Jun 4, 2014
The current zero milestone dates from the spring of 1923, replacing a temporary marker placed on this site in President's Park in 1919. Originally intended as a central point from which to measure highway distances throughout the United States, the Zero Milestone marked the beginning of the age of the automobile and the national system of paved roadways. Today, roads and other distances in Washington, DC, as well as in surrounding suburbs, are measured from the zero milestone.
Learn more at Histories of the National Mall