50 Washington DC Quotes About The Nation’s Capital

Fall in love with the capital district with our Washington D.C. quotes. 

Washington, D.C., is one of the most electrifying cities in the country.

DC has its own culture and diverse communities that keep the city going. 

Come learn what makes this All-American City so awesome. 

Why is DC so cool?

DC has everything from historical monuments to amazing nightlife and hard-working people. 

Check out these cool facts about Washington, D.C., below:

• DC residents drink more wine per capita than any other state. 
• DC uses the letters for streets traveling east to west; J street is missing. 
• Jimmy Carter set a record, watching 480 movies at the White House movie theater. 

Why do I love DC?

One of my very good friends went to medical school at Howard University.

His drive and hard work created the opportunity for me to fall in love with DC. 

I started visiting DC in 2008 and never looked back!

I remember the first time I ate at Busboys and Poets and sat at the very tables a young Langston Hughes worked. 

In addition, I lament the pride I felt eating at Ben’s Chili Bowl, an African American restaurant staple. 

It is easy to soak in the joy I felt walking down the street when a go-go band goes live. 

There is something about DC.

The city has an energy, a hustle, and bustle mixed with a desire to forge a better future. 

You would also love DC

As a strict vegetarian and most of the time vegan, DC has food that will take your taste buds to the next level. 

The best vegan soul food I’ve had in my life was from Washington, D.C.

DC has a diverse culinary culture. 

You can find delicious cuisine from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Mexico, and just about everywhere else. 

DC is known for its fresh seafood, breweries, and wine enthusiasts. 

Don’t judge a book by its cover

If your opinion of DC comes from the national news, you probably think it’s a violent, drug—infested, political mess of a city. 

And in many ways, it is. 

You can find crime, violence, drugs, or any other social ills in any city if you go looking for them. 

Like any other American city, DC has its areas where it needs improvement. 

Do not let that stop you from getting to know one of America’s most interesting and diverse cities. 

Short Washington DC quotes about the nation’s capital

We start with some short and sweet DC quotes. 

1. “Washington DC is corporate-occupied territory.” — Ralph Nader

2. “Well, Washington DC, what are you going to do?” — Harry Shearer

3. “I was raised in Washington, DC, very violent place.” — Henry Rollins

4. “Washington, DC is 12 square miles bordered by reality.” — Andrew Johnson

5. “Washington, DC feels like you’re watching performance art.” — Kevin Spacey

6. “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.” — William E. Simon

7. “In Washington, DC, politics dominate even the most casual conversations.” — Armstrong Williams

8. “People come to Washington believing it is the center of power. I know I did.” — Richard Goodwyn

9. “I learned that Washington is a steering wheel that’s not connected to an engine.” — Richard Goodwyn

10. “Washington is no place for a good actor. The competition from bad actors is too great.” — Fred Allen

The top Washington DC quotes about the all-American city

DC boasts a plethora of culture and history.

11. “Nothing strange about Washington. A person from another planet might disagree with you.” — Klaatu, The Day the Earth Stood Still 

12. “Everyone in the world is trying to get out of Washington. We’re the only schmucks trying to get in.” — Julius Levinson, Independence Day

13. “Development does not take place in Washington, DC. Development takes place in the rest of the world.” — Andrew Natsios

14. “And monkey’s brains, though popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, D.C.” —  Clue 

15. “If gun control bore any relation to homicide rates, Washington, DC would be the safest place in the country.” — Mark Steyn

16. “Yeah. You got a bus leaving today? Where’s it going? Washington DC. 5 minutes? Perfect. Give me two tickets.” — Dallas Grimes, Beavis, and Butt-Head Do America

17. “So I came to Washington, where I knew I would be farther away from America than I could be on some foreign shore.” — Huey Long

18. “As you probably know, some American politicians and American journalists refer to Washington, DC as the capital of the free world.” — Joe Biden

19. “I was raised in Washington, DC in a household where one parent was a Republican and the other was a Democrat, so I got both sides.” — Sandra Bullock

20. “The only difference between Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. is that at least Vegas has the decency to admit the town is full of hookers and crooks.” — Glenn Beck

Famous Washington DC quotes from films and Mark Twain

Here we have awesome Washington DC quotes from movies and from legendary American author Mark Twain. 

