How Cemetery Services Are Organized in the District of Columbia

The District of Columbia has no rural counties, township boards or county cemetery districts. The whole jurisdiction is one city, Washington, so burial grounds are run by churches, nonprofit associations, private companies and federal agencies. Our database files every listing under "District of Columbia County," which is a labeling convenience rather than a separate county government. You can browse that grouping on the District of Columbia County page.

That mix shapes what happens when you call. Washington Hebrew Congregation and Adas Israel each manage a cemetery on Alabama Avenue Southeast under their own religious rules. Congressional Cemetery at 1801 E Street Southeast is cared for by a preservation association. National cemeteries answer to the Department of Veterans Affairs or the National Park Service. No single city office sells graves, so your first job is finding the right operator.

Funeral directors in the District are licensed through DC Health, the city health department. Most families hire one, and that firm usually files the death certificate and schedules the burial with the cemetery. The DC Health Vital Records Division issues certified copies of death certificates, which cemeteries, banks and insurers often request. If you arrange a burial without a funeral home, ask each cemetery which forms it wants before you set a date.

Because the District is entirely urban, the useful contrast is not metro versus rural. It is between quadrants. Northwest holds Georgetown's older grounds, Northeast has several large cemeteries along main roads, and Southeast mixes historic and faith-based sites. Land is scarce, so many families also look at suburban Maryland and Virginia cemeteries. Those fall outside this page but are usually a short drive away.

Northwest Washington: Georgetown, Rock Creek and a Civil War Site

Oak Hill Cemetery, at 3001 R Street Northwest in Georgetown, opened in 1849 and was founded by banker William Wilson Corcoran. Its Gothic Revival chapel was designed by architect James Renwick Jr. The hilly, wooded grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Call 202-337-2835 for visiting hours, burial availability and records requests.

Two Catholic-affiliated sites sit nearby. Holy Rood Cemetery is at 2128 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, and Georgetown University Cemetery is at 2801 New Mexico Avenue Northwest (202-687-3021). Washington Methodist Cemetery is on River Road Northwest (202-362-2685). Each serves a particular community, so ask who may be buried there before assuming a plot is available.

Rock Creek Church Yard and Cemetery, reached from Webster Street Northwest, surrounds St. Paul's Rock Creek Parish, one of the oldest congregations in the capital. The neighboring Washington Rock Creek Cemetery, listed on Rock Creek Parkway Northwest (202-829-0585), is home to the Adams Memorial, the hooded bronze figure by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Our church yard entry carries the same phone number as Congressional Cemetery, so confirm you have the right office.

Farther north, Battleground National Cemetery at 6625 Georgia Avenue Northwest holds Union soldiers killed in the July 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens. It is a small historic site managed by the National Park Service. People visit it for remembrance and history, not for new burials.

Northeast and Southeast Washington: Large Grounds Along the Main Roads

The northeast quadrant has the densest cluster. Mount Olivet Cemetery sits at 1300 Bladensburg Road Northeast (202-399-3000). Washington Glenwood Cemetery is at 2219 Lincoln Road Northeast (202-667-1016), and Washington St Marys Catholic Cemetery is at 2121 Lincoln Road Northeast (202-635-7444). Washington Prospect Hill Cemetery, at 2201 North Capitol Street Northeast (202-667-0676), is close by. If you are comparing sites, you can visit several in one afternoon.

Southeast Washington adds very different places. Washington Woodlawn Cemetery at 4611 Benning Road Southeast has long been associated with prominent African American Washingtonians, including Senator Blanche K. Bruce. Our listing shows a 301 area code (301-613-6002), so verify that number before relying on it. The two Jewish cemeteries at 1380 and 1400 Alabama Avenue Southeast serve their congregations.

Congressional Cemetery dates to 1807 and lies near the Anacostia River on the east side of Capitol Hill. It holds composer John Philip Sousa and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, along with many early members of Congress, some remembered by cenotaphs. Its dog-walking program, listed as CemeteryDogs, shares the 202-543-0539 number. Check the current permit rules before bringing a pet.

Veterans and Federal Burial Options in Washington

Many people assume Arlington National Cemetery is in the District. It is not. Arlington is in Virginia and is run by the Army under its own eligibility rules. Inside the District, federal burial sites include Soldiers Home National Cemetery at 21 Harewood Road Northwest (202-829-1829). A second listing, United States Soldiers and Airmens Home National Cemetery at 3700 North Capitol Street Northwest (202-722-6624), appears to relate to the same Armed Forces Retirement Home campus.

The National Cemetery Administration lists an office at 810 Vermont Avenue Northwest (202-273-6698). That is an administrative address, not a burial ground. VA national cemeteries provide a gravesite, opening and closing, a headstone or marker, and a burial flag at no charge to eligible veterans. Bring the veteran's discharge papers, usually form DD-214. Ask whether the Soldiers' Home grounds currently accept new interments, since space at older national cemeteries is very limited.

