Embarking on a new journey being stationed at the Pentagon? Then you’ll need some help in navigating Northern Virginia. We’ll run you through some key information to ensure your transition here is smooth and suits your lifestyle – we’ll be talking about commuting, finances, and more, and we’ll help you know more about the counties that make up Northern Virginia. So, without further ado, let’s find your perfect home base.

Living in Northern Virginia

First things first, let’s get to know the area you’re moving into. Northern Virginia is known for several things, making it a sought-after place to live in or visit.

It has such a diverse business landscape that’s led by technology-based companies and government contractors, and it’s headquartered by big-named companies like Freddie Mac, Capital One, and Northrop Grumman.

Plus, Northern Virginia is home to some of the top-ranked schools nationally, be it public or private. Based on Scholaroo’s data, which ranked each state’s public schools based on student success, student safety, and school quality, Virginia ranks 10th for the best public schools in the country. Most of these schools are located in Northern Virginia.

Combining both its strong economy and excellent schools, Northern Virginia is also known for its highly educated, high-income workforce.

When it comes to recreation and entertainment, there are plenty to choose from here. From horseback riding and exploring vineyards in rural NoVA’s rolling hills to shopping til you drop and tasting cuisines from all around the world in the many vibrant urban hotspots, there’s something that suits everyone’s preferences here. Practice your swing at many of the premier golf courses in the area, go rock climbing or whitewater rafting on the Potomac River, hike an endless network of trails, and appreciate a bit of history with the many historical landmarks dotted throughout Northern Virginia.

This is just a glimpse of what you can expect from living here because we’ll get into more detail in the next section.

Regions of Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia is made up of several counties and we’ll give you a quick overview of each below, along with some popular cities worth mentioning for someone who’ll work at the Pentagon.

Arlington County

Arlington is the county located immediately south of the nation’s capital. Known for its great neighborhoods, excellent workforce, vibrant art and culture, and energetic urban vibe, this is an excellent place to work and live.

Home to the Pentagon, Fortune 500 companies, high-tech companies, and startup companies, especially in Clarendon, the diverse job market here is why Arlington’s population swells to around 279,100 people during the day and why it’s one of the richest counties in the country. And when it’s time to have fun, you’ve got numerous shopping options, a great nightlife, and tons of restaurants, bars, and bakeries, that boast flavors from around the world with a local flare.

For its top-notch education, nightlife, family-friendly amenities, outdoor activities, commute, and diversity, Niche rated Arlington the second-best city to live in America, although it’s really a county rather than a city.

Fairfax County

Bordering Arlington to its northwest and southwest is Virginia’s most populous county, Fairfax County. To me, this is the land of extremes here because of the sheer wealth of history, dining and shopping options, and more that it has to offer.

It’s well known that Virginia has a rich history that dates back to the 1800s, but Fairfax County’s goes way before that as it was formed in 1742 which was 30 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The county has seen numerous historical events and is home to 455 historical markers, such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Despite that, the county’s sophisticated urban vibe is one of its strengths. It’s home to some of the best public and private schools in the nation, such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, one of the best high schools in the nation.

Fairfax County also boasts one of the highest densities of technology jobs among all major markets in the United States. Plus, it’s headquartered by 11 Fortune 500 companies, some of which are Capital One and Booz Allen Hamilton, both of which are in the Tysons Corner area, home to the largest shopping mall in the Baltimore-Washington area. With large immigrant populations, Fairfax County features a lively and diverse culinary landscape, showcasing cuisines from around the world, especially Asian.

Now, it’s not all about urban convenience in Fairfax County. With some parts bordering the Potomac River and over 400 parks and open spaces here, there are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had.

Loudoun County

Northwest of Fairfax is Loudoun County. While it’s quite rural compared to the previous counties mentioned, Loudoun is still a well-visited place for a few reasons.

Loudoun has rich agricultural roots that remain strong today, despite the rapid urbanization of Northern Virginia. Farms are still a big contributor to its economy, fueling the local diverse culinary scene with locally sourced goods.

