Washington vs Washington DC: Difference and Comparison

Washington State and Washington DC are confused with one another; however, the two places are different in every aspect.

Washington is a state on the western coast of the United States, and Washington DC is the capital of the USA situated on the eastern coast.

Key Takeaways

1. Washington is a state located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States; Washington DC, or the District of Columbia, is the capital city of the United States, established as a separate federal district.
2. Washington state is known for its diverse landscape, including forests, mountains, and coastline; Washington, DC, houses the federal government, national monuments, and museums.
3. The two entities are geographically distant, with Washington state on the West Coast and Washington DC on the East Coast.

Washington vs. Washington DC

Washington D.C. is the United States capital city, established in 1790 as a federal district governed by Congress. Washington is a state located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, known for its diverse geography. It is the 18th largest state in terms of land area and the 13th most populous.

Washington is a state of the United States of America situated on the western coast along the Pacific region.

The Canadian Province of British Columbia surrounds it on the north, Oregon on the south, and Idaho on the east. It is a state of Industrial and Manufacturing importance.

Washington DC is the capital of the United States of America and is located on the eastern coast on the bank of the Potomac River.

Montgomery County of Maryland surrounds it on the northwest, Prince George’s County on the east, and Arlington County and Alexandria County of Virginia on the west and south, respectively. Washington, DC, has administrative importance.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Washington	Washington DC
Meaning	Washington is a state in the United States.	Washington, DC, is the capital state of the United States of America; DC here stands for the District of Columbia.
Location	Washington state of the United States is located in the North-Western Pacific region of the United States; it is surrounded by the Canadian Province of British Columbia on the north on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, Oregon on the south, and Idaho on the east.	Washington, DC, lies on the coast of the Potomac River on the eastern coast of the United States. It is surrounded by Montgomery County, Maryland, on the northwestern side, Prince George’s County on the east, Arlington County, Virginia, on the west, and Alexandria, Virginia, on the south.
Time Zone	Washington state of the United States lies in the Pacific Time Zone, UTC -8.	Washington, DC, lies in the eastern time zone, UTC-5.
Total Area	Washington state of the United States has a total area of 184,827 km sq.	Washington, DC, has a total area of 177 km sq.
Importance	Washington has an Industrial significance; it is a leading lumber producer and the largest producer of pears, apples, red raspberries, sweet cherries, etc. It is a manufacturing hub for missiles, aircraft, shipbuilding, and automotive and transportation equipment. The state is also a designing and producing place for computer software.	Being the Capital city, it has administrative importance. It is a leading hub of financial activities, education, public policies, scientific research, etc. It is a prominent place to establish large firms, nonprofit organizations, and trade unions. Washington, DC, also has a large tourism industry. It is the headquarters of around 200 international organizations and foreign embassies.

What is Washington?

Washington is a state of the United States, named after George Washington, the first president of the USA.

It is also called the state of Washington or Washington State to avoid confusion. It ranks 18th on the list in terms of area in the USA.

When it comes to industrial importance, Washington plays a crucial role.

It is the leading producer of lumber, apricots, grapes, asparagus, potatoes, lentils, etc., and is the largest producer of pears, apples, hops, red raspberries, sweet cherries, and spearmint oil.

The place is a manufacturing hub for missiles and aircraft, shipbuilding, transportation equipment, metal products, etc.

Washington became the 42nd state of the United States of America after separation from Oregon territory in 1889. It is one of the most populous states in America.

Studies of the archeological evidence show that the history of Washington dates back to 13,000 years, around 9000 BCE.

What is Washington, DC?

Washington, DC is the capital of the United States of America; the DC in the name is short for District of Columbia. It is not a part of any of the fifty states of America. After the signing of the Residence Act, it became a capital district. 

The capital city has administrative importance. It is the headquarters of around 200 international organizations and foreign embassies.

It is a prominent place for establishing large firms, NGOs, trade unions, etc. Washington, DC, also receives a great amount of tourism.

It was in 1790 that the Congress of the USA passed the act to make the city the capital of the United States of America. The place was not under the influence of the states, and it became the reason to make it a capital city.

Main Differences Between Washington and Washington DC

1. Washington is a state of the United States of America, while Washington, DC, is the capital city of the United States of America.
2. Olympia is the capital of Washington state, while Washington DC is itself a capital city but does not belong to any state.
3. Washington State is located on the western coast of the United States along the Pacific region. In contrast, Washington, DC, is located on the eastern coast of the United States of America.
4. Washington State is a part of the Pacific Time Zone, UTC -8, while Washington DC is a part of the Eastern time zone, UTC -5. 
5. Washington is a large state with a total area of about 184,827 km sq while Washington DC has an area of about 177 km sq.
6. As per the census of 2014, Washington State has a population of 7,061,530, while Washington, DC, has a population of 9,443,180.
7. The climate of Washington varies from west to east; in the western region, the oceanic climate predominates, and in the eastern region, a semi-arid climate prevails, while Washington DC lies in the subtropical climate region having four different seasons.

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023