District of Columbia Census

Population Schedules
Starting in 1790, federal population schedules were taken every 10 years in the United States. Click here for more information about federal census records.

Non-Population Schedules for District of Columbia
Federal non-population schedules included such things mortality schedules, agriculture schedules, slave schedules, and manufacturing schedules.

Existing and lost censuses
For a list of available and missing District of Columbia censuses, click here.

Online Federal District and Colonial Censuses
In addition to the federal censuses, district censuses were taken beginning in 1803. Those for 1803, 1807, and 1818 have little information, but those for 1867 and 1878 are quite detailed. They provide name, age, sex, marital status, color, length of residence, occupation, and nativity of parents. These are at the Maryland State Archives. Police censuses were also taken in 1885, 1894, 1897, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1915, 1917, 1919, and 1925 (the 1925 census is missing). These are similar in content to the 1820 federal census and were published in the Annual Reports of the Commissioner of the District of Columbia, which are available at the National Archives.


 * 1919 Police Census
 * 1915 Police Census
 * 1913 Police Census
 * 1912 Police Census
 * 1905-1909 Police Census
 * 1897 Police Census
 * 1888 Police Census
 * 1885 Police Census
 * 1878 District Census
 * 1867 District Census
 * 1818 District Census
 * 1807 District Census
 * 1803 District Census
 * 1798 District Census

Other Census Images

 * 1890 D.C. veterans schedules for military forts, prisons, posts, etc. This does not include veterans living off their post among the civilians of D.C. whose schedules were destroyed. The veterans military posts schedule for 1890 (FS Library ).

Why Use the Census?
State census records can be one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. Information varies based on year and location, but information that may be included in a census can include:
 * Name of each person in the family at the time the census was taken
 * Street or Avenue, or number Rural Free Delivery
 * Sex
 * Age
 * Color
 * Nativity
 * Place of birth of this person
 * Place of birth of Father of this person
 * Place of birth of Mother of this person
 * Period of Residence
 * How long a resident of this State (years and months)
 * How long a resident of this enumeration district (years and months)
 * Regular occupation
 * Military service