United States Department of Transportation, Federal transportation ministry in Washington D.C., United States

The United States Department of Transportation is a federal agency in Washington that coordinates nationwide transport projects and issues safety regulations for roads, aircraft, trains and vessels. The headquarters building stands on New Jersey Avenue and houses offices for administration, research and technical oversight.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation in October 1966 to create the agency, uniting several separate transport authorities under one roof. The office began work as highway and airport expansion across the country gained momentum.

The department's mission statement, set out in its fiscal year 2022–2026 strategic plan, commits it to "the safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable movement of people and goods." Its ten modal administrations, from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Maritime Administration, each carry out part of that work.

The headquarters occupies the block bounded by New Jersey Avenue and M Street SE in Washington. The building is a working federal office, not a visitor attraction, so access is limited to scheduled appointments arranged in advance. The nearest Metro station is Navy Yard–Ballpark, a short walk away.

The department's 2015 FOIA scorecard, in a Center for Effective Government analysis of 15 federal agencies handling the most public-records requests, gave it a D, 65 points out of 100. The facade carries two different inscriptions: "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION" on the gray stone tower and "DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION" on the brick wing.