Zero Milestone
The Zero Milestone marker was intended to be the milestone from which all highway distances in the United States would be measured
The Zero Milestone was intended to be the milestone from which all highway distances in the United States would be measured. (Spoiler: They’re not.) It is situated in front of the White House where people often congregate to take photos, making it hard to see or photograph the milestone itself. Tourists tend to use the milestone to rest their bags or cameras when taking photos in front of the White House without realizing what it is. This can make it challenging to see the milestone or get a tourist-free photo of it. When I visited, my interest in the milestone confused tourists who wondered what I was looking at and if they were missing something important. A few even took a half-hearted photo. Try to visit during the off-peak season and/or at times when there are fewer tourists (snow day, rainy day, early in the morning, etc.) if you want to be able to get a good look at the marker.
The idea for a milestone in DC was not an original one when this marker was established. Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who designed the layout of Washington, DC, wanted a column to be placed a mile east of the Capitol to serve as a milestone for all distances on the continent, but it was never built. In 1804, Thomas Jefferson placed a stone at Jefferson Pier (still located a short distance northwest of the Washington Monument) to mark the meridian of the city.
A temporary marker was placed at this spot in 1919 to mark the launching of the U.S. Army’s first convoy to travel across the entire country to the West Coast. A second convoy took a different route to the West Coast starting from the temporary Zero Milestone in 1920. The permanent milestone that now stands here was dedicated in 1923.
Ultimately, the idea of a Zero Milestone in Washington, DC failed. Americans living on the West Coast did not want their roads to be numbered starting in the 3000s, and many did not like the idea of DC as the center of the country. Highway distances were therefore never measured from this point, leaving it as a marker for essentially nothing.
Don’t miss the view of the White House from the milestone. Sadly, the security fences make the view less picturesque than when the marker was originally placed.
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Address
Ellipse Rd NW
Metro Station
- Farragut North (RD)
- Farragut West (OR, BL, SV)
- Federal Triangle (OR, BL, SV)
- Foggy Bottom-GWU (OR, BL, SV)
- Metro Center (RD, OR, BL, SV)
Directions
The Zero Milestone is on the north side of the Ellipse. It is located in the middle of the sidewalk near the National Christmas Tree with a direct line of sight to the south face of the White House.
Cost
Free
Hours
Open 24 hours but best in the daylight
Length of Adventure
10 minutes
Website
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Milestone
