#1 "Flapper Goloshes" For The Pup, Peter Pan, Wire-Haired Terrier Pet Of The Personal Secretary To President Coolidge And Mrs. Edward T. Clark, Arrived At The White House, 1928
#2 Charlie Becker, Midget Trainer With Singer's Midgets, Walked The Smallest Elephant Of His Troupe To Merchants Bank, And Made A Deposit For Keith's Theatre. The Elephant Delivered The Money Satchel Directly To The Receiving Teller, Washington, D.C., 1924
The District of Columbia is an incredibly popular tourist destination. According to Axios, more than 27 million people visited Washington, D.C., in 2024.
That’s a whopping 1.25 million tourists more than in 2023, when the previous record was set. The vast majority of tourists (25 million) were domestic travelers.
#4 Horse Jumping Through Group Of Men, Washington, D.C., 1930
#5 "Flat Spare Tires Are Numerous Around Washington These Days Due To The Youthful Football Players Who Have Found An Easier Way To Inflate The Pigskin Than Using Their Lungs. 'Billy' Friel Shown Inflating His Football.", Washington, D.C., 1924
#6 Pres. Hoover's Dogs, White House, Washington, D.C., 1929
Meanwhile, ‘just’ 2.2 million of the tourists in D.C. were international travelers. In 2024, all the combined visitors spent a jaw-dropping $11.4 billion and generated $2.3 billion in tax revenue.
This saved each District of Columbia household to the tune of $3,608 in taxes. However, the tourism sector isn’t looking all that rosy now, despite the previously solid numbers.
#7 Person In A Snow Pile, Washington, D.C., Between 1915 And 1923
#8 Warren Harding And Native Americans At White House, Washington, D.C., 1921
Axios warns that “there will likely be a 6.5% drop in international travelers to D.C. this year,” based on the forecast in a release by Destination D.C.. This is part of a wider trend. Furthermore, it’s predicted that there will be a 9.4% drop in foreign tourist arrivals to the United States in 2025.
#10 Washington Cat Show Opens At Wardman Park Hotel, 1920
#11 "Tige" The White House Cat And Pet Of Mrs. Coolidge Has Been Returned, 1924
#12 African American Boy Selling The Washington Daily News - Sign On His Hat Reads, "Have You Read The News? One Cent" - Headline Reads "Millionaire Tax Rends G.o.p.", 1921
This drop in foreign arrivals could potentially have a direct effect on the economic situation of the city. That’s because visitors from abroad often spend more time in their destination cities than domestic travelers, and spend twice as much money.
In 2024, international travelers made up just 8% of Washington, D.C.’s visits… and yet, they were responsible for 27% of the total spending.
#13 Picketers At White House With Sign- "4 Years Since I Saw My Daddy.", Washington, D.C., 1922
#14 Union Station, Washington, D.C., Between 1921 And 1922
As per data from 2023, there are around 679k people living in the District of Columbia. However, the population of the city soars to over a million during the workweek, as employees commute in from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
Meanwhile, the Washington metropolitan area, encompassing parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, has a population of around 6.3 million people.
Washington, D.C., is formally known as the District of Columbia. It’s the capital city and federal district of the United States of America, and was named after the very first president of the nation—George Washington. Meanwhile, the district itself is named after the female personification of the nation—Columbia.
#19 Union Station, Washington, D.C, Dining Room, Between 1921 And 1922