Before You Call a Washington Cemetery: A Short Checklist

The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to give you an itemized price list on request. Cemeteries are treated separately, so ask for their charges directly rather than assuming the funeral home's quote includes them.

Reading the Washington Listings: Duplicates, Offices and Programs

Not every entry in our District of Columbia records is a place where people are buried. Mount Olivet appears twice under slightly different names, with the same address and phone. The National Cemetery Administration and "Us National Cemetery Adm" entries both point to 810 Vermont Avenue Northwest. Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign Cemetery, at 1201 I Street Northwest, appears to be an organization's office rather than a burial ground. The Flight 93 National Memorial itself is in Pennsylvania.

Treat phone numbers as a starting point and confirm before you travel. When details conflict, the cemetery's own office is the best source for hours, fees and rules. For the full set of local entries, return to the District of Columbia County listings.

Government cemeteries in District of Columbia include facilities administered by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries funded through state and federal partnerships, and local municipal and county cemeteries operated by city and county governments throughout the state.

Cemetery locations are available in 1 cities across District of Columbia. They are spread across 1 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Washington, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in District of Columbia may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the District of Columbia Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Services to confirm eligibility requirements and available state-operated facilities.

Cemetery by Counties

D

Families and genealogists in District of Columbia can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many District of Columbia counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

Browse Cemetery by county across District of Columbia to find the nearest location.

Practical Tips for Visiting and Researching Graves in Washington, DC

Most cemeteries here keep daytime hours, but gates, office hours and event closures vary, so phone first. Historic grounds such as Congressional Cemetery, Oak Hill and Rock Creek are walkable and popular for tours, photography and quiet reflection. Wear sturdy shoes, because older paths are uneven and some sections slope steeply. Weekday mornings are generally calmest, while Memorial Day weekend draws crowds at veterans' sites.

Researching an ancestor takes a few steps. Start with the cemetery office, since parish and association ledgers often list plot numbers and burial dates. For older material, the Washingtoniana collection at the DC Public Library's central library holds local history sources, and period newspapers often printed burial notices. Recent death records are restricted, so usually only certain relatives can obtain certified copies through DC Health.

When you call, keep a short list ready: the person's full name, approximate death date, last address and any known religious affiliation. That information helps staff search quickly. It also separates two people with the same name who were buried in different cemeteries across the city. Small congregational cemeteries may have limited hours, so leave a clear message with your number.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cemeteries in the District of Columbia

No. The District has no counties, and its government does not operate the cemeteries in our listings. We group all 23 Washington entries under "District of Columbia County" only for organization. In practice, cemeteries here are run by congregations, nonprofit associations, private companies, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the National Park Service. To find the right contact, identify the cemetery by name and address, then call its office directly. Your funeral director can also tell you which cemeteries they work with regularly and which are still offering new graves.

No. Arlington National Cemetery is across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia. The U.S. Army manages it with its own eligibility rules and scheduling process. Inside the District, veterans' options include Soldiers Home National Cemetery on Harewood Road Northwest and the Soldiers and Airmens Home listing on North Capitol Street Northwest. Call 202-829-1829 or 202-722-6624 to ask about current availability. The National Cemetery Administration, reachable at 202-273-6698, can explain eligibility for other VA national cemeteries in the region. Have the veteran's DD-214 ready when you call.

Congressional Cemetery, at 1801 E Street Southeast, runs a dog-walking program that appears in our records as CemeteryDogs. Participation is organized through the cemetery's association, with registration and rules for owners, and it helps support upkeep of the historic grounds. Terms, fees and hours can change, so call 202-543-0539 for current requirements before bringing a pet. The grounds are also visited by people without dogs who come to see burials such as composer John Philip Sousa and J. Edgar Hoover. Ask staff about maps and the oldest sections.

Start with the funeral home that handled arrangements, since it will have the cemetery name on file. A death certificate also records where the body was buried or otherwise handled. If you have neither, call cemeteries near the person's old neighborhood or matching their faith, such as Mount Olivet, Glenwood or Prospect Hill in Northeast. For a veteran, the VA's Nationwide Gravesite Locator covers national cemeteries. For older graves, church records and the Washingtoniana collection at the DC Public Library can fill in gaps.

Expect to provide a death certificate, which your funeral director normally files with DC Health. Cemeteries also ask for an authorization signed by the next of kin or another legally authorized person. If a plot already exists, bring the deed or purchase agreement. Veterans' burials in national cemeteries require discharge papers, usually form DD-214. Each cemetery sets its own scheduling and payment terms, so ask for the requirements in writing. That avoids delays on the day, particularly at small church-run cemeteries with limited staff.

Not always. Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery and Adas Israel Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, both on Alabama Avenue Southeast, mainly serve their own communities. Catholic sites such as Mount Olivet, St Marys and Holy Rood often follow church guidelines, and Georgetown University Cemetery is tied to the university. Policies on non-members, spouses of another faith and cremated remains differ from place to place. Call the office, such as 202-562-1807 for Washington Hebrew or 202-562-5831 for Adas Israel, and ask directly before making plans.