Furnished apartments in Arlington, VA

The DC metro area, including Arlington County, is served by three airports: Reagan National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). DCA is actually in Arlington County, making it the most convenient. IAD is located 20 miles west of Arlington and is also a very convenient option. BWI is farther north, but still only about 40 minutes away.

The DC metro area is exceptionally walkable, with museums, monuments, parks, restaurants, and residential areas clustered together around the Potomac River and the National Mall.

Biking is another great option for taking in the full sweep of DC and Arlington at your own pace. Renting bikes from bike shops or bikeshare stations is easy. Capital Bikeshare has over 350 stations across the metro area. Sign up online, then access bikes 24 hours per day. The first 30 minutes of each ride is free.

The DC metro area’s public transportation options are the Metrorail, the city’s subway system, and bus routes. The Metrorail is a fast way to get between neighborhoods, and buses cover every other route you’d need. If you buy a SmarTrip® card, rather than individual paper tickets for your rides, you can save some time and money. This card will allow you to pay for most transit with a single method (even parking at Metro garages), and it will reduce your fares slightly.

There’s a ton to do in DC proper, but Arlington County has its own sights worth staying local for. Foremost among them is Arlington National Cemetery, whose 639 acres sit right along the Potomac River. Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place of countless U.S. troops who lost their lives in American wars, as well as John F. Kennedy.

Arlington County is also the site of a number of monuments and memorials, including the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Women in Service Memorial, and the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.

The Pentagon, next to Arlington Cemetery, is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and the world’s largest office building. Visitors can take an informative tour of the premises.

The DEA Museum is another intriguing stop for those interested in exhibits on the history of drugs, addiction, and law enforcement.

The DC metro area’s restaurant scene is one of the most celebrated in the nation, as diverse and exciting as the country itself. In DC proper, you can find incredible regional American food and authentic international food within blocks, whether you’re interested in something casual or something more lavish. For the full DC experience, have a meal (or a drink) near Capitol Hill, and keep an eye out for politicians discussing party priorities and maneuverings. For a trendier vibe, head to the Shaw or Logan Circle neighborhoods.

If you want to stay within Arlington, make your way to Ballston, one of the county’s most bustling hubs.

Theodore Roosevelt Island sits in the Potomac River between Arlington County and DC proper, and it’s well worth a visit. Its 88 acres are a memorial to the president who bears its name, and it has a network of trails. The island is car-free, and you can get to it via a footbridge.

Mount Vernon Trail is a gorgeous, multi-use path that connects Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate 18 miles to the south. You’ll see extraordinary views of the city and pass a series of historic sites.

When people think of the beginning of human flight, they usually think of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. That’s fair: that’s where the Wright Brothers first took flight. But Arlington County’s role in that story shouldn’t be overlooked. Arlington is where the Wright Brothers tested their first planes and shared their aviation knowledge with the military. Had it not been for the Wright Brothers’ time in Arlington, the Kitty Hawk test may never have come about, and human history would haven’t looked quite the same.