lies in District of Columbia in United States at 38.9°N, 77.04°W, about 7 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/New_York (UTC-4); GeoNames classifies it as a national capital.
It is smaller than Denver (729,019) and larger than Nashville (689,447). The largest city in United States is New York City with 8,804,190 people.
The nearest large city is Arlington, about 6 km away, followed by Alexandria (10 km).
United States as a whole has a live population of 349,544,454 (+0.5% a year) and ranks #3 of 238 countries — see the United States population page for the full statistics and the United States atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Washington
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington Virginia | 6 km | 207,627 |
| Alexandria Virginia | 10 km | 159,467 |
| Baltimore Maryland | 57 km | 585,708 |
| Richmond Virginia | 154 km | 226,610 |
| Philadelphia Pennsylvania | 199 km | 1,573,916 |
Largest cities in United States
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | New York | 8,804,190 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California | 3,820,914 |
| 3 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,664,452 |
| 4 | Houston | Texas | 2,314,157 |
| 5 | Phoenix | Arizona | 1,650,070 |
| 6 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,573,916 |
| 7 | San Antonio | Texas | 1,526,656 |
| 8 | San Diego | California | 1,404,452 |
| 9 | Dallas | Texas | 1,326,087 |
| 10 | Jacksonville | Florida | 1,009,833 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Washington?
Washington has about 689,545 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Washington the capital of United States?
Yes — Washington is the national capital of United States.
How big is Washington compared with the rest of United States?
Its 689,545 residents are 0.2% of the 349,544,454 people living in United States today. New York City is larger with 8,804,190 people.
Where is Washington?
In District of Columbia, United States, at latitude 38.9 and longitude -77.04, 7 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Arlington (6 km), Alexandria (10 km), Baltimore (57 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Washington Population 2026 — United States. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/united-states/washington/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/united-states/washington/">Washington Population 2026 — United States</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.