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 steel, timber, and other building materials as well as construction personnel were being diverted to war needs, federal officials believed it would be 12 to 18 months before the bridge could be rebuilt. In fact, the bridge was not replaced until 1949. Steel for the new Lee Boulevard connecting bridge was obtained only in December 1948. Reconstruction of the bridge occurred in spring 1949. In 1951, the name of Lee Boulevard was changed to Arlington Boulevard to end confusion with Lee Highway. Construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge The construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial