As of 2017[update], it had the second-highest circulation in the District of Columbia after The Washington Post, and was read by 239,500 people every day.

[2] In general, Express' content tended to be lighter than the Post's—it included sections like "People" (celebrity gossip), "Trending" (social media and Internet culture), and "page three" and "eyeopeners" (highlighting uplifting or humorous stories)—and tended to emphasize local and sports news more than the Post.

[3]: 5 In January 2017, Express caused some controversy on the Internet when its cover story on the 2017 Women's March used the male gender symbol instead of the female one.

[10] The newspaper launched a redesign on November 30, 2009, which emphasized a more magazine-style front page, along with a daily cover story.

[11] On August 4, 2014, it launched another redesign meant to engage readers more with the paper version rather than on a phone.

[2] In August 2010, the newspaper launched a mobile application, DC Rider, which is available for iOS (iPhone and iPod Touch) and Android devices.