District Relations

When it Comes to the City We Live In and Love, GW Shares More Than A Name

Located in the heart of the nation’s capital, GW has become well known for its close proximity to world leaders and powerful institutions. But GW embraces the entire city - from the Capitol dome to its own historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood. D.C.s urban politics, social challenges, and local economy have become intertwined with the university’s character and mission.

GW is an economic engine as well as an academic and cultural resource. Nearly 2,500 faculty members and 20,000 students make their academic home at our Foggy Bottom/West End and Mount Vernon campuses, and more than 27,000 GW alumni live and/or work in the District. They learn, teach, and work side by side with the city’s diverse community of elected officials, social service agencies, neighborhood activists, and small business owners.

These long standing relationships stimulate discovery and cultivate understanding. This spirit of mutually beneficial partnership is reflected in GW’s 20 year plan for it’s Foggy Bottom campus and 10 year plan for it's Mount Vernon Campus (PDF)- the product of a community based process that resulted in a plan that offers shared benefits for the university, its community, and the District.

That’s what makes our university unique: GW is in and of D.C.