Safety index · Ward 3, Washington, D.C. · data through July 2026
Is Palisades safe?
Palisades sits at the safer end of Washington, D.C. by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 91 out of 100 — 38 points above the citywide median of 53, ranking 6th of 132 D.C. neighborhoods — based on 24 incidents reported to the DC Metropolitan Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
Most of what's reported here is property-related — vehicle crime alone is 71% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 7% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Vehicle crime | 17 · 71% | |
| Other theft | 5 · 21% | |
| Violent crime | 1 · 4% | |
| Robbery | 1 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Palisades at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Spring Valley88/100 · Low risk
- Wesley Heights86/100 · Low risk
- Foxhall Crescents91/100 · Low risk
- Cathedral Heights70/100 · Moderate
- American University Park68/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Palisades safe at night?
Low risk overall (safety index 91/100). About 30% of severity-weighted incidents in Palisades are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Reported crime is low for Washington, D.C., but stick to lit, busier streets late.
What is the most common crime in Palisades?
Vehicle crime — 17 of 24 incidents (71%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the Palisades safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the DC Metropolitan Police by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.