[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.93 square miles (2.41 km2), all land.

[6] District Heights was originally farmland owned by Major Leander P. Williams, purchased as four patented Lord Baltimore tracts known as: "Good Luck," "Magruder's Plains Enlarged," "the Levels," and "Offutt's Adventure."

Under grants issued to Lord Baltimore by King Charles I of Great Britain, the tracts belonged to Colonel Ninian Beall, Benjamin Berry, and Alexander Magruder.

By 1926, the city had approximately 25 homes built, two businesses, a grocery store and filling station, a pump house and water tower to furnish the water and pressure for the City, a sewage system and a free Model T bus service to 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E.

In 1946, the remaining and undeveloped 300-acres was bought and developed by New York City builder Samuel R. Rosoff, who established Washington Estates, Inc., thus adding additional tracts to District Heights which include areas now occupied by garden apartments.

The current elected mayor and city commission are: Mayor Cynthia Miller Commissioner Anthony B. Tilghman (Ward 1); Commissioner Xander Harcourt - (Ward 1) Commissioner Gyasi Gomez (Ward 2); Commissioner Pamela Janifer (Ward 2)[14] In June 2019, Mayor Martin was charged with misdemeanor misconduct in office for helping a friend buy $50,000 in fireworks only available to cities and those with a federal explosive license by asserting on city letterhead that they were for the city's Fourth of July celebration rather than for private use.

Postal Service operates the District Heights Post Office (Zip Code 20747) in an unincorporated area next to the city limits.

[17][18] The post office is named for former and longtime town mayor E. Michael Roll, who championed its establishment.

[19] Officers serve the City Commission and the citizens who reside in and around the Municipal Corporation of District Heights.

Although the crime rate as reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is twenty~two percent higher than the national average, this number represents both the non-corporate and corporate portions of District Heights.

Her contract as Chief for the District Heights Police Department was not renewed after May 2014 City Mayoral and Commission elections.

Commander of the Prince George's County Police Department until November 2020 when Interim Chief Kinsey Weems was appointed.

In March 2022 Crawford entered an Alford plea to one count of first-degree arson for setting a garage in Jefferson, Frederick County, ablaze on April 3, 2018, while the occupants of the attached home were in bed; he awaits sentencing while active arson cases against Crawford in Montgomery, Howard, and Prince George's counties continue.

Prince George's County Police Department District 8 Station in Upper Marlboro CDP serves the community.

The old brick-built fire house still stands repurposed at the corner of 6208 Marlboro Pike and Scott Key Drive.

There are several public spaces and parks within the District Heights locale, these include sports recreational fields adjacent to the Municipal Center on Marbury Drive, an outdoor athletic exercise area along District Heights Parkway, the Hartman-Berkshire Park on Walters Lane, green spaces along the length of Kipling Parkway, and a 2021 dedicated Veteran's Memorial Park at the junction of Marbury Drive and Kipling Parkway.

MD 458 connects southwest to Maryland Route 5, which provides access to Washington, D.C., and Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway).