Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Capital Outside Any State

Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) is the federal capital of the United States. It is not part of any state; rather, it is a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. The city hosts the centers of all three branches of the federal government—the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court—making it the administrative heart that binds the 50 states together.