It’s common knowledge that the president of the United States lives in the iconic White House in Washington, D.C. Though hundreds of people work in the White House, only the president and their family get the esteemed honor of calling it home. So, where does the vice president, the second person in line to run the US, live? Approximately 2.5 miles away, in their very own white, 9,150-square-foot mansion surrounded by nature and wildlife.

Takeaways New Hide ▲

Vice president's residence is

a secluded Queen Anne-style

mansion in northwest D.C.

Each Second Family adds

personal touches and renovations

over the years

Home sits on lush

grounds full of wildlife,

gardens, and greenery

Numerous parties and

gatherings are hosted

in gardens and home

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Number One Observatory Circle is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO), which still operates as a working facility for the US Navy to collect and publish astronomical data. Despite its close proximity, the Queen Anne-style home offers a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of Massachusetts Avenue.

Is the Vice President’s Home as Nice as the White House?

“The vice president’s residence was totally different,” Biden told CNN’s Anderson Cooper while reminiscing on his time there. “You’re on 80 acres, overlooking the rest of the city. And you can walk out, and there’s a swimming pool. You can walk off a porch in the summer and jump in a pool, and go into work. You can ride a bicycle around and never leave the property, and work out.”

Number One Observatory Circle isn’t as famous as other locations in Washington, D.C., but it’s housed vice presidents ranging from Walter Mondale to JD Vance and welcomed guests from all over the world. Many people even prefer the idea of living in the vice president’s residence to the White House due to its seclusion.

“It’s been said that both [Joe] Biden and [Barack Obama] wholeheartedly agree that as far as living arrangements go, the vice president’s residence is ‘way better than the White House,’” Charles Denyer writes in his book about the residence.

What Features are in the Vice President’s Home?

Number One Observatory Circle is located on 12 acres of land that are part of the larger US Naval Observatory’s 73-acre property. The property offers plenty of privacy and seclusion despite being only a few steps away from the usual traffic of Washington, D.C.

According to People, D.C.-based architect Leon E. Dessez designed the property using the popular Queen Anne style of the time. He included columns, a wraparound porch, a reception hall, and other features.

The home is three stories in total, with the second floor reserved for the Second Family’s bedrooms, office, and den, and the top floor mostly used for guests. The ground floor reportedly contains the dining room, reception hall, sitting room, two lounges, and a garage.

The home was built for $20,000 in 1893, which is worth more than $700,000 today by some estimates. This doesn’t include the millions of dollars in renovations that have taken place since then. Tax records show that, according to the New York Post, Kamala Harris spent $458,595 on home renovations and other improvements in 2024 alone.

What’s the History of the Vice President’s Residence?

Number One Observatory Circle was designed by Dessez and built in 1893. From then until the 1970s, it was primarily used as a residence for US Naval Observatory superintendents who oversaw its operations. In the 1920s, it became the home of the Chiefs of Naval Operations and their families after one loved the property so much he claimed it for himself and ordered the owners to leave.

In 1975, the home officially became the “temporary permanent residence” of the vice president’s family. However, it wouldn’t be used in this capacity until 1977. The first vice president eligible to live in the home would’ve been Gerald Ford, but he never got the opportunity because he was unexpectedly named president after Richard Nixon resigned.

His vice president, Nelson Rockefeller of the famous and wealthy Rockefeller dynasty, primarily used the property to host guests for social gatherings. He chose to reside in his own home. Mondale and his family then started the tradition of living on the property during his term.

What Renovations Have Previous Vice Presidents Made?

As with many older homes, residents have contributed their own touches over the years, adding to their value and aesthetics. Unfortunately, the property isn’t open for tours, so most of the insights into its designs come from pictures of past visits, personal accounts of former staff, and Denyer’s book.

“The house sits on a beautiful plot. There are often cherry blossoms, Japanese magnolias, tulips, and daffodils. There is always something revealed each week of the blooming season,” former manager Philip Dufour told Homes & Gardens in a 2024 interview. “This was where the Gore’s had meals and cocktail parties with guests. It is one of the sweet spots of the house because it is so welcoming and comforting. It’s a great place to sit when the thunderstorms move in because you can stay pretty dry unless it’s moving sideways. It’s just terrific.”

Perhaps that’s why George H.W. Bush reportedly threw nearly 900 parties in the garden during his term as vice president. He also added a quarter-mile track outside and a horseshoe pit to enjoy the property’s natural environment.

Dan Quayle, who was vice president from 1989 to 1993, added an exercise room on the top floor and a heated pool in the backyard. These renovations prompted Biden to joke that Quayle was his favorite vice president. Dick and Lynne Cheney, who lived in the home from 2001 to 2009, brought in an interior designer named Frank Babb Randolph. He updated the home with new color schemes. They also updated the kitchen pantry.

What Renovations Have Recent Vice Presidents Made to Their Homes?

Joe and Jill Biden’s additions to the home include a Family Heritage Garden with a fountain and plaques marking the names of the family members and pets who lived there over the years. Joe also added a plaque on a nearby tree that reads “Joe Loves Jill” as a Valentine’s Day gift in 2010. During Mike Pence’s tenure as vice president, he and his wife, Karen, added a beehive and some of her original artwork.

According to a Harris spokesperson in 2021, Kamala Harris and her family, like many Second Families of the past, had to wait for maintenance renovations to take place before they could officially move in. When Harris was VP, maintenance updates included upgrades to the HVAC system, chimney liner replacement, and refurbishing parts of the floors.

Given that JD Vance and his family have only been living in the home for a few months at this point, there isn’t much insight into what repairs or changes they’ve made. But he did post on social media that they’re adjusting well to the new living arrangements.

“My kids are settling in to the Vice President’s official residence, and I just want to say: thank you to the American people,” Vance wrote on X. “While we don’t own this property, it is a beautiful home for our three little kids. We are grateful, and will take good care of it,” he added.

Frequently Asked Questions About Where the Vice President Lives

Do vice presidents live in their own homes?

Ever since Walter Mondale’s term in the 1970s, vice presidents have lived at Number One Observatory Circle. Prior to this, they’d lived in their own personal homes in the Washington, D.C. area or local hotels.

Where is the US Vice President’s residence?

Number One Observatory Circle is located in Northwest Washington, D.C., just over two miles from the White House. It is on the property of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO).