<P> Washington, D.C., in the United States, is located at 38 ° 53 ′ 42" N 77 ° 02 ′ 11" W ﻿ / ﻿ 38.89500 ° N 77.03639 ° W ﻿ / 38.89500; - 77.03639 (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on The Ellipse). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a geographical area of 68.3 square miles (176.9 km), 61.4 square miles (159.0 km) of which is land, and the remaining 6.9 square miles (17.9 km) (10.16%) of which is water . </P> <P> Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia (on its southwest side) and Maryland (on its southeast, northeast, and northwest sides); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the south shore of the Potomac River both upstream and downstream from the District . The portion of the Potomac River that passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District's border, as the District extends to the south bank . The city contains the historic "federal city", the territory of which was formerly part of those two adjacent states before they respectively ceded it for the national capital . The land ceded from Virginia was returned by Congress in 1847, so what remains of the modern District was all once part of Maryland . </P> <P> The topography of the District of Columbia is very similar to the physical geography of much of Maryland . The District has three major natural flowing bodies of water: the Potomac River and two tributaries, the Anacostia River and Rock Creek . The confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia forms the historic peninsula known as Arsenal Point . The District also includes the Washington Channel, which flows into the junction of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers . There are also three man - made reservoirs: Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District from Maryland, McMillan Reservoir near Howard University, and Georgetown Reservoir upstream of Georgetown . A fourth, minor reservoir is at Fort Reno in Tenleytown . </P>

Washington dc is located near the border of what two states