The DC GIS program works to improve the quality and lower the cost of services provided by the DC government, through the District's collective investment and effective application of geospatial data and systems. Furthermore, DC GIS reaches beyond the DC government by continuing to make DC GIS data freely and publicly available to the fullest extent possible in consideration of privacy and security.

The program is coordinated by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) GIS group. It provides DC agencies and the public a “one-stop shop” for disseminating geospatial data and enterprise applications. Nationally, it is in the top tier of comparable programs, and its accessible data and services surpass what is available in many states and city jurisdictions.

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in DC is pervasive with a history of collaboration on developing and sharing geospatial data. Fundamentally, it answers the question “where is it?” DC GIS started with a voluntary willingness to share basemap data across departments, and grew to the coordinated sharing of over 300 data layers across a broad and diverse federation of departments. As a technology, GIS empowers policymakers and implementers with data and application tools that support better decision-making and performance.