National Capitol Columns
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National Capitol Columns is a historic site, at a modelled elevation of 24 m. Gantt Hill stands 156 m to the west, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is Fern Valley, a garden 0.1 miles away. Star-Spangled Banner Byway passes 1.8 miles off. 33 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
The National Capitol Columns are a monument in Washington, D.C.'s National Arboretum. It is an arrangement of twenty-two Corinthian columns that were a part of the United States Capitol from 1828 to 1958, placed amid 20 acres (8.1 ha) of open meadow, known as the Ellipse Meadow.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1990.
Wikidata Q6971268, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What to expect
How to reach it
- 1.8 mi off the Star-Spangled Banner Byway
- 3.9 mi off the Booth's Escape
- 4.8 mi off the George Washington Memorial Parkway, National
- 10.1 mi off the Old Georgetown Pike
Overlooks nearby
Named places within 25 miles
- National Bonsai and Penjing Museum: 0.2 mi
- National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University: 1.5 mi
- Sewall-Belmont House and Museum: 2.3 mi
- National Postal Museum: 2.3 mi
- National Guard Memorial Museum: 2.4 mi
- U.S. National Arboretum: 0.2 mi
- Arboretum Recreation Center: 0.3 mi
- Langston Playground: 0.5 mi
- Dakota Park: 0.9 mi
- Loomis Park: 0.9 mi
- Fort Mahan Park: 1.6 mi
- Fort Chaplin Park: 2.0 mi
- Alger Park: 3.2 mi
- Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary: 5.2 mi
- Reservation 630: 5.3 mi
- John Smilie: 2.0 mi
- Elbridge Gerry: 2.0 mi
- David Walker: 2.0 mi
- Nathaniel Hazard: 2.0 mi
- George Hadfield: 2.0 mi
- Fern Valley: 0.1 mi
- National Herb Garden: 0.1 mi
- North American Pavilion: 0.1 mi
- Japanese Pavilion: 0.2 mi
- North American Garden: 0.2 mi
- Riding High: 1.2 mi
- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet Statue: 1.2 mi
- Dusk of H Street: 1.3 mi
- Contrapposto Sculpture: 1.4 mi
- Bison Sculpture: 1.4 mi
- Picnic Grove 29: 4.2 mi
- Picnic site for Rose park: 4.7 mi
- Picnic Grove 23: 4.8 mi
- Picnic Grove 3: 4.9 mi
- Picnic Grove 24: 4.9 mi
- United Brick Corporation Brick Company: 0.5 mi
- Dave Salovesh: 1.3 mi
- On this site in 1897 nothing happened: 1.4 mi
- Gideon's Garden: 1.4 mi
- Allison "Allie" Hart: 1.6 mi
- Mount Hamilton: 0.4 mi
- Hickey Hill: 0.6 mi
- Round Hill: 1.6 mi
- Barnard Hill: 2.0 mi
- Hoover Hill: 2.0 mi
- Fishing Shore: 7.0 mi
- Lake Barcroft Beach: 10.7 mi
- Purplehorse Beach: 15.4 mi
- Sycamore Beach: 15.5 mi
- Herald Harbor Beach 1: 23.5 mi
- Rosier Bluff: 10.1 mi
- Indian Queen Bluff: 11.2 mi
- Quartz Rock Outcropping: 22.0 mi
- Indian Head: 23.9 mi
- Wiona Cliffs: 24.3 mi
- Takoma Spring: 4.8 mi
- Silver Spring: 6.4 mi
- Indian Springs: 7.4 mi
- Clean Drinking Manor Spring: 8.0 mi
- Sandy Spring: 16.1 mi
- Stubblefield Falls: 12.9 mi
- Scott's Run Falls: 13.2 mi
- Great Falls: 16.5 mi
- Coe Creek: 24.8 mi
- Wilson: 21.9 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of National Capitol Columns. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gantt Hill | W 274° | 156 m | 14.3 mi |
| Hunting Hill | NW 314° | 156 m | 17.3 mi |
| Mount Daniel | W 266° | 144 m | 11.6 mi |
| Minor's Hill | W 267° | 140 m | 10.3 mi |
| Freedom Hill | W 274° | 140 m | 14.8 mi |
| Prout Hill | W 261° | 137 m | 12.3 mi |
| Upton Hill | WSW 256° | 125 m | 9.9 mi |
| Point Reno | WNW 296° | 123 m | 6.5 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:12 | 18:45 | 19:20 |
| June solstice | 05:43 | 19:57 | 20:37 |
| September equinox | 06:56 | 18:32 | 19:07 |
| December solstice | 07:24 | 16:08 | 16:50 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 36 | 39 | 46 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 49 | 41 |
| Precip in | 3.0 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Natl Arboretum DC, under a mile away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/257897527
Day trips start here
- Washington, D.C./Near Northeast · 1 mi
- Mount Rainier · 2 mi
- Washington, D.C./Capitol Hill · 2 mi
- Hyattsville · 3 mi
- Washington, D.C./Anacostia · 3 mi
- Washington, D.C./East End · 3 mi
Take the scenic way to National Capitol Columns.
Byway plans around your taste, mapped places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.