I have one day of business there the first week of August.... my wife is considering coming along (she's never been. If she does we'll extend for three more days to view the sites and sights. I know it'll be hot and steamy.... we don't mind sweating. My question is about people. Will it be terribly crowded everywhere? A friend tells us that crowds tend to drop off in the heat of summer.... true?

thanks

I don't think of August as being as crowded. Usually, Congress is gone so the number of DC regulars and business-types is drastically reduced. Also, more schools are opening earlier in August so there seems to be less kids.

And it's wicked hot, so most people know better <g>

DC will be hot, humid and steamy in August. However, the crowds should not be large as much of the Washington metro area will be away at vacation with their loved ones. It is not a bad time to come to Washington.

For some odd reason, Washington is loaded with tourists in August. The locals, however, are all gone--we know better. But that may not help you with the sense of crowding, since the locals don't go to the sights anyway unless we have out of town visitors.

The only thing that sounds worse than DC in August is DC in July. There's a good reason why the locals leave.

There will still be loads of tourists there then, and it's miserably hot. School doesn't start up until the last week of August.

We visited at the end of July two years ago and didn't find the sights too crowded at all. We tried to visit most of the places that might get crowded early in the day, and the only long line we stood in was at the National Archives one afternoon.

I would encourage you and your wife to go as we had a fantastic time (and we don't care for the heat.) The subways and museums were marvelously air-conditioned and the monuments are wonderful to view at night when it is a bit cooler.

Have a good trip!

Hot and humid doesn't EVEN come close to describing it. I've only been to DC in Aug and early Sept (could help when the trips were) and it was absolutely unbelieveably hot. I come from Northern Calif where we get 105 to 108+F just about every summer (w/ almost no humidity at all - less than 20%). But one 89F day in DC was the most miserable I have ever been. It was 89, there were showers, and the sidewalks literaly steamed.

Don't get me wrong - I loved DC but will never go in the summer again.

av8or,

Yes, it is less crowded - especially outside the National Mall area though still more crowded than in winter.

Yes, it will probably be hot and steamy (but you might get really lucky and get OK weather).

On the plus side, hotels in the business district should be cheaper and it will be easier to get a table at popular restaurants.

oops - just noticed a goof -- should have said "couldn't help when the trips were"

We've gone to DC in both July and August. It was hot and sticky but not more than MA in the summer. I didn't think it was that crowded. There were however hordes of Boy Scouts! You should go and have a good time.

I've lived in the DC area for the past 12 years and have to agree with mowmow...the only worse time to visit is July. It will be hot and humid, and it will be crowded during the first week of August when you plan to visit. Even though many locals vacation in August and Congress is in recess, that doesn't stop the tourists.

If this is the only chance you and your wife will have to visit DC, then sure, come visit. But if you anticipate you'll be able to make the trip another time, I'd pass.

In my view, the best time to visit the DC-area with decent weather and limited people is the last two weeks of April & first two weeks of May, or the last week of September & first two weeks of October.

Even April and May are bad, with the post-Cherry Blossom/school trip cavalcade of tourists.

The anecdote is to balance "tourist" DC with visiting places where regular DC people live. Trying some of the less touristed spots and avoiding places where there will be lots of kids (Air and Space, Natural History, American History when it reopens).

I suspect Mike means the "antidote" but do come and bring your money.

Not all of us go out of town in August so we'd love for you to come and enjoy the humidity (please don't believe that tale about it possibly being "nice" since chances are that means humidity of only 80%!!!)and I'm glad you don't mind sweating but please just don't bring any stink...we have enough of that already.

Enjoy your visit.

I'm not even sure where I got "anecdote." Antidote was correct.

Thanks for the advice. We understand humidity... Been in places for long stretches that would make DC seem Death Valley. We can take it. Apparently a lot of others can too, according to those that predicted crowded conditions in early August.

We'll chance it and hope for the best. Planning to stay in Alexandria, and use public transportation... even to get out to the Udvar-Hazy museum at Dulles (according to my research, we will switch trains or busses three times to get there). Looking forward to showing our nation's capital to my wife.

DC can be a surprise in August. Suddenly, the heat eases up. It's lovely because there has been a population exodus. You can get into restaurants, It's the city at its most relaxed. Hang out at Dumbarton Oaks, visit the FDR Memorial at night, wander the National Cathedral gardens, walk the mall, have a picnic on the banks of the Potomac, eat at outdoor bistros. It's worth a try.

There will be many tourists in August, but DC is a tourist town and well-equipped to accommodate everyone. If you can handle the heat (and I'm from Texas so I feel I can't complain about the heat lest I get stopped at the Texas border and refused entrance when I go visit my family), you'll have a great time--hordes of tourists or no.