
Washington DC fireworks 2025: Start time, map, how to watch
Booming fireworks, patriotic parades and outdoor barbecues have become annual traditions, and many employees enjoy the day off from work for the federal holiday.
The Fourth of July marks the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the 13 North American colonies officially separated from Great Britain.
In the nation's capital, Washington D.C., the celebrations on America's birthday are set to be huge. Here's what you need to know about Independence Day celebrations.
What time do the Fireworks on the National Mall start?
According to the National Park Service, fireworks on the National Mall are set to begin at 9 p.m. local time on July 4.
National Mall fireworks: See map
The park service provided a map of the National Mall that shows the various access points to watch the fireworks, as well as restrooms and food service, among others.
According to the National Park Service, tight security will be present with five specific access points available for visitors.
How to watch fireworks in Washington DC
Apart from attending at the National Mall, various spots in and around Washington D.C. serve as good viewing places for the fireworks show.
According to local news station NBC 4, Hains Point in East Potomac Park, the Washington National Cathedral and Cardozo High School serve as good spots along the Potomac River with good views of the show.
On the other side of the river, in Virginia, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, Netherlands Carillon, the Mount Vernon Trail, Lady Bird Johnson Park, U.S. Air Force Memorial and Military Women's Memorial are good places to view.
Outside of the capital, the Trust for the National Mall broadcasts a live view of the National Mall where people can tune in to watch the fireworks from home.
Contributing: Bailey Allen, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Family is Hours From Vacation—Then Husband Hears a Scream From Upstairs
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A couple in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, faced an unexpected international travel nightmare when their dog chewed through the wife's passport just 12 hours before their flight to Jamaica. The ordeal, detailed in a Reddit post, has gone viral, drawing over 100,000 upvotes on the platform since it was posted on August 18. Daniel Ramos, who shared the post under the username u/IDontFeel24YearsOld in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, said the incident unfolded on the evening of July 1 around 6 p.m. local time while the couple was packing for a vacation. His wife, Tracey Ramos, a veterinarian, found her passport's main identification page torn after briefly leaving it unattended on their bed—where their English cream golden retriever got to it, Daniel told Newsweek. "She just tells me 'I'm not going to Jamaica' and shows me her passport," the husband wrote in the post. "Only the main page shown is torn. Nothing else. The image depicted is after she tried taping it back together. She dropped it [the passport] on the bed for a second and the dog got to it." A hand holds the page from the U.S. passport book that has been pieced back together after it was chewed up by a dog. A hand holds the page from the U.S. passport book that has been pieced back together after it was chewed up by a dog. Tracey Ramos The husband told Newsweek: "We didn't immediately panic. It was more like this sense of dread where we were already mourning the trip. We were supposed to be in Jamaica last year for the Fourth of July, but the airport closed due to the hurricane. So, it felt like someone didn't want us to go to Jamaica." The dog, while not typically destructive with papers, apparently found the passport irresistible. "The dog doesn't typically grab papers," Daniel said. "She has always pulled food off the counter, torn her toys to shreds, sticks, or steals our socks on the floor. But she has 'safe zones,' so, in public, she is very well behaved … it just so happens that we allow her on the bed … and that's where the passport was." Facing a potentially ruined vacation, the couple sprang into action. The poster contacted the U.S. passport agency, hoping for an emergency appointment. "After reality has sunk in, I hopped on a call with some passport department inquiring about an emergency passport … they searched for appointments nearby and the only one on the East Coast was in Buffalo, New York at 8 a.m. the following day," he wrote in the post. The U.S. Department of State says that travelers in need of urgent passports within 14 days of travel must book an appointment at a passport agency or center—which are distinct from local acceptance facilities like post offices. Appointments are required and cannot be guaranteed on short notice. With no time to lose, the couple changed the wife's flight and booked her a last-minute trip to Buffalo. The husband said his wife flew out late that night and reached her hotel in Buffalo by 11:30 p.m. She arrived at the passport office at 7:30 the next morning, where she was first in line. "They don't guarantee that you will get it same day. But the reviews for the location were surprisingly positive, so we were hopeful," the poster wrote. Daniel said that his wife's flight was due to begin boarding at 10:45 a.m. on July 2. The passport office advised the wife to consider rescheduling her flight, warning that passports wouldn't be printed until 10 a.m. But, by 10:15 a.m., her passport was printing. "The woman at the front desk gives a friendly