Museum · Washington · District of Columbia

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States. Footfall in 2021 was 330K. For a second stop, White House is 0.7 mi away.

Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0

Nearest place to stay

0.1 mi

Kimpton Hotel Monaco

Visitors in 2021

330K

Wikidata

Open since

1962

In brief

A museum inside Washington

Places to stay next door

Kimpton Hotel Monaco is 0.1 miles away; Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Center (0.1 mi) and Riggs Washington DC (0.1 mi) are close too. 275 places to stay are within 4 miles. Hotels nearby ↓

A day trip from Baltimore

Baltimore is about 36 miles northeast (straight-line). Hotels nearby ↓

Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct

April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 67–80°. When to go ↓

An airport 3 miles away

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) has airline service, about 3 miles from National Portrait Gallery.

Established in 1962

National Portrait Gallery dates from 1962. About ↓

Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.

When to go

How the seasons run

Each month’s highs and lows around National Portrait Gallery are below.

Jan44° / 27°

Feb47° / 28°

Mar56° / 35°

Apr67° / 45°

May76° / 55°

Jun84° / 64°

Jul89° / 69°

Aug87° / 67°

Sep80° / 60°

Oct69° / 48°

Nov57° / 38°

Dec48° / 31°

Typical highs and lows in Washington. Green months are the mild ones. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Washington. Washington’s full climate →

About

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded in 1962 and opened in 1968, it is part of the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of American artists, politicians, scientists, inventors, activists, and performers who have contributed to the nation's history, development, and culture. Along with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the museum is housed in the historic Old Patent Office Building.

Type: Museum
Established: 1962
Wikipedia readers: 31K a year

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.

Where to stay

Nearby hotels for National Portrait Gallery

You can choose from 275 places to stay within 4 miles. The shortest trip is to Kimpton Hotel Monaco, 0.1 miles.

National Portrait GalleryWater1Places to stay (the list)Places to eat

Closest places to stay

1Kimpton Hotel Monacohotel · 0.1 mi southeastDirections
2Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Centerhotel · 0.1 mi southwestDirections
3Riggs Washington DChotel · 0.1 mi southwestDirections
4W Washington D.C.hotel · 0.2 mi northDirections
5Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Centerhotel · 0.2 mi northeastDirections
6Associated Luxury Hotels Internationalhotel · 0.2 mi northeastDirections
7Grand Hyatt Washingtonhotel · 0.2 mi northwestDirections
8Fairfieldhotel · 0.2 mi northeastDirections
9Harrington Hotelhotel · 0.3 mi southwestDirections
10The Westin DC Downtownhotel · 0.3 mi northDirections

Places to eat nearby

2,672 restaurants, cafés and bars within 1½ miles

314 bars & pubs297 coffee & cafés232 Asian & Indian164 subs & sandwiches142 Mexican & Latin97 pizza74 ice cream & sweets

Compare 8 towns to stay in

Town	From National Portrait Gallery	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	8 mi northwest	10 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	8 mi northeast	10 min	17 16 hotels · 1 motel	35,418	$438K	—
National Harbor	8 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	—

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Baltimore36 mi northeast Richmond98 mi south

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service

DCARonald Reagan Washington National · major hub3 mi

IADWashington Dulles · major hub23 mi

BWIBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall · major hub27 mi

Places to stay and eat: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · streets, water and the site outline: Overture Maps / OpenStreetMap contributors · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from National Portrait Gallery’s main visitor area; drive times are estimates.

Make a day of it

Worth adding to a visit

More places people know lie within 3 miles.

Big drawin town National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year

Big drawin town National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year

Big drawin town MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year

Big draw2 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch

Big draw3 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery

Big draw2 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year

Big drawin town National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a year

Big drawin town National park siteNational Mall

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo 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 Mall: Raul654 at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Michael Shields at e, CC BY-SA 3.0

Common questions

Quick answers on National Portrait Gallery

Is National Portrait Gallery in Washington?

Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.

When is the best time to visit National Portrait Gallery?

April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.

How many people visit National Portrait Gallery each year?

329,683 in 2021, according to Wikidata.

How far is National Portrait Gallery from Baltimore?

About 36 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.

What is the closest airport to National Portrait Gallery?

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 3 miles away.

What hotels are near National Portrait Gallery?

Kimpton Hotel Monaco (0.1 mi), Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Center (0.1 mi) and Riggs Washington DC (0.1 mi). 275 places to stay are within 4 miles.

From locals

Ask people in Washington

There are no tips yet, so start one in Washington’s Town Square.

When do you go to beat the crowds at National Portrait Gallery? Where do you eat after a visit to National Portrait Gallery? Is National Portrait Gallery worth it with small kids? What do visitors to National Portrait Gallery usually miss?

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.