My wife and I are planning a vacation to Washington, DC and are considering the 3rd week in October. Can anyone tell me whether this is a good time to visit or not? I know it can get awfully cold there during the winter. Thanks!

May and October are generally considered the two best months in which to visit D.C. The weather should still be quite nice then. Cool, probably, but not cold.

The weather will be good and you might be able to see some fall colors too. Some photographs are <a href="http://www.indospectrum.com/travels/dc2.html">here</a>

IMHO, October is even better than May because there will be fewer school groups.

I think October is the best month of the year in DC as it is so beautiful. DC actually has fairly mild winters compared to many parts of the country, although there can be occasional very cold temps in Jan-Feb.

primate, if you think DC is awfully cold in the winter, I'm very curious as to where you're from! I lived in DC most of my life and also thought winter there was a bummer. The punchline is that I now live in Minnesota and have come to know what a cold winter really is!
Anyway, October in DC should be great--enjoy!