Height of Buildings Act of 1910 street-width rule

The Height of Buildings Act of 1910 restricts building heights in most of Washington, D.C., by limiting heights to the width of the adjacent street plus 20 feet, producing a de facto maximum of about 130 feet on many commercial streets. Congress enacted the law in 1910 and it remains the principal statutory constraint on the city's skyline, cited in zoning and planning decisions. The law’s provisions are codified in D.C. statutes and federal records relating to municipal governance.