Washington DC is the capital of the United States of America and is the city where the ASC was founded on 6 August 1964. The District of Columbia has a resident population of just under 650,000 within an urban area of 5.7 million people. The Washington area is home to many public and private universities, the National Science Foundation, the National Academies of Science and Engineering, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In addition to media, government agencies and research institutions there are think tanks on Massachusetts Ave., a biotechnology corridor on Route 270 northwest of the city and a digital technology corridor on the Dulles Airport access road west of the city. On the 495 Beltway there are many government contractors engaged in technology and management projects.

There is an extensive history of the District in Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica. General tourist information can be found on the official Washington D.C. website.

Summer along the East Coast of the US is usually hot and humid, and DC is no exception with average temperatures of between 31°C (88°F) and 22°C (72°F).

Washington is served by 2 international airports, as well as by Reagan National for domestic flights. Trains run from Union Station to Boston and New York; Chicago via Pittsburgh and Cleveland or Cincinnati and Indianapolis; Virginia Beach; and Charleston, Savannah, Orlando and Miami — among others. Of course, there are buses using the US’s vast network of roads.