WASHINGTON – The body of President Jimmy Carter will arrive in Washington, D.C. Tuesday as the nation prepares for the official state funeral for the former Commander-in-Chief.

Carter passed away at his Georgia home on Sunday, Dec. 29. Carter died at the age of 100 after spending almost two years in at-home hospice care. He was the longest-lived president in U.S. history.

The former president has been lying in repose at the Carter Center in Atlanta since Saturday. It was the first event in a six-day series leading up to his national funeral service on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Washington National Cathedral.

When does Carter arrive in D.C.?

Former President Carter lands in D.C. around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

His remains were transported on Special Air Mission 39, which will arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and then will be transferred with ceremony to a hearse.

The family and President Carter’s remains will then travel by motorcade to the U.S. Navy Memorial and his hearse will be placed in a horse-drawn caisson for a procession to the U.S. Capitol. 

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, a service will be held for members of Congress to pay their respects in the Rotunda. 

Carter will then lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda until 9 a.m. Thursday.

The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from Monday, January 6, 2025 at approximately 7:00 p.m. through Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at approximately 4:30 a.m.:

• 13th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• 12th Street from E Street to Independence Avenue, SW
• 11th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 10th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 9th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 8th Street from E Street to D Street, NW
• 7th Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
• 6th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 5th Street from E Street to D Street, NW
• 4th Street from D Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
• 3rd Street from E Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
• Northbound 3rd Street Tunnel Exit 9 toward US Capitol
• 2nd Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 1st Street from E Street, NW to Maryland Avenue, SW
• New Jersey Avenue from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Louisiana Avenue from Columbus Circle, NE to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Delaware Avenue from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
• North Capitol Street from E Street to D Street, NW
• 1st Street from Columbus Circle, NE to Independence Avenue, SE
• D Street from 9th Street NW to 2nd Street, NE
• Indiana Avenue from 7th Street to 3rd Street, NW
• C Street from 6th Street to New Jersey Avenue, NW
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th Street to 1st Street, NW
• Constitution Avenue from 14th Street NW to 2nd Street, NE
• Madison Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, NW
• Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, SW
• Maryland Avenue from Independence Avenue to 1st Street, SW

The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.:

• Independence Avenue from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SE

The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, from approximately 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.:

• 8th Street from F Street to E Street, NW
• F Street from 9th Street to 7th Street, NW
• E Street 10th Street to 6th Street, NW

The following street will be closed intermediately to vehicle traffic on Thursday, January 9, 2025, from approximately 4:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.:

• Calvert Street from 29th Street to Connecticut Avenue, NW

The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Thursday, January 9, 2025, from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.:

• Garfield Street from Massachusetts Avenue, NW to 34th Street, NW
• 34th Street from Woodley Road to Garfield Street, NW
• Woodley Road from Wisconsin Avenue to 34th Street, NW
• Wisconsin Avenue from Lowell Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW
• Cathedral Avenue from Massachusetts Avenue to Wisconsin Avenue, NW

The following streets will be open for local traffic only on Thursday, January 9, 2025, from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.:

• Garfield Street from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
• Woodland Drive from Garfield Street to 32nd Street, NW
• 33rd Place from Cathedral Avenue to Garfield Street, NW
• Cleveland Avenue from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
• Cathedral Avenue from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
• Klingle Road from 34th Street to 32nd Street, NW
• Woodley Road from 33th Street to 32nd Street, NW
• 34th Street from Macomb Street to Woodley Road, NW
• 35th Street from Lowell Street to Woodley Road, NW
• 36th Street from Lowell Street to Woodley Road, NW
• Wisconsin Avenue from Macomb Street, NW to Lowell Street, NW
• Woodley Road from 38th Street to Wisconsin Avenue, NW
• 36th Street from Garfield Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW
• 35th Street from Garfield Street to Fulton Street, NW
• 34th Place from Garfield Street to Fulton Street, NW
• 34th Street from Garfield Street to Fulton Street, NW

The following street closures are subject to change based on unexpected conditions.

What happens at a state funeral?

According to the White House Historical Association, official state funerals for presidents traditionally last five days in length and are meticulously choreographed. 

The services are traditionally coordinated by the Army’s Military District of Washington and planning often begins early in each presidential term, the association says. 

The president, former presidents and a president-elect are all entitled to a state funeral, but the family decides if they actually get one or just how involved it will be.

The guidelines for state funerals date back to the mid-1800s and have been shaped over time. Seating arrangements, for example, are detailed with precision, with the presidential party followed by chiefs of state, arranged alphabetically by the English spelling of their countries.

The last official state funeral was for George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. Bush was laid to rest in December 2018. He was the fourth former president to have a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral.

After three days of funeral events in Washington, Bush was headed home to Texas for his burial. Similarly, Carter will be sent back to his hometown of Plains, Georgia for burial following his services in D.C.

More on the life and legacy of Jimmy Carter

James Earl Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, on October 1, 1924, into a family of peanut farmers.

There, in the peanut capital of the world, the Carter family’s Baptist roots ran deep. Jimmy, as he liked to be called, was fond of the family business. But he grew to love the life of public service even more.

In his early years, Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College, Georgia Tech and the U.S. Naval Academy. He went on to serve overseas.

He married Rosalynn Smith, and they had three sons and a daughter.

In 1962, amid the growing civil-rights movement, Carter was elected to the Georgia Senate. From there, it was on to a gubernatorial campaign in 1966. That attempt failed. But in 1971, Jimmy Carter became Georgia’s 76th governor. From there, his political career flourished.

