My husband is scheduled to attend a conference in D.C. in July, and he wants to make a long weekend out of it so we can see the area.

Here's my concern -- I grew up in California and although I've visited the southeast during the summer, the temperatures and humidity were more than I could handle! Just not used to it I guess. I'm afraid D.C. would have the same kind of weather (?) Also suspect that we will spend most of our time standing in line with all the families and kids at Smithsonian, White House and every other place.

I'm convinced there's a better time of year to visit -- does anyone have any opinions about this? Thanks for your help.

I lived in the DC area, including DC itself, off and on for a total of 11 years. The tourists come in July and so can hot, humid weather. If you want to see it, you just go and forget the crowds and heat. If you don't want either, then try October.

Hi, Mary,
Of course it's hot in DC in July. I remember walking with wife and springoff up the Mall one July day and thinking ohmigod, it's hot, and later discovering it was a record for heat and humidity for the date. In DC! Boy, was I proud...
Still, there are coping methods, namely, going early, going late, adopting hot weather behaviors like siestas ("going troppo" was the expression I heard in Fiji). Or do driving tours, staying in the refuge of the a/c. Or limit your tours to places where a whole day can be spent indoors, like the Capitol or the National Gallery. Skip the White House and see the Mall and the Monuments at sunset or dawn (very moving.)
DC is such a wonderful destination that I'll take it summer, winter, spring or fall. Hot? Probably. But worth the discomfort, IMO.
(PS I'm also a Calif. expat.)

I live in the DC area and I can tell you that July is almost always very hot and humid. It will be very crowded and the most popular attractions will be mobbed. We try never to go near the tourist areas during July and August. In my opinion, the best time to visit Washington is in the spring after the cherry blossoms have finished blooming. The hordes from the cherry blossom festival will be gone, the weather is moderate and everything is starting to green-up. Of course the least crowded time (when we do our sightseeing) is late January and February. But the dismal weather that time of year doesn't show the monuments off as well.

Thanks for the tips and opinions everyone.

Hubby's company is paying for his airfare, hotel and car, so our only additional expense would be my airfare if I were to go. We figured it would be a good, fairly affordable way to visit our nation's capital, which is something we've always wanted to do.

However, after my summer experiences in Memphis (where I almost passed out from the heat on top of the Peabody Hotel) and other southern cities, I feel very wary of places with high temps PLUS high humidity. And we normally travel during shoulder season to avoid crowds, which neither one of us enjoys.

Good ideas, great advice, you've all given us some things to consider. Thanks again.

Sorry...I have to laugh. I live in the DC area and it will be hot and humid, but it can be hot and humid ANYWHERE. One summer, we packed sweats for our visit to CA because we had heard it gets cool at night...we were in San Fransisco on a day when they set a record high temp for that day for the century...just like being at home!

HOT HOT HOT!! HUMID HUMID HUMID!! HOwever, everything is nicely air conditioned, esp the Metro which you can use to get around. Also contact your congressman or senator's office for White House tickets, sometimes they even have staff members who can give you an individual tour of the Capitol building.

The best time to come to DC is mid-April to mid-May, or mid-September to mid-October. Fewer crowds, mild weather.

Don't come here at all. I work there and believe you me, the city and its people stink

Or "Lumberdoug." I see someone is a Pariliament fan.

I believe the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Humidity and Silly Walks is air conditioned. Capitol, chaps!

I really haven't traveled that much, I grew up in a very mild climate, and the one experience I had with intense humidity made me feel ill. I really didn't know what kind of weather or crowds to expect in D.C., that's why I thought I'd ask here. I wasn't trying to start arguments or controversy, invite people to lash out, or criticize anyone or anything. We just want to visit the Smithsonian, White House and mounuments because they're interesting to us, that's all. All big cities have their problems, we're aware of that.

Thanks for the tips, but I really didn't mean to get into anything other than tips about the weather, the sights and the crowds. Thanks for the help.

Sorry, Mary, thought you'd left us to amuse ourselves.
I'd say the short answer to your question is "No." Many of the attractions are air-conditioned, but getting from point A to point B means a schelp through the swamplike atmosphere that always makes me wonder how pre-AC inhabitants survived (and smelled).
I've lived in steamy climates for over a decade, and I now live in the area, so I'm not anti-heat, -humidity, or -DC. But July is not our finest time.

Mary, don't let people scare you off from visiting in July. True, it is more likely to be hot and humid than otherwise but you might hit one of those July times when nature moderates itself--they do occur. Also, as others have said, everything inside is air-conditioned. So if you want to concentrate on the museums--and we have lots of interesting ones--you only have to be outside coming and going. You don't have to wait in line to get in the museums. If it's hot, skip the Washington Monument or visit the monuments at night when it's cooler. They're beautiful then, all lit up and it's safe. I'll admit that it's more crowded at the museums in the summer, but don't pass up what sounds like a good oppotunity.

Here's an actual bit of advice: the only time you really have to stand in line outside is for the Wash. Monument(other than for White House, but you can get around that by getting in touch with your Representative or Senator, although my experience is that the Rep. will be much more accommodating -- a.s.a.p. to see about a congressional tour of the WH).

The best view of DC is from the tower at the Old Post Office Pavilion, near Metro Center. If I have the name wrong, someone will correct me, but the line for that is indoors, and I think the view is preferable.

Thanks everybody, for your information and encouragement. I've decided to GO, thanks to all your great tips about what to expect with the lines, how to beat the weather and so on. I'm very excited, thanks again for taking time out of your lives to post responses and help me. I really appreciate it.