The X2 Metrobus route is one of the oldest bus routes in DC, as it follows the original streetcar line known as Route 10. Established in 1871, Route 10 was first run with horse trolleys, then electric cars. In 1949, the streetcar line — like others throughout the District — was converted into a bus route and the tracks were removed. Today, the X2 continues to serve the major commercial corridor of H Street and Benning Road, from Northeast to Northwest Washington.

The X2 starts on Minnesota Avenue NE, before heading west on Benning Road and crossing the Anacostia River and Kingman Island. The historic sites along the X2's path show the diversity of experiences across Washington. For instance, just west of the river, the X2 passes Langston Golf Course, which is a testament to efforts by the federal government to provide equal access to recreational facilities. Nearby, the Langston Terrace Dwellings — designed in an early Modernist style in the 1930s by the significant African American architect Hilyard Robinson — demonstrate further federal involvement, as the city’s first federally-funded public housing project. Just south of here is Kingman Park, one of the cities newest historic districts, designated in 2018.

At Maryland Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE, the X2 veers onto H Street NE. This area has become a popular destination for locals, with its many bars, restaurants, clubs, stores, and housing developments. There is a mix of new and old construction, including Mott Motors (Plymouth Theater) and the Art Deco style Atlas Theater and Shops from 1938. Prior to the more recent revival, many buildings along here sustained damage during the 1968 riots. With the recent growth comes gentrification, which threatens the neighborhood’s fabric, as long-time residents are displaced by rising prices and redevelopment.

Since 2016, H Street NE and Benning Road have included both bus and streetcar service. The DC Streetcar runs along these thoroughfares between Union Station and Oklahoma Avenue, and is a throwback to DC's once expansive streetcar network.

The X2 then continues up and over the railroad tracks leading into Union Station before heading across Massachusetts Avenue NW into Judiciary Square. Just west of here the X2 crosses through Chinatown. In the early 1930s, DC’s first Chinatown at Pennsylvania Avenue and Fourth Street NW was demolished to make way for government buildings, as Federal Triangle was developed. One of the landmarks on H Street NW, On Leong Chinese Merchants Association, the headquarters of the city’s preeminent Chinese benevolent association, played a pivotal role in the relocation of the community to its present location centered on and around H Street.

At 7th Street NW, the X2 moves under Chinatown's Friendship Archway before proceeding into Downtown Washington. At 15th Street is the Financial Historic District, the Union Trust Company, and the Stripped Classical-style Lafayette Building, a National Historic Landmark dating to 1940. The bus route ends just north of the White House at historic Lafayette Square, which is the site of many public demonstrations that give the green space symbolic importance as a site of political and social expression. Notably, in 2020, following protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder, Mayor Muriel Bowser renamed a section of 16th Street NW just north of Lafayette Square as Black Lives Matter Plaza.

This tour hopes to draw your attention to the historic and architecturally-significant gems along your daily commute or your trip from one historic site to the next. Start at the historic site that’s closest to you! If you’re traveling west on the X2, click “Next” to follow along. If you’re traveling east, click “Previous.”