United States Capitol Visitor Center
The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the U.S. Congress. You will find it in Washington. Its history begins in 2008.
A museum inside Washington
You can stay in Washington
United States Capitol Visitor Center 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 35 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 United States Capitol Visitor Center.
Established in 2008
United States Capitol Visitor Center dates from 2008. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather through the year
This is the year’s weather near United States Capitol Visitor Center.
United States Capitol Visitor Center
The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the U.S. Congress. Opened in 2008, it is located on 1st Street East below the landscaped tree-shaded grounds of the East Front of the Capitol and included the development of the surface plaza (which had previously served as a parking lot since the mid-1920s). Additional, transparent skylights also punctuate the surface plaza to allow light into the center. The complex contains 580,000 square feet (54,000 m2) of space below ground on three levels. The overall project's budget was $621 million.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 2008
- Wikipedia readers
- 9.9K a year
Bases for United States Capitol Visitor Center
Lodging nearby is in Washington (247) and Arlington (58).
- 1White House
- 2Washington Monument
- 3Smithsonian Institution
- 4United States Triumphal Arch
- 5Arlington National Cemetery
- 6Lincoln Memorial
- 7National Mall
- 8Ford's Theatre
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From United States Capitol Visitor Center | 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 | 5 mi west | 10 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 | — |
| College Park | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 17 16 hotels · 1 motel | 35,418 | $438K | — |
| Tysons | 12 mi west | 20 min | 25 25 hotels | 28,936 | $640K | — |
| Lake Arbor | 10 mi east | 15 min | 13 13 hotels | 14,335 | $461K | — |
| National Harbor | 7 mi south | 10 min | 10 9 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 4,454 | $473K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More near United States Capitol Visitor Center
You can reach each of these within 4 miles.
Big draw12 mi 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 draw43 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw53 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw62 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year
Big draw7in town National park siteNational Mall
Big draw8in town National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K 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 · National Mall: Raul654 at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Michael Shields at e, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ford's Theatre National Historic Site: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Questions people have about United States Capitol Visitor Center
Is United States Capitol Visitor Center in Washington?
Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.
When is the best time to visit United States Capitol Visitor Center?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.
How far is United States Capitol Visitor Center from Baltimore?
About 35 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to United States Capitol Visitor Center?
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 3 miles away.
Where should I stay near United States Capitol Visitor Center?
Washington (in town, 247 places to stay), Arlington (5 mi, 58 places to stay) and Alexandria (6 mi, 44 places to stay).
Questions for Washington
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Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.