The area was first settled around 1665 and in 1751, Georgetown was founded. It was part of the land granted by Maryland in 1790 to the federal government for a national capital and in 1871 it became part of Washington D.C..

It is a charming residential section of the capital and there are numerous picturesque old houses, which add to its colonial atmosphere. Georgetown is home to Georgetown University, with its renowned foreign-service school.

• Canal Square Building was once home to the Tabulating Machine Company, which later became IBM. It is located at 1054 31st Street.
• The City Tavern Club was built in 1796, making it the oldest commercial structure in Washington, D.C. It was beautifully restored and opened as a private club in 1962, but it closed in 2024.
• The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) operated from 1831 until 1924. It is 297 km (184.5 mi) lang and connects Washington, D.C. with Cumberland in Maryland.
• Dumbarton Court.
• Dumbarton Oaks and its surrounding gardens were founded in 1801. The building was enlarged in the 19th century and it was acquired by the wealthy U.S. diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss in 1920 and subsequently donated it to Harvard University in 1940. It was also the former home of U.S. vice president John C. Calhoun. Dumbarton Oaks is located at 3101 R Street.
• Evermay was built in 1801.
• The Forrest-Marbury House was built in 1788 and it is located in 3350 M Street.
• Healy Hall is the flagship building of the main campus of Georgetown University. It was constructed in Flemish Romanesque style between 1877 and 1879.
• Mount Zion Cemetery.
• The Oak Hill Cemetery was established in 1848. It features a Gothic Revival chapel and gates. Abraham Lincoln's son Willie was once temporarily buried there.
• The Old Stone House was built in 1765, making it the oldest dwelling in Washington D.C. It is located on M Street.
• Tudor Place was built in 1815.
• Visitation School.
• The Volta Laboratory and Bureau is also known as the Alexander Graham Bell Laboratory, the Bell Carriage House and the Bell Laboratory. It was established in 1881 by Alexander Graham Bell to be his formal research laboratory. The profits were subsequently used to create an institution for the deaf. It still operates today as the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and is also known as the 'AG Bell'.

• Georgetown Lutheran Church was originally built in 1769, but it was later rebuilt several times. The current building dates from 1914. It was the first church in Georgetown.
• Georgetown Presbyterian Church was originally established in 1780 on Bridge Street, later renamed to M Street. The current church building is located on P Street and it was constructed in 1881.
• Holy Trinity Church.
• Mount Zion United Methodist Church.

Accommodation and restaurants are available in town. Most of the high-end shops, bars and restaurants are located around the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Waterfront restaurants are located around Washington Harbour.

Georgetown is on the Potomac River near the confluence of Rock Creek in the west of the District of Columbia.

Healy Hall ©Warren LeMay

O Street ©Warren LeMay

Visitation School ©Warren LeMay

Healy Hall ©Warren LeMay

C&O Canal ©Warren LeMay

M Street ©Warren LeMay

M Street ©Warren LeMay

N Street ©Warren LeMay

Holy Trinity Church ©Warren LeMay