An interactive map from the National Trust for Historic Preservation shows the average age of buildings throughout the city.

Map from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The map doesn’t show individual buildings. Rather, it shows the median age of all the buildings within a roughly block-sized area. The map is a handy way to get a quick sense of neighborhoods’ overall development history.

Where are DC’s historic buildings clustered? Capitol Hill and Georgetown, sure, but pre-war neighborhoods also stretch out in other directions all the way to the Maryland border. Meanwhile, the buildings downtown and along commercial and industrial corridors tend to be much newer.

The interactive map also includes Seattle and San Francisco.

What other patterns do you see?

Matt Malinowski advises governments and utilities on helping people save money and energy through more efficient electronics. He is passionate about sustainability and preserving a future worth living in. He lives in the Truxton Circle/Bates neighborhood of DC with his wife and two sons.