Important Things To Know
Currency
Washington D.C. uses the US dollar.
The Capitol Christmas Tree in front of the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington D.C. (photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/tomwachs)
National Languages
Like the United States, there are no official languages in Washington D.C. But American English is widely accepted as the de facto national and official language.
Many residents also speak Spanish and French here.
Time Zone
Washington D.C., like most other US states, observes daylight savings. During this time, clocks are moved forward by one hour, and the time zone is UTC-4.
Climate And Weather
The weather in Washington D.C. has been described as mild and temperate. During the summer, these mild temperatures are accompanied by high humidity. Trust us, it can get a bit hot and sticky.
The spring and autumn months are much more pleasant. They are also characterized as mild seasons, minus the humidity, and tend to last longer than the summer and winter periods.
There may be infrequent bouts of wet snow during the wintertime. However, because the average daytime winter temperatures are usually above freezing level, the sporadic light snow quickly melts away. Sometimes, night temperatures can drop below freezing, causing the snow to become ice again during the night.
