Lights Across the Country: DC and the Capitol Tree
🇺🇸 Since 2005: The Lights Used on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
The Question: What Christmas lights are used on the Capitol Tree?
Short Answer (Technical Specification):
C9 LED faceted bulbs in classic Christmas colors, installed on heavy-duty 14 AWG commercial-grade cords.
Our History with the Capitol Christmas Tree
Every year, we at Christmas Light Source feel a special pride watching the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree sparkle during the national lighting ceremony — because we’ve been supplying the lights for this iconic tree since 2005.
The Historic LED Transition
- 2005 – We helped the Architect of the Capitol convert ~10% of the tree to LED as a pilot program.
- 2006 – The entire tree went 100% LED — one of the first major national landmarks to do so!
This switch has saved approximately 90% of the electricity previously used and virtually eliminated yearly bulb replacements.
The Official Colors Used on the Capitol Tree
The Architect of the Capitol uses custom heavy-gauge cords with faceted C9 LED bulbs in these timeless Christmas colors:
Tree History Spotlight: The 2014 Alaska Tree
The 2014 tree holds a special place in history as the first-ever Capitol Christmas Tree to come from Alaska. It traveled over 4,000 miles — part of the journey by ship! — and was lit on December 2, 2014, by then-new Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
We also love that its ~4,000 handmade ornaments were created by Alaska schoolchildren and community groups, celebrating the state’s heritage and natural beauty.
Further Reading:
Alaska’s first Capitol Christmas Tree heads to DC → (The Hill)
From our family to yours — thank you for trusting Christmas Light Source with America’s most visible tree for nearly two decades.
