The Ellipse
The Ellipse, sometimes referred to as President's Park South, is a 52-acre (21 ha) park south of the White House fence and north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Around it, White House (0.3 mi) comes first on our list. Its mildest months, April, May, September and October, bring highs of 67–80°F.
A park & preserve inside Washington
You can stay in Washington
The Ellipse 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 ↓
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 The Ellipse.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Highs and lows by month
A visit to The Ellipse can follow the seasons below.
The Ellipse
The Ellipse, sometimes referred to as President's Park South, is a 52-acre (21 ha) park south of the White House fence and north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. The Ellipse is also the name of the five-furlong (1.0 km) circumference street within the park. The entire park, which features monuments, is open to the public and is part of President's Park. The Ellipse is the location for many annual events.
From a mathematical point of view, the Ellipse is truly an ellipse. Its dimensions are 1,058 feet (322 m) for its major axis (east-west) and 903 feet (275 m) for its minor axis (north-south). Its foci are 552 feet (168 m) apart, each 276 feet (84 m) from the center of the ellipse (east and west). Its eccentricity is thus 552/1058 = 0.52.
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Area
- 52 acres
- Wikipedia readers
- 28K a year
Places to stay near The Ellipse
The nearest towns with places to stay are Washington (247) and Arlington (58).
- 1White House
- 2Washington Monument
- 3Smithsonian Institution
- 4United States Triumphal Arch
- 5Arlington National Cemetery
- 6Lincoln Memorial
- 7Ford's Theatre
- 8National Mall
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From The Ellipse | 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 | 10 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 | 8 mi south | 10 min | 10 9 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 4,454 | $473K | — |
| North Bethesda | 11 mi northwest | 15 min | 13 13 hotels | 49,677 | $732K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Places to add to The Ellipse
You can reach each of these 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 draw4in town LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw52 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 National park siteNational MallPhoto 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
Asked about The Ellipse
Is The Ellipse in Washington?
Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.
When is the best time to visit The Ellipse?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.
How far is The Ellipse from Baltimore?
About 36 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to The Ellipse?
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 3 miles away.
Where should I stay near The Ellipse?
Washington (in town, 247 places to stay), Arlington (4 mi, 58 places to stay) and Alexandria (6 mi, 44 places to stay).
Local know-how from Washington
People in Washington have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.