Arlington Travel Guide

Arlington is a community in northern Virginia, just across the Potomac River from D.C.. Although it is considered a suburb of Washington, Arlington retains its own identity. 

The Pentagon is found in Arlington.  Basically the world's largest office building, it houses most of the important offices of the U.S. Military and is a symbol of the American Military Machine throughout the world.  It was quickly rebuilt after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, when a group of terrorists commandeered a civilian aircraft and flew it into the side of the building. 

Immediately north of the Pentagon and directly across the river from the Lincoln Memorial is Arlington National Cemetary, one of the most hallowed grounds in the nation.  Many prominent soldiers and leaders are entombed here, including the Unknown Soldier (from World War I) and John F. Kennedy.  The ritual changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and JFK's Eternal Flame are the top tourist attractions.  You can also see the historical home of Robert E. Lee's family at Arlington House.

The rest of Arlington is a hodgepodge of various neighborhoods, each replete with its own character.  In North Arlington, you will find the impressive skyline of Rosslyn, the main commercial center.  The neighborhood known as Clarendon has a very homey atmosphere with lots of small shops and restaurants--although the yuppies are moving in and building lots of upscale residental and commercial developments.  Ballston is the home of a large mall & office tower, as well as an affluent residential area.  In South Arlington, you'll find Pentagon City & Crystal City, two important shopping and residential destinations replete with skyscrapers and Ronald Reagan National Airport. 

Arlington is served by subway, Washington's Metro system, on the blue, orange, and yellow lines.  Busses serve nearly every neighborhood of the area, and driving is unusually easy for the area (although parking can be a headache.)  Arlington is on I-66 and I-395, as well as US 1 and the George Washington Parkway.