What part of the White House gives The West Wing its title?

The part of the White House that gives The West Wing its title is the West Wing itself.

The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, the office building that houses the president’s working office and much of the senior staff. In the fictional series, President Josiah Bartlet and his advisers conduct political negotiations, press briefings, legislative strategy, and crisis management there.

The title can cause a small but common mix-up: the West Wing is not another name for the Oval Office. The Oval Office is one important room within the West Wing, while the wing also contains the Cabinet Room, Situation Room, Roosevelt Room, and numerous staff offices.

The real West Wing began as a temporary office structure during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. It was expanded and redesigned over time as the executive staff grew. That concentration of presidential offices made it a natural setting and title for a drama about White House staff life.