National Mall
The National Mall is a landscaped park near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. This is a site of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Around it, White House (0.9 mi) comes first on our list.
A national park site inside Washington
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 120K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 97% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
You can stay in Washington
National Mall is inside Washington, which has 247 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Baltimore
Baltimore is about 36 miles northeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1791
National Mall dates from 1791 and is run by National Mall and Memorial Parks. About ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct
April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 67–80°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The year’s weather
Every month near National Mall is set out below.
National Mall
The National Mall is a landscaped park near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institution, art galleries, cultural institutions, and memorials, sculptures, and statues. It is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) of the United States Department of the Interior as part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit of the National Park System. Additionally, funding to restore, enrich, and preserve the National Mall is also provided by The Trust for the National Mall, a nonpartisan, privately funded non-profit philanthropic partner of the National Park Service. The park receives approximately 24 million visitors each year.
- Type
- National park site
- Established
- 1791
- Elevation
- 20 ft
- Run by
- National Mall and Memorial Parks
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966) · District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (1964)
- Wikipedia readers
- 120K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/mall
Staying near National Mall
For a bed close by, look to Washington (247) and Arlington (58).
- 1White House
- 2Washington Monument
- 3Smithsonian Institution
- 4United States Triumphal Arch
- 5Arlington National Cemetery
- 6Lincoln Memorial
- 7Ford's Theatre
- 8National Air and Space Museum
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From National Mall | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | in town | — | 247 201 hotels · 2 motels · 24 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 12 hostels · 2 campgrounds | 693,645 | $737K | D− |
| Arlington | 4 mi west | 5 min | 58 54 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 236,254 | $895K | — |
| Alexandria | 6 mi southwest | 10 min | 44 41 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 160,662 | $735K | C |
| Bethesda | 9 mi northwest | 15 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 69,397 | $1,170K | — |
| Tysons | 11 mi west | 15 min | 25 25 hotels | 28,936 | $640K | — |
| College Park | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 17 16 hotels · 1 motel | 35,418 | $438K | — |
| National Harbor | 7 mi south | 10 min | 10 9 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 4,454 | $473K | — |
| Lake Arbor | 10 mi east | 15 min | 13 13 hotels | 14,335 | $461K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Places to add to National Mall
The best known nearby are within 3 miles.
Big draw1in town National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw2in town National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw3in town MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw42 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw53 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw6in town National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year
Big draw7in town National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a year
Big draw8in town MuseumNational Air and Space Museum6.9M visitors a yearPhoto credits
White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain · Ford's Theatre National Historic Site: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Air and Space Museum: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0
National Mall in questions
Is National Mall in Washington?
Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.
When is the best time to visit National Mall?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.
How far is National Mall from Baltimore?
About 36 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to National Mall?
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 3 miles away.
Where should I stay near National Mall?
Washington (in town, 247 places to stay), Arlington (4 mi, 58 places to stay) and Alexandria (6 mi, 44 places to stay).
Ask people in Washington
Start the conversation in Washington’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.