White House
백악관
The White House is the home and office of the President of the United States. It stands at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the country's capital. It was built between 1792 and 1800 and designed by James Hoban, an architect born in Ireland, who based it partly on Leinster House, a grand building in Dublin. Its outer walls are made of sandstone painted white.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- United States
- Location
- Washington, D.C., USA
- Built
- 1800
- Height
- 21 m
- Type
- Government building
Quick answers
Where is White House?
White House is in Washington, D.C., USA, United States.
When was White House built?
White House was built in 1800.
How tall is White House?
White House is about 21 m tall.
The neoclassical residence and workplace of every U.S. president since 1800.
Every president since John Adams has lived here. Adams moved in in 1800, when the government moved to Washington from Philadelphia, so George Washington, the first president, never lived in it. For a long time it was officially called the Executive Mansion; President Theodore Roosevelt made The White House its formal name in 1901. Today the main house, called the Executive Residence, has 132 rooms, and offices for the president and staff fill the wings beside it.
History
In 1814, during a war between the United States and Britain, British soldiers set the White House on fire. The inside burned out and the outside walls were blackened, but rebuilding began almost at once, and President James Monroe moved into the partly rebuilt house in 1817. The rounded South Portico was added in 1824 and the North Portico in 1829. In 1902 Theodore Roosevelt moved the busy offices into a new West Wing, and in 1909 President Taft created the first Oval Office there.
A house rebuilt from the inside
By 1948 the old wooden beams and walls were close to collapsing. Under President Harry S. Truman, workers removed the entire inside of the house, built a strong new steel frame within the old outer walls, and then put the rooms back. The Truman Balcony on the south side was added at this time. The house still looks much as it did in the early 1800s from outside, even though its insides are much newer.
What's inside
The Executive Residence has six levels, 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases and 3 lifts. Its kitchen can serve dinner to as many as 140 guests at once. The president and family live on the upper floors, while rooms such as the East Room and the State Dining Room are used for receptions and official dinners. The grounds are looked after by the National Park Service as part of President's Park.
Fun facts
- John Adams was the first president to live there, from 1800.
- It takes about 570 gallons of paint to cover the outside of the main house.
- George Washington chose the design, but he is the only president who never lived in the White House.
- The name White House only became official in 1901; before that it was called the Executive Mansion.
- The house has 28 fireplaces and 412 doors.
On the globe
The model shows the white neoclassical mansion in Washington, D.C., with its columned porch and long, low wings. Zoom in to find the pillars at the front of the house.
Quiz time
Which is taller: White House or Washington Monument?
Show the answer
Washington Monument. (21 m vs 169 m) Washington Monument →
Nearby on the globe
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-13