Arlington County, Virginia area. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., of which it was once a part. With a land area of , Arlington is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the U.S., and by reason of state law regarding population density, has no incorporated towns within its borders. Due to the county's proximity to downtown Washington, D.C., Arlington is home to many important installations for the capital region and U.S. government, including the Pentagon, Reagan National Airport, and Arlington National Cemetery. Many schools and universities have campuses in
Construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge had arisen. The best geographic route for Lee Boulevard crossed the northwestern tip of Fort Myer. The War Department was willing to grant an easement to the state to construct this road, but insisted on maintaining jurisdiction over the property. That was unacceptable to the state of Virginia. Other federal officials said that the federal government would also continue to reserve the right to build other approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge, which the state of Virginia also opposed. The state of Virginia then proposed that federal legislation be enacted to transfer the land to the state. The commandant of Fort