United States Capitol

A capital is a city that is home to a government. A capitol is a building where the legislature meets. For the capital of the United States, see Washington, D.C.

United States Capitol
The west face of the United States Capitol
General information
Architectural style	American Neoclassicism
Town or city	Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Country	United States of America
Construction started	September 18, 1793
Cost	(to build) $2 million
Technical details
Size	274 acres (1.11 km²)

The United States Capitol is the building where the United States Congress meets. It is the center of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall.

The capitol has a large dome in the center, above a rotunda—a large space that is shaped like a circle. There are two wings that are connected to the rotunda on opposite sides. The north wing is where the Senate meets and the south wing is where the House of Representatives meets. These wings are also called chambers. On the top floors of the chambers are galleries, or balconies where people can watch the Senate and House of Representatives from above.

The Statue of Freedom is on top of the capitol.