Community Information

The District of Columbia’s Wards 7 and 8 are collectively called East of the River or East Washington. More recently the area has been dubbed “Ward 15” because of the opportunity for collaborations among businesses, community leaders, and government leaders.

Key tenets for the District’s community growth and economic development goals—namely revitalizing neighborhood commercial centers, improving residents’ job skills and access to jobs and careers, and fostering the success of locally owned small business—when matched with land availability, the District’s planning policies, and metropolitan regional growth trends make Wards 7 and 8 the ideal leads for innovative and dynamic solutions to the District’s goals. City reports indicate that nearly $7 billion in public and private projects are in various stages of planning or construction in Wards 7 and 8!

East Washington Region Snapshot

14.11 square miles
Estimated population of 128,165. By 2025 population1 is expected to increase in Ward 7 to 73,300 and in Ward 8 the population projection is 85,0002. Average population density for each ward is 27,450 per square mile. Regional combined median income of $54,811; District’s median income is $45,927.
Combined Wards 7 and 8’s youth population aged 19 and under totals nearly 70%.
Three public high schools—one in Ward 7 and two in Ward 8. The Wards have three high schools that are public charter schools.

1. Far Northeast and Southeast Area Element, May 2006 Draft Ward 7 Comprehensive Plan, Table FNS-1, Page 7

2. Anacostia Highlands Area Element, May 2006 Draft Ward 8 Comprehensive Plan, Table AH-1, Page 8

Resources

Washington DC Economic Partnership’s 2009 Neighborhood Profiles

Office of Planning
Neighborhood and Revitalization Plans
Anacostia Waterfront Initiative Framework Plan

Anacostia Waterfront - Realizing the Vision

Council of the District of Columbia

Yvette Alexander, Ward 7
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 400, NW Washington, DC 20004
Tel: (202) 724-8068
Fax: (202) 741-0911
Email: yalexander@dccouncil.us

Vincent C. Gray, Chairman
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 504, NW Washington, DC 20004
Tel: (202) 724-8032
Fax: (202) 724-8085
Email: vgray@dccouncil.us

Marion Barry, Ward 8
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20004
Tel: (202) 724-8045
Fax: (202) 724-8198
Email: mbarry@dccouncil.us

Kwame R. Brown, At-Large
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 506, NW Washington, DC 20004
Tel: (202) 724-8174
Fax: (202) 724-8156
Email: kbrown@dccouncil.us