The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation.

The newspaper is written as a broadsheet, with photographs printed both in color and black and white. Weekday printings include the main section, containing the first page, national, international news, business, politics, and editorials and opinions, followed by the sections on local news (Metro), sports, style (feature writing on pop culture, politics, fine and performing arts, film, fashion, and gossip), and classifieds. The Sunday edition includes the weekday sections as well as several weekly sections: Outlook (opinion and editorials), Style & Arts, Travel, Comics, TV Week, and the Washington Post Magazine. Beyond the newspaper, the Washington Post operates a syndication service (The Washington Post Writers Group) and under its parent company of The Washington Post Company, is involved in the Washington Post Media, Washington Post Digital, and washingtonpost.com.

Perhaps the most notable incident in the Post's history was when, in the early 1970s, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the American media's investigation into what became known as the Watergate scandal. The newspaper's reporting greatly contributed to the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon. In later years, its investigations led to increased review of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The newspaper is also known as the namesake of "The Washington Post March", the 1889 march composed by John Phillip Sousa while he was leading the U.S. Marine Band; it became the standard music to accompany the two-step, a late 19th-century dance craze.

Since Leonard Downie, Jr. was named executive editor in 1991, the Post has won 25 Pulitzer Prizes, more than half of the paper's total collection of 47 Pulitzers awarded. This includes six separate Pulitzers given in 2008, the second-highest record of Pulitzers ever given to a single newspaper in one year. The Post has also received 18 Nieman Fellowships, and 368 White House News Photographers Association awards, among others.