<Tr> <Th> Area code (s) </Th> <Td> 202 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.dc.gov </Td> </Tr> <P> Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as "Washington", "the District", or simply "D.C.", is the capital of the United States . </P> <P> The signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country's East Coast . The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state . The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, which included the pre-existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria . Named in honor of President George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital . In 1846, Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia; in 1871, it created a single municipal government for the remaining portion of the District . </P>

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