21. “Washington may be under attack. Go to DEFCON 4.” — Secret Service, Beavis, and Butt-Head Do America

22. “Sirs, you are in Washington. Really? Well, where is she?” — Beavis, Beavis, and Butt-Head Do America

23. “Oh, we’re a long way from Washington, Bob. This is the Hoover Dam.” — Old Woman in Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

24. “I love Washington, for instance, for the privilege of saving my life.” — Mark Twain, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1889

25. “In Washington, you don’t even need the Ten Commandments if you’re popular.” — Senator Lillian DeHaven, G.I. Jane

26. “Uhh, do you know where Washington is? Uh, yeah. About 2,000 miles that way.” — Tom Anderson, Beavis, and Butt-Head Do America

27. “We have some friends in Washington that assure us these troubles can be taken care of.” — Tony Montana, Scarface

28. “There is something good and motherly about Washington, the grand old benevolent National Asylum for the helpless.”  — Mark Twain, The Gilded Age

29. “Washington is no doubt the boss town in the country for a man to live in who wants to get all the pleasure he can in a given number of months.” — Mark Twain, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1889

30. “My doctor told me that I must go to bed early, keep out of social excitements, and behave myself. You can’t do that in Washington. Nobody does.” — Mark Twain, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1889

The best Washington DC quotes about politics

Everyone has a political opinion in DC. 

31. “Saw Washington Monument. Phallic. Appalling. A national catastrophe.”— Arnold Bennett

32. “Understand that in Washington DC, a gaffe is when you tell the truth. So, be careful!”— Joe Biden

33. “When somebody comes along and says, ‘I think Washington DC sucks,’ that is not wrong.”— Van Jones

34. “For the truth, I have to go to Washington DC, and whatever a politician says, interpolate the opposite.” — Jarod Kintz

35. “It is true what is said in Washington: ‘No matter how cynical you get, it is never enough to catch up.” — Louie Gohmert

36. “I am not interested in the iconic shots of the Capitol and the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.” — David Nevins

37. “Washington is a bubble, and there is nothing more powerful than the conservative grassroots when we are engaged and letting our voice be heard.” — Ted Cruz

38. “In New York, people are unhappy on purpose because unhappiness makes them seem more complex. In Washington DC, it just sort of works out that way.” — Chuck Klosterman

39. “Whenever you are faced with an explanation of what’s going on in Washington, the choice between incompetence and conspiracy, always choose incompetence.” — Charles Krauthammer

40. “There is as much chance of repealing the Eighteenth Amendment as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail.”— Morris Sheppard

Washington DC quotes and sayings for travel lovers

DC is a popular destination for tourists. 

41. “Washington DC is a city of endless discovery.” — Traveller’s Elixir

42. “In DC, you don’t just see history; you become a part of it.” — Traveller’s Elixir

43. “Washington, DC is to lying what Wisconsin is to cheese.” — Dennis Miller 

44. “I grew up outside of DC, New York state, and Connecticut.” — Jim Coleman 

45. “The same music is playing on the radio in San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, and Annapolis.” — John Hall

46. “DC is more than just a city; it’s a living museum that tells the story of America’s past, present, and future.” — Traveller’s Elixir

47. “Growing up, my dad owned a restaurant in Washington, DC, and food was something I was passionate about.” — David Chang

48. “Voting for a candidate for the DC circuit is very different from confirming someone to the US Supreme Court.” — Ted Cruz 

49. “In July of 1983, I left Washington, DC area and have had minimal contact with Judge Clarence Thomas since.” — Anita Hill

50. “Washington DC, a city that reminds us of the power of democracy, the beauty of history, and the strength of our nation.” — Traveller’s Elixir

Washington, DC, is the place to be!

Do you have a favorite quote about Washington, DC? 

Be sure to tell us about it in the comments.