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
Ballston, Arlington, Virginia Ballston, Arlington, Virginia Ballston is a neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia and is home to the Ballston-MU station on the Orange Line and the Silver Line of the metro system. Ballston is named after the Ball family, one of whose family cemeteries lies in the neighborhood at N. Stafford Street and Fairfax Drive (Virginia State Route 237). Ballston began as Birch's Crossroads and later became Ball's Crossroads at what is now the intersection of N. Glebe Road (Virginia State Route 120) and Wilson Boulevard. A historical marker that stands near the southeastern corner of the intersection reads: This intersection has