Loudoun’s agricultural industry is most known for its orchards and vineyards that sit on rural Virginia’s rolling hills, which brought about over 50 top-notch wineries that many come to visit. Thus, Loudoun is proudly called “DC’s Wine Country”, though it also has a wealth of breweries and distilleries dotted around the area.

Situated between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Potomac River, Loudoun has the perfect setting for outdoor fun. Go hiking and find gorgeous views at scenic overlooks on the Appalachian Trail, go on an adventure and bike the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, zoom past trees as you zipline forest canopies, or paddle the Potomac River. With the county’s love for horses, it has the highest number of equines in the state, hosting large-scale equestrian events, and boasts premier competition venues.

On the flip side, the eastern part of Loudoun is also a suburban haven – master-planned communities like Brambleton, shopping centers like the Leesburg Premium Outlets, and the strong presence of tech in Ashburn, which is the largest and fastest-growing data center hub in the world.

Loudoun is pretty young, especially when it comes to homes, with a majority of them built after the 2000s, making it an excellent choice for those looking for new construction homes. It’s the fastest-growing county in the state, and there’s more to look forward to here as far as infrastructure and urbanization go.

Prince William County

Southwest of Fairfax lies Prince William County, known for its charming rural vibe, a collection of historic small towns, beautiful outdoors, and a growing arts and entertainment scene. Three significant national sites are located within the county – Manassas National Battlefield Park, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and the Prince William National Forest – giving you a glimpse of the rich history here.

Home to a portion of the Quantico base, a great chunk of the workforce here is employed by the military sector, followed by the government, given its proximity to the nation’s capital. Benefiting from a well-educated and proficient workforce, coupled with the rise of high-tech companies in the area, the technology sector has a strong presence in this locality.

When it comes to outdoor adventures, you’ve got plenty of options here no matter your preference. Boasting two national, 42 local, four regional, and one state park, along with a large lake and ponds throughout the county, Prince William has a spot for hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and more.

Stafford County

The southernmost county in Northern Virginia, Stafford County is a delightful mix of historical charm, the great outdoors, and top-notch wineries and breweries. Historical sites dot Stafford, such as the Stafford Civil War Park, the Patawomeck Museum & Cultural Center, and the Chatham Manor. Home to five local breweries, vineyard tours, and tasting award-winning wines are an easy weekend getaway here.

Enjoying the natural beauty of Stafford is an easy task since it’s home to many parks and natural areas. Go hiking and enjoy the waterfront views at Government Island Park, head for some water fun and fishing at Rappahannock River, or take a dip and sunbathe at Aquia Beach Park.

A portion of the Quantico base is within this locality, making it another option for those working there.

Alexandria

Now, Alexandria isn’t a county but a city, situated just beside Arlington County and along the banks of the Potomac River, just across Washington. Old Town Alexandria, its historic center, is a lively hub of local stores, and excellent and award-winning restaurants situated within colonial-era architecture along cobblestone streets.

Alexandria boasts a vibrant arts and culture scene, ranging from popular galleries like the Torpedo Factory Art Center and the Athenaeum to popular live entertainment hubs like Birchmere Music Hall and MetroStage.

Despite all the hustle and bustle in Alexandria, you’ve got spots for slow days too. Take in the views of the scenic waterfront, go on a picnic or dockside dining, or cruise along the Potomac River.

Location of the Pentagon

Let’s talk about the location of the Pentagon next in relation to the Northern Virginia regions mentioned above as this will be crucial for you to determine the best place to live in. While the Pentagon is located in Arlington County, it has a Washington address – six D.C. zip codes, to be exact.

Radiating from the Pentagon are easily accessible major roads that make the rest of Northern Virginia accessible:

I-66: Goes through Arlington, Oakton, Vienna, and Centreville in Fairfax County, going as far as Middletown; Intersects with 1-495 roughly at the Dunn Lorring-Merrifield Station.
I-495: Runs vertically to the west of the Pentagon, and connects with I-66 and several other smaller roads that lead to the Pentagon.
I-395: Runs from US 50 (New York Avenue) in D.C. and on the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge, to Shirlington in Arlington, Lincolnia in Fairfax County, and ends at I-95/I-495 in Springfield in Fairfax County
I-95: A north-south road interstate highway that runs through Virginia. Within I-495 (the Capital Beltway), I-95 is known as I-395.
US Route 1: A major north-south route that goes through Alexandria all the way to Stafford County
US Route 50: Starts from the D.C. border at a Potomac River crossing at Rossylin in Arlington, intersecting with I-495 at Falls Church City, to Chantilly in western Fairfax County, through Aldie and Middleburg in Loudoun County, all the way to the West Virginia state line.
State Route 244: Starts at the Pentagon and goes all the way to Annandale in Fairfax County.

From the map above, you’ll see that Arlington and Alexandria or even some parts of Fairfax County are great places to live in if you work at the Pentagon just because they’re pretty close. But proximity alone isn’t enough here because Northern Virginia is notorious for traffic, especially on the interstates. You may live just 5 miles away from the Pentagon and spend an hour on the road, and you could also live 15 miles away and be there in under an hour.

That’s why we’ll be talking about your commuting options to the Pentagon next.

Commuting to the Pentagon

There are four ways to commute to the Pentagon, you either drive, take the bus, take the metro, or the VRE. Though your choices really depend on where you live, because in most cases, you’ll only have three of them.

Driving

Now whether you like it or not, traffic will be a part of your daily life here in Northern Virginia. In the previous section, we talked about some useful roads when commuting to the Pentagon, one of which is I-95.

Much of Northern Virginia’s traffic is along I-95, where there’s an average of 23 traffic jams in a day. But really, virtually every major thoroughfare here is congested, especially during rush hour, between 8 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM to 6 PM.

It tends to be busier in areas around the beltway, especially if you move closer to Arlington and the capital. A lot of Northern Virginia residents moved to areas farther away from D.C., such as Merrifield, Springfield, and Tysons Corner. This increased the through traffic of major roads, thus, it tends to be busier in areas around the beltway, especially if you move closer to Arlington and the capital.

We got traffic out of the way first because that’s gonna be your biggest hurdle when driving to work, and most residents (73%, to be exact) drive to get around Northern Virginia. And for some places, driving remains to be the easiest option.

Northern Virginia’s infrastructure is better in the areas closer to D.C., which is no surprise. For some regions, like the western part of Loudoun County, there’s no railway, very few metro stations, and only a small network of bus routes. Great Falls in Fairfax County, for example, has practically no public transportation if you take a look at this map. This is why 98.2% of its residents own at least one car, and of that percentage, 56.8% of them own 3 vehicles or more, 34.7% of them own two, and 6.7% only own one.

Taking your vehicle to work, you’re gonna have to park it somewhere. Keep in mind that public parking isn’t available at the Pentagon. But you can also apply for permit parking if you wan the convenience of parking within the Pentagon lots. Otherwise, you can opt for street parking that’s available both in Crystal City and Pentagon City or look for commercial lot parking spaces just a short walk or metro ride to the Pentagon.

Out of all the regions we discussed, commuters are more likely to take public transportation than driving alone in Arlington, where 47% of commuters use transit. Second to Arlington is Alexandria, whose transit usage for commuters is at 35%. As for the mode of transportation, 77% of Northern Virginia residents use the train for at least part of their commute, while only 23% take the bus.

Bus

For the purpose of organization, we’ll divide bus services into two: those that connect you directly to the Pentagon, and those that are useful for commuting around Northern Virginia. In some places, you could use both in conjunction and you never have to get behind the wheel.

Bus Services for the Pentagon

The Washington Headquarters Services Transportation Management Program Office (WHS TMPO) manages transportation services at the Pentagon and the Mark Center. These services include shuttle buses, ride-sharing, and providing personnel who work at both locations with commuting information.

The DoD Shuttle Bus Program facilitates the movement of personnel between the Pentagon and various destinations across the National Capital Region (NCR). These locations include the U.S. Department of State, the New and Old Executive Office Buildings, the Office of Personnel Management, Capitol Hill, the Washington Navy Yard, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Base, the Defense Health Headquarters, and the Mark Center.

