Washington, County Durham
| Washington | |
|---|---|
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| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Shire county | County Durham |
| Council | Sunderland City Council |
| Population | 67,085 (2021 Census) |
Washington is a town in north-eastern County Durham, England, around 7 miles west of the city of Sunderland. For administrative purposes, the town is served by Sunderland City Council and it has a population of approximately 70,000. Internationally, the area is best known as the ancestral home of the Washington family, who are first recorded in the area in the 12th century and from which the 1st President of the United States George Washington is a descendant. The town, therefore, indirectly lends its name to Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, on the analogy of which, it is occasionally referred to as "Washington C.D." (County Durham).[1]
The area has a history spanning over 900 years, with the settlement being documented first in the 1090s. In the 1960s, Washington was designated a "new town". With the establishment of the new town, several new areas of the town were given the names Albany, Columbia, Concord and Sulgrave to reflect the association with the Washington family.