Why Washington’s street grid jumps from I to K
Washington’s street names work like a simple map key. In the original plan, numbered streets run north–south, while lettered streets run east–west. Follow the lettered streets in order and the sequence goes from H Street to I Street, then skips directly to K Street. The missing J is a small exception built into a system designed to make the capital easier to navigate.
A handwriting problem became a city feature
When the plan was laid out, handwritten capital I and J could look remarkably alike. On a map—or a street sign—that resemblance could make a name harder to read at a glance. Leaving J out avoided the ambiguity rather than adding another letter that might be mistaken for I.
The distinction matters because the gap can look like an error in the grid. It is deliberate: the alphabetic sequence resumes at K, and the omission does not change the overall pattern of streets.
The exception is easiest to spot on foot
The grid’s regularity makes the missing letter conspicuous. A visitor walking east or west can use the street names to track progress, but after I Street the next lettered route is K Street. That skipped block in the alphabet is a reminder that even an orderly plan reflects the practical limits of how people read and write.
