In addition to varying widely by grade level and enrollment category, students in some wards of the city travel farther than others. Examining travel distances by 2022 Ward boundaries, students living in Wards 5, 7, and 8 travel farther than the city median typically, while students in Wards 2, 3, and 6 travel the shortest median distance. Walk distances by ward have trended up slightly in Wards 1, 7, and 8 since SY13-14.
Citywide Walk Distance from Home to School by Ward, 2013-2021
Source: OSSE Audited Enrollment, SY13-14 to SY21-22
Across both sectors, students in neighborhoods with physical barriers, like highways and parks, travel the farthest to school, on average. Predictably, these distances vary by grade band and enrollment category. However, students in neighborhoods like Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Kenilworth, Colonial Village, Fairfax Village, and Hillbrook (Clusters 44, 29, 16, 35, and 30) consistently travel the farthest, and students in Shaw and Downtown (Clusters 7 and 8) consistently travel the shortest distances. Citywide, over 25,000 (29%) PK3-12 students travel 3 or more miles to school. In addition to neighborhood clusters, view median walk distances by Comprehensive Plan planning area and wards (2022 and 2012 boundaries) using the options below.
Walk Distance from Home to School by Geography, 2021
Source: OSSE Audited Enrollment, SY21-22