Radius Map of Washington, D.C.

The map above is centered on Washington, D.C., United States, near The White House, with a default 10 mi radius. Drag to move it, search for a different address, or change the radius and unit using the controls.

Washington, D.C. is a deliberately small federal district carved from Maryland and Virginia, surrounded by the I-495 Capital Beltway. The Potomac River cuts the radius in half on the west, and major commuter cities — Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, Silver Spring — all sit just outside the District line. Distances here are measured from the White House (38.898° N, 77.036° W).

Population: District of Columbia
Country: United States
Coordinates: 38.8977, -77.0365
Time zone: America/New_York

The District of Columbia is only 68 square miles and fits inside a 5-mile radius — but the I-495 Capital Beltway, the practical edge of "DC", sits at roughly 10 miles from the White House.

Also known as: D.C., The District, Washington, DMV, The Capital.

What's within each radius from The White House

Real coverage at the most-searched radii, including notable places that fall just outside the circle. Use these as ground truth before relying on a circle for real-estate, retail, or service-area decisions.

3 miles from The White House

A 3-mile radius from the White House covers downtown DC, the National Mall, Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Georgetown, and reaches the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery just across the Potomac.

Inside the circle

✓The National Mall, Capitol Hill
✓Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan
✓Georgetown, U Street, Logan Circle
✓The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery
✓Crystal City, Pentagon City

Just outside

✗Reagan National Airport (~4 mi)
✗Rosslyn-Ballston corridor west of Clarendon (~4 mi)
✗Bethesda, Silver Spring (~6 mi)
✗Alexandria Old Town (~7 mi)
✗Tysons Corner (~12 mi)

5 miles from The White House

A 5-mile radius covers nearly all of the District of Columbia plus inner Arlington, the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, Reagan National Airport, Bethesda's southern edge, and Silver Spring's southern edge.

Inside the circle

✓Most of the District of Columbia
✓Inner Arlington (Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston)
✓Reagan National Airport (DCA)
✓Bethesda and Chevy Chase (southern edges)
✓Silver Spring (southern edge)
✓Alexandria (Old Town northern edge)

Just outside

✗Tysons Corner (~12 mi)
✗Old Town Alexandria centre (~7 mi)
✗Bethesda city centre (~6 mi)
✗Silver Spring centre (~6 mi)
✗Dulles Airport (~26 mi)

10 miles from The White House

A 10-mile radius from the White House reaches the Capital Beltway (I-495) on most arcs — Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, Hyattsville, Alexandria, Falls Church, Arlington in full.

Inside the circle

✓All of the District of Columbia
✓All of Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria
✓Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring
✓College Park, Hyattsville, Takoma Park
✓Most of the area inside I-495 (the Beltway)

Just outside

✗Tysons Corner (~12 mi)
✗Rockville (~15 mi)
✗Reston (~20 mi)
✗Fairfax (~17 mi)
✗Dulles Airport (~26 mi)

25 miles from The White House

A 25-mile radius covers most of the inner DMV — Tysons, Reston, Rockville, Gaithersburg's southern edge, Fairfax, Springfield, Bowie, and Dulles Airport.

Inside the circle

✓Tysons Corner, Reston, Herndon
✓Rockville, Gaithersburg (southern edge)
✓Fairfax, Springfield, Burke
✓Bowie, Greenbelt, Laurel
✓Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Just outside

✗Frederick, MD (~45 mi)
✗Baltimore (~40 mi)
✗Manassas (~30 mi)
✗Annapolis (~30 mi)
✗Leesburg (~32 mi)

50 miles from The White House

A 50-mile radius reaches Baltimore's southern edge, Frederick, Annapolis, Fredericksburg's northern edge, Leesburg, and most of the broader DMV region.

Inside the circle

✓Baltimore (southern edge, just inside)
✓Frederick, Maryland
✓Annapolis
✓Fredericksburg (northern edge)
✓Leesburg, Front Royal's edge
✓Most of the DMV region

Just outside

✗Baltimore city centre (~40 mi but Inner Harbor at ~38)
✗Richmond (~95 mi)
✗Hagerstown (~70 mi)
✗Philadelphia (~140 mi)
✗Charlottesville (~110 mi)

How Washington, D.C. radius maps get used

City-specific scenarios where a radius is the right tool — and the typical radius sizes professionals use.

