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Pennsylvania Avenue
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The north portico of the White House, which faces Pennsylvania Avenue. Washington, D.C.: White House William McKinley rides in a horse-drawn carriage down Pennsylvania Avenue, surrounded by crowds and marching bands, during his 1897 presidential inauguration procession. Map of the National Mall area in Washington, D.C., highlighting major streets, metro stations, parks, government buildings, and prominent points of interest such as museums, memorials, and federal offices. Key landmarks include the Capitol, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian museums, and the Washington Monument, with a numbered legend identifying each site.
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The north portico of the White House, which faces Pennsylvania Avenue.
The north portico of the White House, which faces Pennsylvania Avenue.

Pennsylvania Avenue

avenue, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
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Washington, D.C.: White House
Washington, D.C.: White HouseAerial view of the White House, Washington, D.C.

Pennsylvania Avenue, major thoroughfare of Washington, D.C. It runs for 7 miles (11 km) in a northwesterly direction from the District of Columbia–Maryland line over the Anacostia River (John Philip Sousa Bridge) and through Washington’s well-known central section lined with government buildings between the Capitol and the White House. It continues past George Washington University to end in Georgetown just west of Rock Creek. Pennsylvania Avenue is the traditional route of presidential inaugural and other major parades.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Emily Rodriguez.