Change: 1.8 million attended Obama's 2009 inauguration. The 2013 number may be as low as 500,000

Via Fox News:

District of Columbia officials have lowered their turnout estimate for Monday’s presidential inauguration.

The district’s homeland security director, Chris Geldart, said Sunday that officials now expect between 500,000 and 700,000 people to attend. That’s fewer than the 600,000 to 800,000 people initially anticipated.

The estimates are based in part on the number of charter buses arriving in the city, as well as the number of hotel and restaurant reservations.

Geldart says the lowered crowd estimate isn’t changing any of the security preparations or planning.

For President Barack Obama’s first swearing-in in 2009, 1.8 million people packed the National Mall.