Free Online District of Columbia City Directories

The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is December 2024)
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City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.

This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.

So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher?  Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.

What can you find in these records? How about:

• Full names, including middle names
• Spouse name
• Occupation
• Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
• Maps
• Businesses (and index to advertisers).
• Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, and newspapers.
• Whether a woman is a widow (including the name of her husband).
• List of marriages and deaths of the previous year.
• Death date.
• etc.

Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:​

• FamilySearch – United States Directories
• How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research 
• What’s In A City Directory? (a 10-article series about City Directories)

And here are various places where you can find other city directories online: 

• Where to Find City Directories Online

Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

District of Columbia City Directories

Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:

Georgetown

• Georgetown – Directories – Boyd’s Washington and Georgetown Directory, 1860-1871

Washington

• 1875 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1876 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1877 Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria
• 1878 Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria
• 1880 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1881 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1883 Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria
• 1893 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1894 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1895 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1896 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1896 Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria
• 1898 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1903 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1905 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1906 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1908 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1909 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1909 Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria
• 1912 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• 1912 Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria
• 1922 Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia 1923
• Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and … 1870
• Boyd’s Directory of Washington, Georgetown, and … 1871
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1822
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1846
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1853
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1858
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1860
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1862
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1864
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1867
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1870
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1871
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1872
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1874
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1875
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1876
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1876
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1877
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1878
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1878
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1880
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1881
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1881
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1883
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1884
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1887
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1888
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1890
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1892
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1893
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1893
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1894
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1895
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1896
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1897
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1898
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1899
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1899
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1900
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1901
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1903
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1903
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1904
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1905
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1906
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1907
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1908
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1909
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1910
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1911
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1912
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1913
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1914
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1915
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1916
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1917
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1918
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1920
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1921
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1921
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1922
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1922
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1923
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1923
• Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1939
• Boyd’s District of Columbia Directory – 1941
• Boyd’s Washington and Georgetown Directory, 1860
• Boyd’s Washington and Georgetown Directory, 1862
• Boyd’s Washington and Georgetown Directory, 1864
• Boyd’s Washington and Georgetown Directory, 1867
• Boyd’s Washington and Georgetown Directory, 1871
• Directory of the Washington Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
• Directory, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, 2000
• Georgetown City Directory, Unknown, 1874
• Historical Directory of the District of Columbia, 1922
• Library and Reference Facilities in the Area of the District of Columbia
• Maryland Suburbs – 1969/1970, White Pages
• Maryland Suburbs – 1970/1971, White Pages
• Maryland Suburbs – 1971/1972, White Pages
• Maryland Suburbs – 1972/1973, White Pages
• Maryland Suburbs – 1973/1974, White Pages
• Maryland Suburbs – 1974/1975, White Pages
• The Official Washington, D.C. Directory, a Pictorial Guide
• The Washington and Georgetown Directory, strangers’ Guide-book for Washington, and Congressional and Clerks’ Register, 1853
• The Washington and Georgetown Directory, strangers’ Guide-book,1853
• The Washington Directory 1846
• The Washington Directory 1850
• The Washington Directory and Governmental Register, 1843
• The Washington Directory and National Register. … 1846
• The Washington Directory, 1822
• The Washington Directory, 1827
• The Washington Directory, 1830
• The Washington Directory, and Congressional and Executive Register, for 1850
• The Washington Directory, and Congressional and Executive Register, for 1850
• The Washington Directory, and Governmental Register for 1843
• The Washington Information Directory, 2007-2008
• The Washington Information Directory, 2008-2009
• Virginia Suburbs – 1969/1970, White Pages
• Virginia Suburbs – 1970/1971, White Pages
• Virginia Suburbs – 1971/1972, White Pages
• Virginia Suburbs – 1972/1973, White Pages
• Virginia Suburbs – 1973/1974, White Pages
• Virginia Suburbs – 1974/1975, White Pages
• Washington (District of Columbia), City Directory 1922
• Washington (District of Columbia), City Directory, 1921
• Washington (District of Columbia), City Directory, 1922
• Washington , D.C. – April 1960 A through MOTH, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – April 1960 MOTION through Z, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – April 1962 A through LOG, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – April 1962 Loose through Z, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – February 1959 A through MATS, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – May 1961 A through LEATHER, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – May 1961 Legal through Z, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – May 1963 A through KNIT, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. – May 1963 kNITTING through Z, Yellow Pages
• Washington , D.C. Thru Washington Metropolitan Area – February 1959 ( MATTRESSES through Z ) thru February 1960, White Pages and Yellow Pages
• Washington DC Department of the Interior Telephone Directory, US Department of the Interior, 1983
• Washington DC Small Business Administration Telephone Directory, Small Business Administration, 1984
• Washington Information Directory 2014-2015
• Washington Information Directory, 2001-2002
• Washington Information Directory, 2005-2006
• Washington Information Directory, 2010-2011 [electronic Resource]
• Washington Information Directory, 2011-2012
• Washington Information Directory, 2013-2014
• Washington Metro Area – 1964/65 KEHR through Z, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1965/66 KIRKH through Z thru 1965/66, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1965/66 thru 1965/66 A through KIRKE, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1966/67 KRESK through Z thru 1966/67, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1966/67 thru 1966/67 A through KRESH, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1967/68 L through Z thru 1967/68, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1967/68 thru 1967/68 A through K, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1968/69 KOMISK through Z thru 1968/69, White Pages
• Washington Metro Area – 1968/69 thru 1968/69 A through KOMISA, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1933 thru 1945, White Pages and Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1969/1970, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1970/1971, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1971/1972, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1972/1973, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1973/1974, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – 1974/1975, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – April 1949, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – April 1949, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – December 1949, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – December 1949, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – December 1952 thru December 1953, White Pages and Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – December 1952, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – June 1947, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – June 1947, White Pages and Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – March 1948, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – March 1948, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – November 1951, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – November 1951, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – October 1950, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – October 1950, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – September 1946, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – September 1946, White Pages and Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan – September 1954, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan Area – 1960/61 A through LEATHERLAND, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan Area – 1960/61 LEATHERLAND through Z, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan Area thru Virginia Section – 1963/64, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan Area thru Washington , D.C. And Maryland Section – 1963/64, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan February 1956, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan February 1957, Yellow Pages
• Washington Metropolitan July 1956 A through lemme, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan June 1955 A through Lapan, White Pages
• Washington Metropolitan June 1955 Lapar through z, White Pages
• Washington, DC Academy of Sciences Directory, Academy of Sciences, 1915
• Washington, DC Department of Defense Telephone Directory, US Department of Defense, 1955
• Washington, DC War Department Directory, US War Department, 1889