DC's Office of Planning created this site to show a wide range of site-related information easily, especially for historic resources.
PropertyQuest draws from databases provided by other DC agencies. Information is presented here for planning purposes only. Please consult the source agencies for definitive answers, or see the Help for more details.
This software updated March 29, 2022.
About the Data
PropertyQuest doesn't contain any data at all. It searches data made available by DC agencies, including:
The Office of Planning for historic resources, census information, and boundaries of Chinatown and the jurisdiction of the Commission of Fine Arts.
The Office of Tax and Revenue, Real Property Tax Administration for ownership information, tax information, and street-level photos.
The Office of Zoning for zoning information.
The Office of the Chief Technology Officer's Geographic Information Systems team for DC�s Master Address Repository, base, aerial photos, and the online services that make all of DC's spatial information available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of searches can I do?
To search by address, type it like this:
1100 4th Street SW
To search by square and lot:
542 872
(to search for lot 872 in square 542)
To a location on the map, just click it (or touch it if you are on a touch-enabled device.)
Can I make business or real-estate decisions based on information from site?
We recommend against it. This site is a planning tool. Please consult the source agencies for definitive answers.
Can I use the maps and other information for my own purposes?
Absolutely!
Why doesn�t the zoning information match the maps provided by the Office of Zoning?
This tool provides the most up-to-date electronic information on zoning distributed by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer on behalf of the Office of Zoning. Printed maps from the Office of Zoning and .pdf maps from their website may not be updated on the same schedule. For more information and definitive answers on zoning questions, please contact the Office of Zoning.
Why did zoning change in September, 2016?
PropertyQuest is designed to display the zoning currently in effect. Zoning designations were updated city-wide as of September 6, 2016. For more information please contact the Office of Zoning.
Why are multiple zones listed?
PropertyQuest searches the data published by the Office of Zoning using the lot you have selected. In some cases one part of a lot may be zoned differently than another. In other cases, multiple zones may be listed due to imprecision in how lot or zoning boundaries are drawn in the city's records. We always recommend that you check with the relevant city agency for authoritative information.
Does PropertyQuest report on Downtown Zoning Subareas and Designated Streets?
PropertyQuest now reports information on downtown zoning subareas based on information published by the Office of Zoning. This version does not yet report on downtown designated streets.
Why is my site listed as historic when it really is not?
Although this version of PropertyQuest ignores the last meter (about 3 feet) along the edge of each property, in some cases a property on the edge of a Historic District or adjacent to a historic property may be identified as historic when it should not be. This is typically the result of misalignment between property boundaries and other historic records. In other cases, the available boundary information may not be completly correct -- please let us know, and we will do our best to correct any errors.
Why is my site listed within the jurisdiction of the Commission of Fine Arts when it is not?
When this tool was created, definitive boundaries for the area within this jurisdiction were not available. We use an approximation, and attempt to err on the side of inclusion.
What is a "base flood elevation" and why is that relevant to whether or not a site is in the 100-year floodplain?
Sites designated by FEMA as within the 100-year floodplan are generally astride DC's major rivers, and include data for base flood elevations. Additional sites designated by FEMA as within the 100-year floodplain due to the potential for interior flooding within the city in the event of dam failure are listed without base flood elevation data. For more information on this please consult FEMA or the District's Department of Energy and Environment.
Why do I see information on an associated air rights lot when I search by lot, but not when I search for the address on the same lot (or vice versa)?
PropertyQuest uses specific locations to search for certain information like air rights lots. If you search by address, it uses the location of that address in the city's Master Address Repository. If you search by lot, it finds the lot in the city's property records and then uses the center point of that lot to look for certain information, including air rights lots. In some cases one of those two locations may be included in an air rights lot, but not the other.
Troubleshooting
Printing is not formatted well.
We hope to improve print formatting in future versions.
Sometimes PropertyQuest doesn't work and displays an error message.
We rely on several different servers and services to make PropertyQuest work, and sometimes one or more aren't working, or are working too slowly to be useful. Wait a few minutes and try again - and if the problem recurs, please copy the message into an email and send it to us, so we can make this service better.
Some locations don't include photos.
There are some locations where that information may not be available. Areas around the White House, for example, may be omitted for security reasons. Street photos may also not be available where buildings are missing or new when the photos were taken.
I see an address on labeled on the map that I can't find successfully through a search
Addresses on the map come from DC's tax records and may not be completely current or correct. Addresses used for searching on this site come from DC's Master Address Repository, and are the most up-to-date information available.
The zoning information I see does not match the maps provided by the Office of Zoning.
This tool provides the most up-to-date electronic information on zoning distributed by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer on behalf of the Office of Zoning. Printed maps from the Office of Zoning and .pdf maps from their website may not always be updated on the same schedule. For more information and definitive answers on zoning questions, please contact the Office of Zoning.
Why is the historic resource next door affecting my lot?
The property boundaries shown in our electronic records don't always match the locations of buildings and other resources exactly. Although this tool ignores the last meter (about 3 feet) along the edge of each property, it will still occasionally pick up something from an adjacent lot. PropertyQuest shows you a map so you can double-check what it reports.
Why does PropertyQuest say I am in the CFA area when I'm not?
Substantial judgement can be required to correctly deliniate the areas that "front or abut" the locations specified in the Shipstead-Luce Act. PropertyQuest uses an approximation developed by the Office of Planning, but final decisions are the business of the Commssion of Fine Arts. As with all other information provided by PropertyQuest, we recommend checking with the authoritative source.
What happened to the original PropertyQuest? Can I use it instead?
The original version of PropertyQuest relied on Flash from Adobe. While there was much to like about that technology, it now presents increasingly troubling security concerns. Also, sites based on Flash won't run on phones or tablets from Apple. Most organizations, including ours, are phasing it out. Sorry, but we can't make it available any longer.
I am able to run the software, but what I see seems to be wrong.
It�s possible that the information we have is incorrect; please let us check. Please contact our office at (202) 442 7600 if you have questions about the accuracy of what you are seeing. We always recommend using this site as a planning tool only, and not as the basis for making financial decisions.
Contact us
This site is a product of the District of Columbia�s Office of Planning and its Geographic Information Systems team. You can contact us during normal business hours at (202) 442-7600.
