Zero Milestone

The Zero Milestone is a granite monument topped with a bronze compass rose that marks the official starting point for measuring road distances across the entire United States. Standing about 4 feet tall south of the White House on The Ellipse, it bears inscriptions on all four sides.

Dedicated in 1923, the monument emerged from the Good Roads Movement, which advocated for national standardization of road measurement. This project reflected America's desire to connect the rapidly growing automobile industry through organized infrastructure.

The monument commemorates cross-country motor convoys from 1919 and 1920 that demonstrated automotive travel across the nation. These expeditions helped inspire the concept of a unified American road system.

The Zero Milestone sits on The Ellipse, an easily accessible green space south of the White House in downtown Washington, D.C. The small stone is easy to overlook, so plan to search carefully if you want to find this out-of-the-way spot.

At the center of the monument sits a worn granite pyramid that serves as a reference point for the National Geodetic Survey. This tiny marking was used for precise mapping work long before modern GPS technology became available.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1923

Creator: Horace W. Peaslee

Address: Ellipse Rd NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

Website: https://ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=HV1847

GPS coordinates: 38.89511,-77.03655

Latest update: December 7, 2025 19:29