Under the L'Enfant Plan, how is Washington, DC geographically organized?

Under the L'Enfant Plan, how is Washington, DC geographically organized?

• A. DC is the center and splits the city into four quadrants
• B. The city is divided into eight sectors
• C. The streets form a grid with no central point
• D. The city remains undivided and uniform

Answer: (A)

The plan organizes the city around a central focal point, the Capitol, with a formal grid that is intersected by major diagonal avenues radiating from the center. This creates four distinct areas—northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest—so the city is clearly divided rather than spread uniformly or left without a central point. The result is a geometric, centralized layout that anchors the National Mall and key streets to the Capitol, giving Washington, DC its characteristic quadrant structure.

The plan organizes the city around a central focal point, the Capitol, with a formal grid that is intersected by major diagonal avenues radiating from the center. This creates four distinct areas—northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest—so the city is clearly divided rather than spread uniformly or left without a central point. The result is a geometric, centralized layout that anchors the National Mall and key streets to the Capitol, giving Washington, DC its characteristic quadrant structure.