Is Washington safe for solo female travelers?

Solo travel

I visited Washington DC in April 20 25 with the primary purpose of attend attending a music festival and a secondary purpose of exploring the city if I had some downtime Public transport was easy to navigate and very safe as well as cost-efficient. I was able to get the transit card loaded onto my Apple wallet and top up using Apple Pay. I stayed at a hostel and had no problems meeting fellow travellers who were also solo I thought the city had a lot to offer, and I barely scraped the surface with the amount of time I had My personal highlights included at the Smithsonian zoo I feel like this can be a very affordable destination, considering that a lot of the attractions are free to enter

Group travel

We stayed on AirBnb and the locality was decent but we knew we couldn’t walk around at night. People were telling us to keep our bags in places and be attentive. But we didn’t have any bad experiences. Used metro card for travelling around. There are lots of museums if you are into them. DC is mostly filled with administrative buildings. There is a zoo too. Overall the experience was good.

Group travel

We stayed at the Marriott Hotel during our exchange trip. The accommodation was decent for the experience, but unfortunately, the food at the hotel was below average. That said, the overall experience was really enjoyable. I loved exploring many of the city's monuments, and we even got the chance to attend a baseball game, which was a highlight! For food, I highly recommend Elephant & Castle and Pizza Uno at Union Station they were definitely a step up from the hotel dining. My favorite place was the National Gallery of Art a must-visit if you're in the city. Overall, the city felt quite safe, and I had a great time discovering it.

Solo travel

DC was amazing! Lots to see and do. Feels v safe especially in tourists area,lots of cops around as it is the capital. Food was a bit pricey but u just need to find the right restaurant. Georgetown is my fav part with lots of pretty houses and lovely shops

Group travel

Things went quite well. It was a Pokemon tournament, Worlds 2019, so it was a safe neighborhood. There was a nice hotel around the corner, cheap and simple bus transit to the post office and bus station. Starbucks by the convention center! When split with a group of 5, the hotel was super affordable. I think i spent 3-500 on the trip!

I have never felt unsafe in DC during the day. It is a small city, with most activities clustered in the center. Public transportation, especially the metro, is safe and clean. Trains run consistently until closing. I have not personally been sexually harassed while riding the metro. At night, everyone should take common sense precautions, but I have not felt scared going home from a night out. Most violent crime is localized in non touristy areas.

It’s overall pretty safe as long as you’re staying where the most people are and just avoid specific dark streets with no lights or not much people. Sometimes I felt unsafe when I was alone in the dark but now I know how to avoid these situations

DC proper is quite safe for a solo female. I’ve never felt unsafe walking around alone as it is a busy place and you will encounter many other people outside. I would exercise caution after dark just like with any other place.

Washington state is a great place to live in and has moderate to low crime rates where I live. Staying out of the higher crime rate areas is a most, of course, but as is everywhere. Keep yourself protected if you feel uncertain of your surroundings! Pepper spray, etc. I don't walk outside at night besides the neighborhood I live in, but that's because I'm afraid of the dark. Lol.

The crime level here is pretty low, I’ve never been mugged or jumped here and while there are some sketchy parts of the city, it’s always best to use common sense and not wander around alone after dark.