View from Washington Monument
Because the city was built from scratch, Washington's regular town plan is easy to grasp. Centered on Capitol Hill and its governmental monoliths, the District is divided into four quadrants – northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest. Dozens of broad avenues, all named after states, run diagonally across a standard grid of streets, meeting up at monumental traffic circles like Dupont Circle. North–south streets are numbered, east–west ones are lettered (there's no J Street, an intentional slight to early Supreme Court Justice John Jay, or X, Y or Z Street, and I Street is often written Eye Street). Be very sure to note the relevant two-letter code in any address (NW, NE, SW, SE), which shows its quadrant; 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW is a long way from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave SE.

Until you get your bearings, it's wise to stick to the established tourist trail; almost all the most famous sights are on Capitol Hill or in the comparatively affluent northwest quarter. To the west of the Capitol, the broad, green Mall holds monuments to presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Franklin D Roosevelt, as well as the White House, official home of the current incumbent. Also here are the bulk of the city's many marvellous museums, including the national collections of the Smithsonian Institution.