Who designed the original street plan for Washington, D.C.?

Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed the original street plan for Washington, D.C.

President George Washington selected L’Enfant, a French-born military engineer, to prepare the plan for the new federal district in 1791. His design combined a rectangular grid with broad diagonal avenues radiating from important sites. The layout created prominent vistas and public spaces rather than following a simple grid alone.

L’Enfant’s plan included locations for the President’s House, the Capitol, major avenues, and ceremonial areas. Many avenues were named for states, linking the capital’s geography with the Union. The plan was revised and implemented unevenly over time, so the modern city does not reproduce every feature exactly as L’Enfant first proposed it.

L’Enfant’s name was later commonly written as Pierre Charles L’Enfant, though he sometimes signed documents “Peter Charles L’Enfant.” Benjamin Banneker helped survey the federal district, but he did not create the original urban design.