Qualla: Arlington, Virginia

Arlington, Virginia: Introduction

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Walk out of the Rosslyn Metro station, ride the long escalator up to Wilson Boulevard, and turn east. Within 200 yards you will be on the deck of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge with the Potomac running below you and Washington unfolding across the water - the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Capitol in the distance. Arlington is the closest thing in America to a second downtown for a national capital. It is technically a county, 26 square miles in area, but it functions like a city, with 230,000 residents, four Metro lines, a continuous urban corridor from Rosslyn to Ballston, and the Pentagon at its southeastern shoulder. Most travelers come to Washington and end up in Arlington without quite meaning to - because their hotel is here, because Reagan National Airport is here, because Arlington National Cemetery is here. The county wants you to keep going.

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Arlington, Virginia: What to See

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Arlington National Cemetery dominates the southeastern hill above the Potomac. More than 400,000 service members and their families are buried in its 639 acres. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded continuously by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, and the changing of the guar...

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Arlington, Virginia: Where to Eat

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Arlington's restaurant geography follows its Metro lines. Clarendon and Wilson Boulevard form the central corridor for casual restaurants, breweries, and bars - the area sometimes called the Orange Line Crawl. Crystal City has been transformed by Amazon's HQ2 development with new...

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Arlington, Virginia: How to Get Around

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Park the car. Arlington's compact geography and excellent transit make driving unnecessary for nearly any visit. The Washington Metro has 11 stations in the county - more than any other Virginia jurisdiction - serving the Orange, Silver, Blue, and Yellow lines. The Orange and Sil...

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Arlington, Virginia: When to Visit

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Spring and fall are the obvious answers and the obvious crowded answers. The cherry blossoms peak across the river in late March or early April, and Arlington fills with overflow tourists during that two-week window. May and October offer mild weather with fewer crowds. Summer ca...

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