Banking in the District of Columbia began with the chartering of the Bank of Alexandria in 1792 and the Bank of Columbia in 1793; both banks terminated in the early 19th century. The oldest surviving bank in the District is the National Bank of Washington, founded as the Bank of Washington in 1809.
Overall, there were 22 federally insured financial institutions in 2002, regulated by the D.C. Department of Banking and Financial Institutions.