DC Neighborhoods
One of DC’s most consequential neighborhoods right now — and one of its least covered. CareFirst Arena, the Mystics, the St. Elizabeths redevelopment, and a community that has been here the whole time.
Congress Heights doesn’t perform for the rest of the city. It’s been building something real.
Staying Near Congress Heights DC
Congress Heights has limited hotel options — nearby Capitol Hill and Navy Yard have the closest stays with Green Line Metro access to the neighborhood and CareFirst Arena.
Marriott Marquis DC
Convention Center location — Green Line direct to Congress Heights in about 20 minutes.
Check RatesKimpton The George
Capitol Hill boutique hotel — Green Line at Navy Yard-Ballpark, one transfer to Congress Heights.
Check RatesHampton Inn Convention Center
Reliable, free breakfast. Green Line direct to Congress Heights station.
Check RatesBrowse VRBO Near Southeast DC
Short-term rentals in Anacostia and Navy Yard put you closest to Congress Heights and CareFirst Arena.
Check RatesCongress Heights is one of DC’s most consequential neighborhoods right now — and one of its least covered. Located in Southeast DC in Ward 8, it’s where the Washington Mystics play, where the Wizards practice, where the St. Elizabeths East campus is being transformed into one of the largest mixed-use developments east of the Anacostia River, and where the city has made its most significant investment in a historically underserved community in a generation.
Where Congress Heights Is
Southeast Washington DC, just south of Anacostia and east of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. The Congress Heights Metro station on the Green Line connects directly to downtown — about 20 minutes to Gallery Place. The neighborhood is centered on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and Alabama Avenue SE.
CareFirst Arena and the Mystics
CareFirst Arena at 1100 Oak Drive SE — formerly the Entertainment and Sports Arena, renamed in 2025 — is the anchor of Congress Heights’ transformation. The 4,200-seat arena opened in September 2018 on the former St. Elizabeths Hospital grounds, built for $69 million with significant DC government investment.
The arena is the permanent home of the Washington Mystics — the WNBA team that won the 2019 championship. It also serves as the Washington Wizards practice facility. Concerts, community events, boxing, and esports round out the programming calendar.
St. Elizabeths East: The Broader Development
The St. Elizabeths East campus is undergoing one of DC’s largest mixed-use redevelopments. The historic brick buildings of the former psychiatric hospital are being converted to affordable housing, retail space, office space, and community uses. Plans project thousands of new housing units, significant new retail, and major job creation specifically targeting Ward 7 and 8 residents. Nearly half of the arena construction hires lived in Wards 7 or 8. Over 65% of contracts went to DC-certified small businesses.
The History of Congress Heights
Congress Heights is one of DC’s oldest Black communities — a neighborhood that developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and has maintained a continuous African American residential character through decades of disinvestment, urban renewal, and now the current development moment. The transformation of the St. Elizabeths campus is the most visible sign that something has changed — that Ward 8, long overlooked by city investment, is receiving attention that longtime residents have been demanding for decades.
Getting Around Congress Heights
Metro: Congress Heights (Green Line) — 20 minutes to Gallery Place. Bus: Multiple Metrobus routes on MLK Avenue SE and Alabama Avenue SE. By car: Anacostia Freeway (I-295) and South Capitol Street — 15–20 minutes to downtown without traffic. Parking near CareFirst Arena on event nights requires advance planning. See our complete DC parking guide.
Congress Heights DC Quick Reference
- Location Southeast DC, Ward 8, south of Anacostia
- Metro Congress Heights (Green Line) — 20 min to downtown
- Main corridors Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Alabama Avenue SE
- Arena CareFirst Arena — 4,200 seats, home of Washington Mystics WNBA
- Development St. Elizabeths East campus — massive mixed-use redevelopment
- Mystics 2019 WNBA champions, home games at CareFirst Arena
- Wizards Practice facility at CareFirst Arena campus
- Housing Significantly lower prices than comparable northwest DC properties
- Best for Families, homebuyers, community-rooted living, Mystics fans
Bottom Line
Congress Heights is one of DC’s most consequential neighborhoods right now — genuinely changing, with significant community investment and a development model designed to serve the people already here.
For the neighborhood to the north: Anacostia DC Guide. For Ward 8 south: Washington Highlands Guide. Full city picture: DC Neighborhoods Guide.
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