Northern Virginia in January

Spring brings cherry blossoms and perfect weather, but also massive crowds and hotel price spikes. Fall offers ideal temperatures and gorgeous foliage at Mount Vernon's grounds. October is golden – comfortable for walking battlefields, beautiful for Arlington Cemetery visits. Summer gets swampy and humid, but that's when families visit with school-age kids. Winter can be surprisingly mild, and you'll have monuments mostly to yourself. Here's what locals know: avoid inauguration years unless you're here for the politics. Hotel rates triple and everything gets booked solid. Plan around government holidays too – this area shuts down for federal observances.