Season guide · Washington, D.C. · United States
Washington, D.C. in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
Cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, mild weather and the busiest crowds of the year, including school groups; book hotels and timed passes early. Expect highs up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 33 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 24°C (75°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 33
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 14°C (57°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 11 | 11.8 h | 4/5 |
| April | 20°C (68°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 11 | 13.2 h | 5/5 |
| May | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 11 | 14.3 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 19°C (66°F) against a yearly 20°C (68°F), and 33 of the year's roughly 116 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: National Cherry Blossom Festival (usually late March to mid-April)
- April: National Cherry Blossom Festival parade (usually a Saturday in early-to-mid April)
- May: Passport DC — embassy open houses (usually May)
- May: National Memorial Day Parade on Constitution Avenue (Memorial Day)
Good choices for spring
Architecture · Capitol Hill
United States Capitol
The domed seat of Congress can be toured from the underground Capitol Visitor Center.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Architecture · Capitol Hill
Library of Congress (Jefferson Building)
Head up to the Main Reading Room overlook first, then come back down to the Great Hall for photographs.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · National Mall
National Air and Space Museum
The Smithsonian's flagship aviation museum on the Mall holds the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- Iconic
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Museum · National Mall
National Museum of Natural History
Go to the Hope Diamond on the second floor first thing; the gem hall gets very crowded by midday.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · National Mall
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Opened in 2016 in a bronze-latticed building by David Adjaye, the museum's history galleries begin several floors underground with the transatlantic slave trade and climb through emancipation, segregation and the civil-rights movement to the present.
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Day trips in spring
- Mount Vernon (About 30–40 minutes by car) — George Washington's riverside estate includes the mansion, his tomb, working outbuildings, a reconstructed distillery and gristmill nearby and gardens overlooking the Potomac.
- Old Town Alexandria (About 20 minutes by Metro) — An 18th-century port town on the Potomac with cobbled lanes, Federal townhouses, King Street's shops and restaurants and the Torpedo Factory Art Center, where artists work in open studios by the river.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Washington, D.C.?
Yes: April–May are among the best months. Cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, mild weather and the busiest crowds of the year, including school groups; book hotels and timed passes early.
+What is the weather like in Washington, D.C. in spring?
Highs of up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 33 rainy days over the season.