Washington, D.C
See pictures of cherry blossom trees near peak bloom in Washington, D.C.
Cherry blossom season has arrived in Washington, D.C., where pink and white flowers dot thousands of trees around the city as this year’s peak bloom approaches. To celebrate the iconic springtime sight, locals and tourists alike can participate in the National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual event series that runs for four weeks and features a mix of art, music, food and more.
Originally a gift from Japan to the United States, the capital’s cherry blossoms appear along the Tidal Basin and in parks near several of the capital’s monuments and memorials.
Images show buds unfurling on cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, where flowering branches create some dazzling views in the foreground of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument. This picture was taken Friday, March 21, when peak bloom had not even arrived yet:
The National Park Service determines the cherry blossoms’ “peak bloom” date by predicting when 70% of the blossoms on the Yoshino cherry trees, which are the most common type of cherry tree planted along the Tidal Basin, will be open.
Typically, peak bloom occurs between the last week of March and the first week of April, according to the park service, which notes that forecasting the peak is impossible to do more than 10 days ahead of time. The average peak bloom date falls on April 3, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which similarly advises that the exact timing varies from year to year because warmer temperatures can encourage an earlier bloom.
Peak bloom is expected to happen sooner than the average date in 2025, with the park service estimating it will occur at some point between this Friday, March 28, and next Monday, March 31. The Yoshino trees usually bloom over the course of multiple days.
The park service’s National Mall branch announced Sunday that D.C.’s cherry trees had reached “stage 5 – Puffy white,” which is the final stage before peak bloom.
“The blossoms are starting to show, now we’re just waiting on them to open,” the agency wrote in a social media post. “Peak Bloom is next!”
There are a multitude of opportunities for people to enjoy the cherry blossoms in D.C. before they disappear for the year. The city’s Cherry Blossom Festival offers an extensive lineup of events, which are mostly free and pay homage to the city’s culture and history.
Held to commemorate the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Tokyo’s then-mayor Yukio Ozaki to Washington, D.C., the festival draws more than 1.5 million to a range of programs, according to its website. The events include a kite festival and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade.
Jeff Reinbold, the superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, said in a statement that instilling community-wide appreciation for the cherry trees is a big part of the festival’s mission.
“The National Park Service takes great pride in the work we do to care for the stars of this festival – the 3,700 cherry trees, which are both natural and cultural treasures of our city and our nation,” Reinbold said. “We encourage all visitors to the Festival to be good stewards of the trees and join us as “cherry blossom protectors” to help us preserve them for future generations and Festivals.”
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One hundred and twenty members of the Iowa National Guard are leaving Friday for Washington, D.C., where they will assist with security measures and America 250 celebrations at the request of the Trump administration.
Reynolds initially said no
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had previously declined the Trump administration’s request, citing the strain of one of the state’s largest recent deployments.
“They asked earlier, and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt that we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
Nearly 2,000 Iowa National Guard members had spent a year or more deployed to the Middle East. Those soldiers have since returned home.
Guard members now available following Middle East return
With those troops back, Reynolds said Iowa was in a position to fulfill the president’s request.
“We have them all back. They circled back, especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th uh birthday uh of our country. And so we were able to participate and do our share,” Reynolds said.
Different states have sent National Guard members to Washington, D.C., since last August.
Reynolds said the federal government will pay the costs of Iowa’s deployment to Washington, D.C.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON – Metro riders are seeing changes Thursday morning as WMATA adjusts its shuttle bus system following concerns about long lines and confusion tied to the Red Line summer shutdown.
Express shuttles to North Bethesda will now only pick up on Wisconsin Avenue near the Trader Joe’s. Local shuttles serving Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor have been moved to the Friendship Heights Metro station, while some regular Metrobus routes are picking up on Western Avenue.
Red Line Shuttle Service Updates
• Local shuttle boarding will be relocated to Bus Bay K – the current C83/D96 bus stop on Wisconsin Ave.
• C83 and D96 buses will be relocated to the bus shelter on Western Ave near Wisconsin Ave.
• Express shuttle boarding will remain in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Ave NW.
What we know:
FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Red Line riders say the shutdown has added time to their commute, though many are trying to stay positive. The shuttles connect North Bethesda and Friendship Heights through September 6, when Purple Line construction is expected to wrap up.
Metro Red Line summer shutdown leads to long shuttle lines
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
The workaround relies on dedicated shuttle bus lanes along northbound and southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 and up to Rockville Pike. But truck drivers, delivery drivers and passenger vehicles have been stopping or parking in those lanes, forcing shuttles to go around and slowing traffic.
Metro and Montgomery County police have increased enforcement to keep the lanes clear. Metro Transit Police say they asked more than 60 drivers to move out of the bus lanes in the first days of the shutdown.
Metro is also adding about 100 parking spaces at Friendship Heights in the former Lord & Taylor garage. Some Montgomery County riders are opting for the MARC train downtown instead.
Metro’s Red Line shutdown is now in full effect: Here’s what you need to know
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
The Source: Information in this article comes from WMATA and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Washington D.C. police are searching for a vandal who was caught on surveillance video slashing the tires of multiple vehicles in a Georgetown alley on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, who fled the scene on a red bicycle, targeted a Chevy Suburban and a Ford Escape on the 1700 block of 35th Street Northwest.
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