The DoD Shuttles pick-up at the Pentagon Transit Center (PTC) lower-level bus bays L8-L11. The PTC is the largest transit hub in Northern Virginia and is located on the east side of the building. Keep in mind that these shuttle buses are for official use only, such as meetings and conferences, and aren’t to be used for home-to-work purposes. The Pentagon Circulator offers free transportation for all personnel on the Pentagon Reservation. It follows two routes – one services parking lots on the north side of the Pentagon while the second one services parking lots on the south side along Army Navy Drive. The Circulator is open from 6 AM to 6 PM on the weekdays and runs every 10 minutes. It picks up commuters at the Pentagon Transit Station at the upper-level bus bay U8.

Other Bus Services

There are several operators that offer bus services for mass transportation in Northern Virginia, many of which are bound by their counties. We’ll give you an overview of each and link you to their websites so you’ll know more details about each one – schedules, routes, and every other relevant detail.

WMATA’s Metrobus: Metrobus operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing service to the nation’s capital with a fleet of 1,500 buses. These bus services have routes all over Northern Virginia.
Arlington Transit (ART): Arlington Transit complements Metrobus in Arlington County by offering cross-county routes and neighborhood connections to the Metrorail system. These bus services have extensive routes in and around Arlington – you can take a look at a route map here.
Fairfax Connector: Fairfax Connector stands as the largest local bus system in the Northern Virginia region, serving around 26,000 passengers across 93 routes on a daily basis. Here’s an extensive map of this operator’s bus routes, including several other details that may help your commute
Alexandria Transit Company’s (ATC) DASH: The DASH system by the Alexandria Transit Company offers free local bus services within the City of Alexandria. It also links up with Metrobus, Metrorail, Virginia Railway Express, and other local bus systems. Take a look at their bus route and schedules here.
Loudoun County Transit: Loudoun County Transit offers public transportation services within Loudoun County and to specific commuting destinations. They offer bus services from Park and Ride lots located around the county to Rosslyn, Crystal City, the Pentagon, and D.C. Other services include local-fixed routes and Metro Silver Line bus routes.
Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC)’s OmniRide Bus: OmniRide serves as the operational designation for the mobility services provided by the PRTC. OmniRide bus services are available in Prince William County, Manassas City, and Manassas Park City.

Metro

Washington’s Metrorail is the second busiest busiest system in the country, offering reliable transit for over 600,000 customers daily and servicing 98 stations in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The Metrorai has six color-coded rail lines: Red, Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow, and Green. The system’s design allows for travel between any two stations with only a single transfer at most – take a look at this system map below.

Red Line: The Red Line is the oldest and busiest line. It consists of 27 stations spread across Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. and is the only line that doesn’t share tracks with any other Metrorail line.
Orange Line: The Orange Line consists of 26 stations in Fairfax County, Arlington, District of Columbia, and Prince George’s County, Maryland. It runs from Vienna, Virginia to New Carrollton, Maryland. This line shares half of its stations with the Blue Line and two-thirds of it with the Silver Line.
Silver Line: The Silver Line consists of 34 stations spread across Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, Washington D.C., and Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Blue Line: The Blue Line consists of 28 stations located in Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, Washington D.C., and Prince George’s County, Maryland. It shares tracks with the Orange Line, Silver Line, and Yellow Line, with only three stations exclusive to the Blue Line.
Yellow Line: The Yellow Line is the shortest in the system, consisting of 13 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria County, Arlington County, and Washington, D.C. This is the only line in the system that doesn’t enter Maryland.
Green Line: The Green Line consists of 21 stations in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Which stations or lines are going to be relevant to you in your commute to the Pentagon? Which region or town or city should you live in to get easy access to them?

Well, the Pentagon Metro Station is directly in front of the Pentagon, just to the south. Other nearby stations that you may find useful are the Pentagon City Metro Station and the Crystal City Metro Station.

