The Washington Post is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Washington, D.C. and is the city's oldest paper, founded in 1877. Being located in the nation's capital, it has a particular emphasis on national politics and international affairs. It is a newspaper of record and a regional paper; D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation.

The newspaper is written as a broadsheet, with photographs printed both in color as well as in 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 under its parent company of The Washington Post Company is involved with the Washington Post Media, Washington Post Digital and washingtonpost.com.

In 1889, John Phillip Sousa composed on behalf of the newspaper "The Washington Post March", which later became one of the most famous march music pieces. Perhaps the most notable incident in the Post's history was when, in the early 1970s, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein began the media's investigation of Watergate. This contributed greatly to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. In later years, its investigative reporting has led to increased review of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

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.