Historic Canals of Washington D.C.

LocktoberfestDC explores the two major canals of 19th-century Washington D.C. as depicted in the map below:

The C&O Canal was connected to the Washington City Canal by the C&O Canal Extension.  Thus, these historic canals connected the Potomac River and the Anacostia River through the city center. 

Click on Festival Summary to learn about - and register for - each of the LocktoberfestDC walks and bike rides that explore these two historic canals. See below to learn more about the two major canals of 19th-century Washington D.C., as well as related historical maps and historical artwork.

Washington City Canal

In early 1791, President George Washington appointed Pierre L'Enfant to devise a plan for the new federal city that would include a system of canals.  Construction of  the Washington City Canal began in 1810 and was completed in 1815.  It connected the Anacostia River (known as the "Eastern Branch" until 1834)  to the Potomac River, enabling goods to be moved by boat across the city.  In 1832 the Washington City Canal was connected to the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, enabling goods from as far as western Maryland to be moved by boat into the city.  The Washington City Canal fell into disuse in the late 1850s, becoming a open sewer until it was gradually covered over from 1871 to the late 1880s.

To learn more about the Washington City Canal, click here

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, or C&O Canal, operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland.  Construction on the 184.5-mile canal began in 1828 and ended in 1850.  Rising and falling over an elevation change of 605 feet, the C&O Canal required the construction of 74 canal locks, 11 aqueducts to cross major streams, and more than 240 culverts to cross smaller streams.  It is now maintained as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, managed by the National Park Service.

To learn more about the C&O Canal, click here to visit the C&O Canal Trust website.

C&O Canal Extension

The C&O Canal Extension hugged the D.C. shoreline of the Potomac River to connect the  C&O Canal to the Washington City Canal in 1832.  The extension enabled boats to exit the tide lock at the southern terminus of the C&O Canal and travel along the Potomac River shoreline and enter the tide lock at the western terminus of the Washington City Canal.

Once the C&O Canal and Washington City Canal were connected, a canal boat carrying coal from the Allegheny Mountains in western Maryland could travel to D.C. via the C&O Canal and deliver its goods to customers in the city via the Washington City Canal.  For example, the Washington Navy Yard produced war munitions in the 19th century, and thus required lots of coal.

To learn more about the C&O Canal Extension, click here to visit the National Park Service website.

Historical Maps

The following maps have been annotated and are available from the Library of Congress:

Of course, the 1792 map was only a plan because the construction of the Washington City Canal was 1810-1815.  If you look carefully you can see the differences between the 1792 plan and the actual paths of the Washington City Canal in the 1837 and 1851 maps.

L'Enfant's 1791 Plan of the City of Washington D.C.

Ellicott's 1792 Plan of the City of Washington D.C.


1837 Map


1851 Map

Historical Artwork

Here are some beautiful paintings by artist Peter Waddell illustrating City of Washington D.C. as it looked in years past. 

The first painting below illustrates the city in the year Pierre L'Enfant died (1825).  Note the Washington City Canal whose Western Terminus is just south of the White House and whose Navy Yard Terminus and Greenleaf Point Terminus are south of the U.S Capitol on the right-hand side of the painting.  Note also Rock Creek in the far left of the painting.  The C&O Canal, which would terminate near the mouth of Rock Creek, would not begin construction for another three years (1828).  The Lockkeeper's House, whose site is the Western Terminus of the Washington City Canal, would not be constructed for another twelve years (1837). 

"The Village Monumental, Washington 1825" original oil painting by Peter Waddell. Collection of Albert H Small Washingtoniana collection George Washington University Museum Washington DC.  

"The canal in Georgetown 1888" oil painting by Peter Waddell.  Notice the recently-completed Washington Monument in the background.

"The Tow Path" oil painting by Peter Waddell.  Notice the young man standing in the C&O canal, showing how boats could travel in relatively shallow water.