All three of these stations are on the Blue and Yellow lines, on the southern end. The regions either one of these two goes through are Fairfax County, Arlington County, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C. The southernmost end of the Blue Line is Franconia-Springfield Station, which is in Springfield, Fairfax County. Meanwhile, the southernmost end of the Yellow Line is Huntington Station, which is in Alexandria.

So if you want to take the metro routinely, you’re best bet is to live in Arlington or Alexandria and you could also choose Fairfax County. You can live somewhere close to the Franconia-Springfield Station on the Blue Line for an easy, straightforward commute to the Pentagon. You can even live in northwest Fairfax County in places like McLean, Falls Church, or Vienna because these parts of Fairfax County are well connected by the Metro’s Orange or Silver Lines. The Metro’s Silver line also reaches as far as Ashburn in Loudoun County, so if you’re interested in buying a property there, it’s doable. You just have to stop at the Rosslyn Station, which serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines!

Virginia Railway Express (VRE)

The VRE is the state’s commuter rail system, connecting Northern Virginia suburbs and the Washington, D.C. area through rail services along the I-66 and I-95. The VRE has two lines: the 60-mile Fredericksburg Line and the 35-mile Manassas Line.

If you’re expecting to use the VRE to head to work, you’ll be going down from the Crystal City Station. This is the closest one to the Pentagon, just a mile to the south.

Now, remember what we said about you only having three commuting options in most cases? Well, it’s either the Metro that’s accessible to your, or the VRE. The Metro system only runs through the northeast portion of Northern Virginia, while the VRE is on the southern end of the region. So if you live in Stafford County or Prince William County, the VRE is for you. Otherwise, you’re likely going to use the Metro in most areas.

Mass Transportation Benefit Program

The Mass Transportation Benefit Program is open to federal employees and military service members opting for public transportation in their daily commutes. Commuting expenses receive subsidies, as authorized by law and regulation, aiming to reduce pollution, alleviate traffic congestion, preserve the environment, and promote diverse transportation options.

This program allocates transportation subsidies to registered WMATA SmarTrip cards, covering certified commuting costs between home and work, up to the federal maximum statutory limit. These benefits are applicable to various transportation providers, including Metrorail, Metrobus, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail (MARC), Vanpools, PRTC, and many others.

2024 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Rates for The Pentagon

Now, before you narrow your choices among the regions, let’s talk about housing expenses first because Northern Virginia’s real estate market is some of the most expensive in the county. And the closer you want to be to the city, the higher the price tags are.

First, let’s take a look at your BAH. The 2024 VA BAH rates have increased by 8.5 percent from 2023, and they are as follows:

Enlisted Rates

	With Dependents	Without Dependents
E1	$2,811.00	$2,169.00
E2	$2,811.00	$2,169.00
E3	$2,811.00	$2,169.00
E4	$2,811.00	$2,169.00
E5	$2,880.00	$2,538.00
E6	$3,360.00	$2,739.00
E7	$3,525.00	$2,808.00
E8	$3,705.00	$2,98200
E9	$3,882.00	$3,120.00

Warrant Officer Rates

	With Dependents	Without Dependents
W1	$3,381.00	$2,799.00
W2	$3,600.00	$2,979.00
W3	$3,819.00	$3,138.00
W4	$3,909.00	$3,399.00
W5	$4,020.00	$3,3564.00

Officer Rates

	With Dependents	Without Dependents
O1E	$3,558.00	$2,877.00
O2E	$3,786.00	$3,090.00
O3E	$3,924.00	$3,354.00
O1	$2,943.00	$2,736.00
O2	$3,354.00	$2,859.00
O3	$3,813.00	$3,186.00
O4	$4,056.00	$3,534.00
O5	$4,224.00	$3,636.00
O6	$4,260.00	$3,798.00
O7	$4,293.00	$3,864.00

Other than your BAH, we also have to consider your VA entitlement for your VA loan. Now, because the Northern Virginia housing market is crazy, you’ll be able to borrow more in this region. Let’s talk about this a bit more in-depth in the next section.

