Best Time to Visit Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
AugustBest month to visit
Find places to stay →Our recommendation
Visit Carter G. Woodson Home in August
August offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, February is the most crowded month (~2.4× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
2K
2018
Busiest month
Feb
2.4× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.4× avg
10-yr trend
steady
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More photos of Carter G. Woodson Home
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Carter G. Woodson Home by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 2017–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 78 Excellent | 9.6 h |
| February | Very busy | 9 Poor | 10.5 h |
| March | Busy | 47 Fair | 11.7 h |
| April | Average | 67 Good | 13.0 h |
| May | Quiet | 81 Excellent | 14.1 h |
| June | Very busy | 28 Poor | 14.7 h |
| July | Busy | 63 Good | 14.5 h |
| August★ best | Quiet | 84 Excellent | 13.5 h |
| September | Quiet | 78 Excellent | 12.2 h |
| October | Quiet | 73 Good | 11.0 h |
| November | Very quiet | 75 Excellent | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 75 Excellent | 9.3 h |
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About visiting Carter G. Woodson Home
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in DC and one of the system's hidden, low-traffic units, drawing about 2,000 recreation visits in 2018. Visitation has held fairly steady over the past decade. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: February is the busiest month at about 2.4× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.4× — a 6-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 34% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. If avoiding people matters most, January offers the thinnest crowds of the year, though you'll trade some warmth and daylight for the solitude. Daylight ranges from about 9.3 hours in midwinter to 14.7 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 2017–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Before Dr. Carter G. Woodson, there was very little accurate written history about the lives and experiences of Americans of African descent. Today a National Historic Site, Dr. Woodson’s home served as the headquarters for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Dr. Woodson established Negro History Week here in 1926, which we celebrate today as Black History Month.
Weather & conditions
Winter: Temperatures usually range from 30 to 50 F. There is occasional snow. Spring: Temperatures usually range widely from 40 to 70 F. Rain is common. Summer: Temperatures usually range from 70 to 90 F. Humidity is usually high. Be prepared and drink plenty of water. There is a water fountain in the visitor center. Fall: Temperatures usually range widely from 40 to 70 F. Humidity can remain high in the earlier part of the season.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Carter G. Woodson Home
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. August is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Carter G. Woodson Home
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Getting to Carter G. Woodson Home
The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), about 6 mi (12 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Carter G. Woodson Home by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
August offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site. The park is busiest in February (about 2.4× the average month) and quietest in January.
February is the busiest month at Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, running roughly 2.4 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, at about 0.4× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site recorded about 1,954 recreation visits in 2018. Visitation has been steady over the past decade.
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, about 6 mi (12 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
0 mi away · best in January
1 mi away · best in January
1 mi away · best in January
1 mi away · best in January
1 mi away · best in January
2 mi away · best in February
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Carter G. Woodson Home
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Beaverdam Creek Reservior Lake water qualityGrade A · 28 mi · VA
- Goose Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 29 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 29 mi · VA
- Smith Lake water qualityGrade A · 36 mi · VA
- Burke Lake water qualityGrade C · 18 mi · VA
Beach water quality near Carter G. Woodson Home
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Bay Ridge At Bay Dr. water qualityGrade A · 30 mi · MD
- Highland Beach water qualityGrade A · 30 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At River Dr. water qualityGrade A · 31 mi · MD
- Chesapeake Station water qualityGrade A · 31 mi · MD
- Mountain Point At Gibson Island water qualityGrade A · 33 mi · MD
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (2017–2025). Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.