Jimmy Carter funeral: What's happening in DC to honor the late president
Tributes pour in for former President Jimmy Carter
Tributes have been pouring in from around the nation and the globe honoring former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at 100 on Sunday. A defining characteristic of Carter’s legacy is be his post-presidency work. FOX 5's David Kaplan has more on the impact Carter had on the nation.
WASHINGTON - Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 100, will arrive in Washington, D.C. Tuesday after lying in repose at the Carter Center in Georgia.
Carter’s funeral procession began Saturday – the first of a six-day series of events leading up to his national funeral service on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Washington National Cathedral.
Public observances are continuing to be held in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and according to the family, Carter will be buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
Each president’s final resting place is among the details they include in their plans, which can often take years to develop as family, staff and federal officials craft the details.
A source tells FOX 5 that the Carter state funeral plan has been in place for some time now.
Schedule of D.C. events
According to the Carter Center, the D.C. services will be as follows:
Tuesday, Jan. 7
2:15 p.m.
Special Air Mission 39 arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, where President Carter’s remains will be transferred with ceremony to a hearse.
2:45 p.m.
The family and President Carter’s remains will then travel by motorcade to the U.S. Navy Memorial.
3:30 p.m.
The remains are transferred from the hearse to a horse-drawn caisson for a procession to the U.S. Capitol. Military body bearers will carry the casket into the Capitol Rotunda.
4:30 p.m.
Members of Congress will pay their respects during a service in the Rotunda.
6 p.m.-midnight
President Carter will lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor. The public is invited to pay their respects throughout these hours.
Wednesday, Jan. 8
7 a.m.
The public is invited to pay their respects as the late president continues to lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor.
Thursday, Jan. 9
7 a.m.
Lying in state and public visitation end.
9 a.m.
President Carter’s remains are removed from the Capitol with a ceremony.
9:30 a.m.
President Carter’s remains arrive at the Washington National Cathedral, where a brief arrival ceremony is held.
10 a.m.
The National Funeral Service for President Carter takes place.
11:15 a.m.
Upon conclusion of the funeral service, President Carter and his family will travel by motorcade to Joint Base Andrews.
11:45 a.m.
The president’s remains and family will board Special Air Mission 39 for the final journey home to Georgia.
2 p.m.
Special Air Mission 39 arrives at Lawson Army Airfield on Fort Moore, Georgia, where President Carter’s remains will be transferred to the hearse for a motorcade to Plains, Georgia.
What happens when a president dies?
What occurs in Washington, D.C. unfolds according to guidelines that date back to the mid-1800s and have been reshaped over time.
The official state funeral for Carter will be held in Washington, D.C.
The president, former presidents and president-elect are all entitled to a state funeral, but then family decides if they actually get one, or just how involved it will be.
While the ceremonies for each state funeral are different, they often involve funeral processions down Pennsylvania Avenue, lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and a memorial service, usually at the Washington National Cathedral.
Last Sunday, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation appointing Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States.
In the proclamation, Biden called on Americans to "assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr."
In the proclamation, Biden also ordered the flag of the United States to be flown at half staff for 30 days following Carter's death.