These Are the Most Googled Questions About the White House — Including the Number of Bathrooms
Most of us turn to Google when we’re craving answers to burning questions, and it’s no different when it comes to the White House. As President-Elect Joe Biden prepares to take over as Commander in Chief, Google searches have been booming with random questions about that famed home of POTUS on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Using online analytics tool Ahrefs, OnlineMortgageAdvisor.co.uk analyzed global search volume data to discover the most Googled questions about the White House. Here are their findings:
1. Where is the White House?
Think everyone already knows where the White House is? ‘Fraid not. According to their research, Online Mortgage Advisor discovered that the number one question googled about the White House was simply people asking “Where is it?” In fact, Google fields an average of 134,400 searches for the question per year. That’s the equivalent of 11,200 searches per month. The answer, of course, is Washington DC.
2. When was the White House built?
The second most commonly googled question about the White House is about when it was built. Asked an average of 103,200 times per year, the answer is that construction began on the famed estate on October 13, 1792. While the site was selected by George Washington in 1791, the cornerstone was laid in 1792. Of course, it would be many years before the home would be habitable.
3. How many rooms does the White House have?
The third most commonly asked question is “how many rooms are in the White House?” On average, this question was asked 85,200 times. The answer is a whopping 132 rooms spread throughout six levels. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, and three elevators.
4. Who designed the White House?
In fourth place is a question of who designed the White House. That honor belonged to Irish-born architect James Hoban, who was hand-picked by Washington to design the palatial spread. Of course, the sprawling estate went through many transformations over the years, including a rebuilding period after the British set fire to the house in 1814 during the War of 1812.
5. How big is the White House?
Rounding out the top five: “How big is the White House?” a question that is asked on average 42,000 times per year. The answer is 51,000 square feet, which is just a little bit bigger than your studio apartment.
People also ask which president was the first to live in the White House (that honor went to President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams, who moved into the unfinished property in 1800 after eight years of construction); and the address (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20500).
Closing out the top ten are a few similar questions, such as “How old is the White House?” (229 years old). That’s followed by inquiries of how many bathrooms the house has (35 of them — imagine the toilet paper bills!) and 84,000 searches for the approximate worth of the space, which is said to be valued at $398 million.
While we call it the White House today without a second thought, the historic home has had several titles at various times in history. It’s been known as everything from the “President’s Palace” to the “President’s House” and the “Executive Mansion.” But still, nothing has quite the same ring to it as the White House. As Joe Biden is inaugurated on Wednesday, it will be interesting to see how the new administration transforms the space.