Inside-the-Beltway housing search

The Capital Beltway (I-495) is roughly 10 miles from the White House on most arcs. A 10-mile radius approximates "inside the Beltway" — the inner DC, Maryland, and Virginia core most associated with DC commuting and politics.

Typical radius: 10 miles for inside the Beltway

Federal-employee commute zone

A 15–20 mile radius from the White House captures the bulk of federal-employee commute origins — Bethesda, Silver Spring, Arlington, Alexandria, Reston, Tysons. The Metro Red, Blue, Orange, and Silver lines are the binding constraint, not raw distance.

Typical radius: 15–20 miles for federal commute

Reagan National vs Dulles airport zone

Reagan National (DCA) sits ~4 miles southwest of the White House — inside even a 5-mile radius. Dulles (IAD) is ~26 miles west — outside a 25-mile radius by a hair. A 25-mile radius covers DCA and IAD together.

Typical radius: 25 miles to include both DCA and IAD

DMV regional retail catchment

The "DMV" (DC, Maryland, Virginia urbanized areas) covers roughly 6.3 million people. A 50-mile radius from the White House captures most of this, plus reaches Baltimore's southern edge — useful for regional retail and distribution catchments.

Typical radius: 50 miles for the DMV region

Geographic quirks of Washington, D.C. radius mapping

Local geography and infrastructure that change how a radius behaves here. Skipping these is the most common reason a radius decision goes sideways.

The District is unusually small

Washington, D.C. proper is only 68 square miles — about the size of Brooklyn. A 5-mile radius from the White House covers most of it. The "DC area" people refer to in casual conversation almost always includes inner Maryland and Virginia, not just the District.

The Potomac splits the radius

The Potomac River runs roughly north-south just west of downtown, with limited bridge crossings (Key, Memorial, Roosevelt, 14th Street). A radius "covers" Arlington geographically but the bridge constraint means cross-river commute time is often double the straight-line equivalent.

Beltway = ~10 miles

I-495 (the Capital Beltway) sits at roughly 10 miles from the White House on most points — though it bulges out to 15 miles in some segments. "Inside the Beltway" is the most common shorthand for inner DMV, and a 10-mile radius is a reasonable proxy.

FAQ — Radius mapping in Washington, D.C.

How big is a 10-mile radius in Washington, D.C.?

A 10-mile radius from the White House covers all of the District of Columbia, all of Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and most of the area inside the I-495 Capital Beltway.

What's within 25 miles of Washington, D.C.?

A 25-mile radius covers Tysons Corner, Reston, Rockville, Fairfax, Springfield, Bowie, Greenbelt, and Dulles International Airport. Frederick, Baltimore, and Annapolis are just outside.

Does a 5-mile radius cover Reagan National Airport (DCA)?

Yes. Reagan National sits about 4 miles southwest of the White House, just inside a 5-mile radius. Dulles (IAD) is ~26 miles west, requiring a 25–30 mile radius.

What does "inside the Beltway" mean and how does it map to a radius?

"Inside the Beltway" refers to the area enclosed by I-495, the Capital Beltway. The Beltway sits at roughly 10 miles from the White House on most arcs, so a 10-mile radius is a useful (if imperfect) approximation.

How far is Baltimore from Washington, D.C.?

Inner Harbor in Baltimore is about 38 miles north of the White House — just inside a 50-mile radius but well outside a 25-mile one. Drive time is typically 50–80 minutes on I-95 or the BW Parkway depending on traffic.

Why is the DC area called the DMV?

"DMV" stands for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia — the three jurisdictions that make up the Washington metropolitan area. The District is small, so most of the metro's population, jobs, and infrastructure spill into Maryland and Virginia. A 25-mile radius from the White House captures the urbanized core of all three.