In 1974, then-Gov. Carter announced his run for president. He won the Democratic Party nomination at the 1976 convention on the first ballot.

On Nov. 2, 1976, Jimmy Carter, campaigning as a Washington outsider, defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford and won the White House.

President Carter served one term, from 1977 to 1981. There were some monumental highs during his time in office, such as the brokering of the Camp David accord between Egypt and Israel.

But his years in office were also beset by the energy crisis, inflation, high interest rates and the infamous “444 days” of the American hostage crisis in Iran.

After losing his bid for re-election, President Carter continued to champion human rights throughout the world.

He founded The Carter Center in Atlanta to promote global health, democracy and human rights.

After his presidency, Carter also became a strong advocate of Habitat for Humanity, solidifying his legacy as one of the country’s most productive former presidents.

Over the years, he wrote more than two dozen books and continued efforts to promote worldwide peace by monitoring international elections and establishing various relief efforts.

ATLANTA — The remains of former President Jimmy Carter are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where he will be honored with a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol before lying in state through Thursday morning.

The casket carrying the 39th president will leave the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, where thousands of mourners paid their respects over the weekend, and will travel to Dobbins Air Reserve Base before boarding Special Air Mission 39 to Joint Base Andrews.

Carter died Dec. 29 at age 100.

While Carter’s four-plus decades out of office were marked by humanitarian efforts around election monitoring and tackling global public health issues, his time in Washington was marked by a tumultuous economy and international conflict, and this left him unpopular with an American public distrustful of the federal government.

Carter’s casket will leave Joint Base Andrews and travel to the U.S. Navy Memorial, paying tribute to his time in the service as a lieutenant who worked on nuclear submarines, before a horse-drawn caisson leads a procession to the Capitol.

A service in the Capitol rotunda with members of Congress is slated to begin at 3 p.m., and members of the public are invited to pay their respects until 7 a.m. Thursday, when Carter’s remains will travel to Washington National Cathedral for his National Funeral Service.

Watch the funeral events at the feed below on Tuesday, and tune in at 2:30 p.m. ET for NPR’s live special coverage:

Thursday afternoon, Carter’s remains will return to Georgia for a private service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday School well into his 90s, before he’s buried at the family home next to his wife, Rosalynn Carter.

It was a sad, sad day for Washingtonians everywhere when the National Zoo’s three beloved pandas—Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji—returned home to China in November 2023. Thankfully, two new pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, were brought back in October 2024 and are set to make their official debut in a newly renovated habitat later this month. National Zoo members can get a sneak peak from January 10–19, 2025, while the Asia Trail exhibit will open to the public on January 24, 2025. To celebrate their return, several popular hotels are offering specially themed packages, with little extras to mark this momentous occasion. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of these Washington, D.C. hotel deals.

The Watergate Hotel

Located near The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Watergate Hotel’s Welcome Home, Pandas package includes perks like complimentary round-trip transportation to and from the National Zoo (arranged by the concierge), a children’s pair of panda pajamas by Bellabubear, a commemorative panda stuffed animal and other specially themed goodies. Book your stay online with promo code PANDA at least seven days ahead and plan to arrive by March 16, 2025. History buffs will love The Watergate Hotel’s display, located just off the lobby, with photos and news clippings highlighting the infamous 1972 scandal.

Omni Shoreham Hotel

Just a 10-minute walk from the National Zoo’s Connecticut Avenue entrance, Omni Shoreham’s Zoocation package gives you deluxe overnight accommodations, a special zoo-themed welcome amenity to remember your trip by, valet parking for one vehicle and a $25 credit toward daily breakfast during your stay. Use promo code PKGZOO when booking online. Omni Shoreham’s location near the Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro stop also makes it ideal for exploring the rest of the District of Columbia.

The Melrose Georgetown Hotel and The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row

When you book a stay by March 2, 2025, at either The Melrose Georgetown Hotel or The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row, use promo code Panda to receive themed perks like welcome cocktails for two, a reusable panda bag and two panda bucket hats to commemorate their return. For every stay booked with the promotional package, a $10 donation will be made to benefit the Smithsonian Giant Panda Conservation Program. Both hotels are located in lively parts of town that are known for their shopping, dining and nightlife scenes; The Churchill is a few blocks from Dupont Circle, while The Melrose sits within walking distance of Georgetown and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Other Ways to Save Money in Washington, D.C.

One of the best parts about visiting our nation’s capital is how affordable it can be if you stick to free (or nearly free) attractions. Washington, D.C. is home to 20 Smithsonian Institution sites, including museums, galleries, gardens and the National Zoo—21 if you count the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center nearby in Chantilly, Virginia—and all are free to enter.

As for accommodations, there are a plethora of points hotels throughout the DMV (that’s D.C., Maryland and Virginia to the uninitiated). If you’re a member of Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, or World of Hyatt, among other loyalty programs—or carry certain travel rewards credit cards—that could mean cashing in your rewards points for a few free nights.

Otherwise, your best bet besides keeping an eye out for Washington, D.C. hotel deals is to opt for public transportation over pricier taxi or Uber/Lyft rides. The Metro system (WMATA), with its many rail and bus routes, is pretty intuitive and provides a safe and affordable way to get from point A to point B. If you’re staying downtown and the weather cooperates, don’t miss a chance to explore the city by foot. Strolling the National Mall or along Washington’s grand boulevards is a favorite pastime of visitors and locals alike, including this one.