[bane]

It's definitely true, despite the Metro, the area is painfully car centric, with some very difficult to navigate road systems. I've heard it called an area based on the civic planning model of "development denial" where the suburbs get defined, with all the nasty suburban roads/stroads types you can think of, then NIMBYs disallow further development, so new suburbs and added a bit further out, and that pattern has repeated since WW2. The DC Metro Area consistently rates in the top-10 for worst traffic in the country, and its patternless ebb and flow absolutely defies consistent planning when driving around.

Adding to your note, most of the people I know who've lived in DC proper end up with jobs out of the city, and usually after 2 or 3 years just give in and move closer to work. A trip from Columbia Heights or even Dupont Circle to National Landing (where Amazon's HQ2 is) is still frustratingly about an hour on the Metro, a driving distance of less than 7 miles. It's a reverse commute so I guess there that?