Much of 16th Street Heights was once part of Maple Grove Farm, an 80-acre nursery acquired in May 1854 by John Saul, who led improvements of the Mall, Capitol, and White House grounds.[13] By 1892, Saul's son, B. Francis Saul, founded the B.F. Saul Company to sell the land in individual lots and take notes as mortgages to speed the sale. Sixteenth Street Heights is one of the most demographically diverse neighborhoods in the city.

Sixteenth Street Heights has seen a tremendous transformation in recent years. Houses on every street are being renovated both inside and out. Many young families have moved there for the diverse housing stock and for the proximity to Carter Barron Amphitheater and Rock Creek Park. They also come because homes in Sixteenth Street Heights tend to be more affordable than similar ones in many other neighborhoods in DC and close-in suburbs.