Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., United States. The Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it.

Massachusetts Avenue was part of Pierre Charles L'Enfant's original plan for the development of Washington, D.C. The avenue crosses three of Washington, D.C.'s four quadrants. It intersects every major north–south street and passes numerous Washington landmarks. Massachusetts Avenue represents the northern boundary of downtown and the city's Embassy Row.

Massachusetts Avenue is tied with Pennsylvania Avenue as the widest road in Washington, D.C., at . The two roads run in parallel through much of the city, Massachusetts about seven blocks north of Pennsylvania Avenue. Massachusetts Avenue was long considered the city's premier residential street, and Pennsylvania Avenue was its most sought-after business address. The two avenues are named Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, two states that played a leading role in securing American independence in the American Revolution and the subsequent Revolutionary War.

The historic district is an area in Northwest Washington, D.C. that includes 150 contributing buildings and three contributing structures. In 1985, Massachusetts Avenue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes multiple properties that are individually listed on the National Register.

In the 1870s, residential development accelerated on Massachusetts Avenue, mostly around the circles located west of 9th Street NW. These brick and brownstone structures reflected the Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque styles in vogue at the time. Luxurious Georgian Revival and Beaux-Arts mansions on Massachusetts Avenuewere late inhabited by wealthy and influential Washingtonians. The section between Sheridan Circle and Scott Circle became known as "Millionaires' Row".

20th century

The Great Depression forced many to relinquish their homes on Millionaires' Row. After World War II, Massachusetts Avenue was seen as less fashionable than newer areas such as upper 16th Street. Many residences were sold and demolished to make way for office buildings, particularly around Dupont Circle and to its east. Many others, however, survived as embassies and society houses; the former Millionaires' Row is today well known as Embassy Row.

Several overlapping historic districts have been created to preserve the character of the remaining neighborhoods. The Massachusetts Avenue Historic District encompasses the buildings between 17th Street and Observatory Circle on Massachusetts Avenue NW.

Transit

While no Washington Metro lines run along Massachusetts Avenue, the Metrobus N routes serve upper Northwest while a patchwork of routes serve Downtown, Northeast, and Southeast.

Metrobus

The following Metrobus routes travel along the street (listed from west to east):

  • N4 (Dupont Circle to Westmoreland Circle)
  • N6 (Dupont Circle to Westmoreland Circle, making a clockwise-only loop each direction between Idaho Avenue westbound/Cathedral Avenue eastbound and Ward Circle. Runs on weekends and weekdays after 8 PM to replace N2 and N4 service)
  • N2 (Dupont Circle to Idaho Avenue westbound/Cathedral Avenue eastbound, crossing again at Ward Circle)
  • 80 (North Capitol Street to 2nd Street NW westbound/H Street NW eastbound)
  • D6 (Stanton Park to North Capitol St.)
  • X8 (Stanton Park to Columbus Circle)
  • 96 (D.C. General Hospital to New Jersey Ave NW)
  • M6 (Alabama Ave to Southern Ave)

Far western and eastern ends

Ride On Route 29 serves Massachusetts Avenue in Maryland from Westmoreland Circle to the avenue's terminus at Goldsboro Road.

The M6, which travels from the Potomac Avenue Metro station to Fairfax Village, runs along Massachusetts Avenue between Alabama Avenue and Southern Avenue.

Washington Metro

The following Metrorail stations have stops located near Massachusetts Avenue:

  • Dupont Circle
  • Mount Vernon Square
  • Union Station
  • Stadium-Armory

Commuter rail

Washington Union Station, which is served by Amtrak, MARC, and Virginia Railway Express trains, is located on Massachusetts Avenue at Columbus Circle.

  • Amtrak:
  • MARC:
  • VRE:

See also

  • Charles C. Glover
  • Embassy Row

References

  • , a project at the University of Virginia School of Architecture
  • National Park Service: Massachusetts Avenue Historic District
  • Embassy.org Embassy Row Tour