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Washington D.C.

#60 largest metro areaNorth America

In United States

Metro population
6,385,000
0.077% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+0.75%
About 131 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
1,148/km²
5,564 km² metro area
City proper
—
Within the administrative boundary

About Washington D.C.

The Washington D.C. metropolitan area has a population of 6,385,000 and is growing at 0.8% annually. With a density of 1,148 people per km², the region supports a substantial urban concentration across its territory. The slow growth rate reflects modest population change relative to the size of the metropolitan area.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
United States
Continent
North America
World rank
#60 of 140
Share of country
1.9%

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Washington D.C.6.39M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Washington D.C. compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Washington D.C.6.39M

Population Trend in United States

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

0100M200M300M400M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is United States's national population, not Washington D.C.'s. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
United States population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
1950154,202,680
1960180,274,555
1970207,796,339
1980229,858,655
1990253,373,387
2000281,484,131
2010311,062,790
2020339,436,159
2030355,649,881
2040370,209,316
2050380,846,910
2060388,918,394
2070398,218,088
2080407,079,816
2090414,457,640
2100421,278,889

Other Major Cities in United States

14 more cities in our dataset.

Washington D.C. Population FAQ

What is the population of Washington D.C.?

Washington D.C.'s metropolitan area has about 6,385,000 people, making it the 60th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

Is Washington D.C. growing or shrinking?

Washington D.C. is growing at +0.75% a year.

What share of United States's population lives in Washington D.C.?

Washington D.C.'s metro area holds about 1.9% of United States's total population.

How densely populated is Washington D.C.?

Washington D.C. has roughly 1,148 people per km² across a metro area of about 5,564 km².

Which country is Washington D.C. in?

Washington D.C. is in United States, in North America.

Explore More Cities

All 140 cities →United States country profile →