Historic Site · Washington, D.C., United States
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Built 1800. It drew 114,519 visitors in 2020.
Photo: (top)Cezary p(bottom)MattWade via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | 1800 |
| Architect | James Hoban |
| Height | Height: 21.33 m |
| Annual visitors (2020) | 114,519 |
| Coordinates | 38.8978° N, 77.0364° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What White House is known for
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States.
About White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 when the national capital was moved from Philadelphia.
History
Construction of the White House began at noon on October 13, 1792, with the laying of the cornerstone. The main residence and foundations of the house were built largely by employed Europeans, whilst enslaved African-Americans quarried stone used in the construction. Much of the other work on the house was done by immigrants, including the sandstone walls, which were erected by Scottish masons, the high-relief rose, and garland decorations above the north entrance and the fish scale pattern beneath the pediments of the window hoods.
Planning a visit? Visit the official White House website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) |
| Distance from the airport | 3.1 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) · Washington, United States · 3.2 miles away
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) · Dulles, United States · 22.8 miles away
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) · Baltimore, United States · 27.5 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in United States
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is White House?
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States.
Where is White House located?
White House is in Washington, D.C., United States. Its coordinates are 38.8978° N, 77.0364° W.
How do I get to White House?
The nearest town is Washington, D.C., and the nearest airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), about 3.1 miles away (straight line).
When was White House built?
White House was built 1800.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35525 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.whitehouse.gov — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.