wink to my wife," the husband noted in the post. Minutes later, his wife had the new passport in hand. The cost of the emergency passport was the standard rate, plus an expedited fee—around $135 for the book, plus $60 for rush service, Daniel said. "She gets picked up and takes the 15-minute ride to the airport. The Uber driver told her he's driven MANY people that flew from out of state to Buffalo for a same day passport and he believed she could make it," the husband wrote. The wife cleared TSA PreCheck swiftly and arrived at the gate just in time. "Boarding was delayed, so she stopped and picked up a Buffalo sticker since we collect stickers from everywhere we travel," he added. The wife flew to Orlando, where she had a brief layover before catching her connecting flight to Jamaica. She ultimately arrived just three hours after her husband. "Was beyond exhausting!" the husband said in the post. Do you have a travel-related story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
I moved from San Diego to Southern Italy for a simpler, slower life, but the best part was that I fell in love
It was 2019. I was reasonably healed from a grueling divorce, and I began to think about what I wanted my life to look like when I was solo. My son, Max, would be graduating in a couple of years, and I knew I didn't want to remain in this empty nest. San Diego had never felt like a forever home. When I was married, my now ex-husband and I discussed traveling around the world when our son graduated, and staying in one place for a few months at a time. For me, though, the idea of living out of a suitcase sounded like a nightmare. Where would I like to live? I asked myself. The answer was simple: Italy. After the divorce, I'd taken my second trip to Italy, spending a challenging but cathartic week hiking the Dolomite mountains in the north and processing my emotions in a yoga retreat in Lucca. A few years later, I took a solo trip to Sardinia. Something kept pulling me back to this country, which was surprising to me because I'd always been drawn to France. I even majored in French and studied abroad there. However, whenever I visited Italy, the people were wonderfully welcoming. And because I'd studied French, picking up Italian was easy. Why not move to Italy? What have I got to lose? Cleaning my empty nest I'll admit, I had qualms about packing up and leaving my teenage son. Okay, I wouldn't actually be leaving him since he was moving thousands of miles away to Orlando, but still, not being a few hours away by plane felt neglectful. People asked me how Max felt about his mother moving so far away. I asked him myself and got a shrug. "I dunno. It's cool." I took that as his blessing. The week after I bravely hid my tears as Max embraced me and headed into his own bright future, a moving company collected my paltry 11 boxes. I gave the keys to the rental house to our landlord, hugged my friends (not bothering to hide the tears this time), and boarded a plane with two cats in tow. It was the fall of 2022. This is how life is meant to be Despite being born in the US, I'd never felt truly at home in any American city. I never bought into the whole " hustle culture" and always longed for a simpler life. Whenever I'd come back from my many trips to Europe over the years, I'd promise myself that I'd slow down and savor life, which seemed to be so easy abroad. That effort never lasted long, though, and I would inevitably fall back into feeling harried. However, in Italy, life is slower. There's always time to stop and have a coffee and chat with friends. Evenings over Aperol Spritzes seem endless in the golden summer light. My work day only begins once I've had my swim in the Ionian Sea. Whereas Americans are seemingly slaves to work, Italians prioritize life. That may mean that the office you need to visit will be closed when you go, since the owner decided to close early and have an aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) with friends. Still, I love that people work to live here, not the other way around. And you don't have to take out a loan to live well. As a freelance writer, my unsteady income goes a lot further here in the south of Italy. Rent is so much cheaper in Calabria, the region where I live. In San Diego, I paid $2,500 a month for a two-bedroom house; in Italy, I had an apartment by the sea with two bedrooms for under $500 a month. And now we live rent-free in a house my husband's family gave us. Groceries are so much cheaper and fresher. For the two of us, we can eat well for under $300 a month. It's a relief being here with these prices when I hear so much about how prices have skyrocketed back in the US. And while this slower life has been blessing enough, do you know the best thing that has happened to me? I fell in love. I met Francesco on a tour he was giving just nine months after I moved here (he's a tour guide). We got married on our two-year anniversary, surrounded by his welcoming family. My experience living in Italy has gotten even better now that I'm married and have a fantastic Italian family. With them, I've picked olives, made wine, canned tomatoes, made sausage, and learned Calabrian dialect. I'm more connected to what I eat and to the nature around me than I ever was in the US. I laugh at the fact that 10 years ago, I could never have imagined that I'd be living a fabulous life in a tiny Italian town, but my life is so much better for taking this leap. As for my son, he enjoys visiting and getting to know my husband and his family. He's even learning Italian.


Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Most—and Least—Fun States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New data released by the personal finance company WalletHub has revealed which states are the most—and least—fun to live in. California was deemed the most fun state in America, according to WalletHub's data, based on its high number of restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters and fitness centers, as well as having the second-most attractions per capita overall. The rankings were based on a number of metrics, looking broadly at entertainment and recreation opportunities and nightlife. Why It Matters Living in states with more attractions, activities, restaurants and nightlife is thought to have a positive impact on mental well-being by improving quality of life and increasing social interaction. States with more entertainment opportunities are also likely to have higher levels of tourism, boosting local economies. Although, because of inflation and high costs of accommodation, dining and fuel, experts have predicted that Americans may opt to limit costs, such as by finding recreation activities closer to home or by seeking low-cost alternatives to visiting major attraction and entertainment sites. What To Know Florida and Nevada were also ranked as the top three most fun states, while Rhode Island, Mississippi and West Virginia were ranked as the least fun states. California was ranked top for entertainment and recreation, and third for its nightlife, with Nevada taking the top spot there, followed by Illinois. While the Golden State has a high number of performing-arts establishments, music festivals and bars, Nevada has the most nightlife activities per capita, with high numbers of music festivals and casinos. Bars in Nevada may stay open 24/7 while offering low beer and wine prices. Florida ranked second for entertainment and recreation and lower for nightlife. It also has good weather for those who like to be outside, ranking 12th for weather, taking into consideration its very hot summers. At the bottom end of the rankings, West Virginia was lowest for entertainment and recreation but a little higher for nightlife. This was likely due to its limited variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments and low personal expenditures on recreation services per capita. Mississippi and Rhode Island also ranked at the bottom for entertainment and recreation while scoring significantly better for nightlife. The rankings were calculated through evaluation of 26 relevant metrics under the main two categories—entertainment and recreation, and nightlife—which were given different weights in the total score. Entertainment and recreation had a much higher weighting than nightlife, totaling 80 points of the overall score, with number of attractions and variety of entertainment choices having the biggest weight. Nightlife options per capita had the largest weighting among the various metrics used to calculate the nightlife ranking. What People Are Saying Robby Lybrand, chef instructor at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of South Carolina, told WalletHub: "Inflation continues to shape how Americans travel and spend on tourism in 2025. As costs for lodging, dining, and fuel remain elevated, many travelers are adjusting by choosing shorter trips, traveling closer to home, and seeking lower-cost activities. While inflation may reduce the frequency or duration of travel for some households, it's also driving the rise of 'staycations' and regional travel, providing new opportunities for local destinations to highlight free and low-cost fun. Despite financial pressure, demand for experiences remains strong, and travel continues to be a top priority for many households, even if they scale back how far or how extravagantly they go." What Happens Next Inflation and high costs of entertainment, nightlife and travel will continue to shape the way Americans choose to have fun.