DC Looks Golden For Amazon's 2nd HQ Choice: Reports

Amazon will announce where they will locate their second headquarters by the end of this year, founder Jeff Bezos reportedly said Thursday, and there are plenty of reasons to think that the company will settle on the D.C. area when all is said and done.

Bezos said during an Economic Club of Washington, D.C. event that "we will answer the decision before the end of the year."

The D.C. area dominated the finalist list for "HQ2," grabbing three of the 20 spots with D.C., Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County, Md. Other than New York (New York City and Newark, N.J.), it was the only metropolitan area with more than one spot on the list, and oddsmakers have placed the region at the top of the list of those most likely to land the coveted project, which may bring $5 billion in investment and 50,000 jobs.

See also:

• DC The Favorite For Amazon's 2nd HQ: Consultant
• NoVa Surges To No. 1 On Amazon HQ2 Rankings List
• Amazon May Put New Headquarters In Herndon: Report

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A staggering 238 cities and localities submitted a bid to Amazon, and the Seattle-based online retailer winnowed that down to 20 cities earlier this year. Amazon officials reportedly are considering sites in Herndon and Loudoun County, Crystal City in Arlington, and D.C., in particular.

There are numerous compelling reasons why Amazon will ultimately choose the D.C. region, according to reports:

• Amazon has joined the District's chamber of commerce
• Bezos made the above announcement at an exclusive dinner in D.C.
• Northern Virginia has its own bustling tech hotspot on the Dulles Corridor, where Amazon already has a presence
• Bezos lives in D.C., and bought the Washington Post not long ago
• A local news article on Arlington County winning a top environmental award got thousands of pageviews after being linked internally on Amazon.com
• The company is expanding its lobbying in D.C.
• It meets all of Amazon's criteria, including transportation, education, and livability

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: CEO and founder of Amazon Jeff Bezos participates in a discussion during a Milestone Celebration dinner September 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. Economic Club of Washington celebrated its 32nd anniversary at the event. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)