What Are DC’s Boundary Stones? And How Do I Find Them?

D.C. is a city full of big monuments – the b-roll background of countless Hollywood political thrillers. But the District’s oldest monuments are off the beaten tourist path. In some cases, waaaaaay off the beaten path.

Why Are They There?

D.C.’s boundary stones were set in the ground in 1792, when the land was first surveyed to create the new capital city. Most of the original stones are still there, but the land around them has changed dramatically.

How To Find Them

There are boundary stones for beginners and boundary stones for the more adventurous. Stephen Powers, who started visiting the stones nearly two decades ago and is now the foremost expert on them, says you might start by looking at a map and heading to a stone near where you live. His website has a map and directions to each stone.

The stones were placed at one mile intervals along the D.C. border. There are 26 in D.C. and 14 in Virginia, marking the District’s original borders before Arlington retroceded to Virginia in the run-up to the Civil War. Of the original 40 stones, 36 are still there.

What’s the Easiest One To Find?

Several are accessible by Metro – there’s even one on Metro property at the Green Line’s Southern Avenue station. There’s also one in Takoma Park, about two blocks from the Metro station (right next to the Busboys and Poets. Boundary stone, then brunch?).

Many stones are located in people’s yards, but the stones, and a right-of-way around them, are owned by the District Department of Transportation.

Too Easy. What’s the Hardest To Get To?

The southernmost stone in the District was actually in the Potomac River at one point. It was moved inland three times as the shoreline eroded. Now, it’s wedged between I-295 and the river, so you have to either park on the freeway shoulder and climb a fence, or go by boat. The two westernmost stones in the District are also tough to access, located behind a fence on Army Corps of Engineers property at Dalecarlia Reservoir.