VA Entitlement

For most places in the continental United States, the 2024 conforming loan limit is $766,550, even in Virginia. But for the northern region of the state, the limit can go as high as $1,149,825. According to Veterans United, here are some areas in Northern Virginia with the maximum VA loan limit:

County	Loan Limit
Alexandria City	$1,149,825
Arlington County	$1,149,825
Clarke County	$1,149,825
Culpeper County	$1,149,825
Fairfax County	$1,149,825
Fairfax City	$1,149,825
Falls Church City	$1,149,825
Fauquier County	$1,149,825
Fredericksburg City	$1,149,825
Loudoun County	$1,149,825
Madison County	$1,149,825
Manassas City	$1,149,825
Manassas Park City	$1,149,825
Prince William County	$1,149,825
Rappahannock County	$1,149,825
Spotsylvania County	$1,149,825
Stafford County	$1,149,825
Warren County	$1,149,825
All other areas	$766,550

Take note, the “limits” above or your “VA entitlement” are not the amount you can borrow, but the amount that the government guarantees.

Now that this is out of the way, we’ll tackle the other considerations of your VA loan limit. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, loan limits don’t apply to every veteran.

Those with a full entitlement don’t have limits for loans over $144,000. With this, you don’t need to shell out a downpayment and if you default on a loan that’s over $144,000, they’ll pay the lender up to 25% of the loan amount.

You have a full entitlement if you meet any one of these requirements:

You’ve never used your home loan benefit, or
You’ve paid a previous VA loan in full and sold the property (therefore your full entitlement is restored), or
You’ve used your home loan benefit but had a foreclosure or compromise claim (a.k.a. A short sale) that you’ve repaid in full

If you don’t fall under a full entitlement, you have what’s called a remaining entitlement if any of these apply to you:

You have an active VA loan you’re still paying back, or
You paid a previous VA loan in full and still own the home, or
You refinanced your VA loan into a non-VA loan and still own the home, or
You had a compromise claim (or short sale) on a previous VA loan and didn’t repay us in full, or
You had a deed in lieu of foreclosure on a previous VA loan (this means you transferred your home’s title to the bank that holds your mortgage to avoid foreclosure), or
You had a foreclosure on a previous VA loan and didn’t repay us in full

So if you have a remaining entitlement, you have a VA loan limit based on the table above.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Where to Live

Taking all that we’ve talked about so far, it’s time for us to pick the best place for you to move in. For most people living in or near a metro, there are three important factors to consider when house hunting – commute times, cost of living and price of the home, and property types. And so, we’ll be considering those as we talk about the regions of Northern Virginia.

Finances

When moving to a new place for work, naturally, you’d want to be as close to your workplace as possible. So when talking about the cost of living, we’ll start with regions closest to the Pentagon first. All the values we’ll be mentioning below are from the Economic Policy Institute.

Area	Monthly Housing Cost	Total Monthy Expenditure (including housing costs)
Arlington County	$2,068	$9,885
Alexandria	$1,834	$9,055
Fairfax County	$1,975	$9,797
Loudoun County	$1,963	$9,861
Prince William County	$1,798	$9,221
Stafford County	$1,623	$8,830

While Arlington County may be the best bet for its proximity to the Pentagon, it’s also the most expensive region to live in for housing costs. If you want to be close to your workplace with a smaller budget, Alexandria, which is just next door, is a better option.

If you’re looking at Stafford County right now because it’s the most affordable of the bunch, keep in mind that living there will be a long commute to the Pentagon. But like I mentioned earlier in this article, proximity to your workplace isn’t always better. Sometimes those who live further away from their workplace have shorter times due to their commute options, and we’ll get to that next.

Commute

I know we’ve talked about commuting earlier in this section, but that one focused on how to get to the Pentagon. This time, we’ll look into each county– you’ll know how you’re gonna head in and out of each and other relevant details.

Driving

Arlington has the shortest average commute distance at 9.6 miles, which isn’t surprising since it’s an employment hub, it’s close to other popular areas in Northern Virginia, and is just beside the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, Loudoun County has the longest average commute distance at 19.65 miles. To put things into perspective, the Northern Virginia average commute distance is 15.45 miles.

In the morning rush, Fairfax County experiences the highest percentage of its roads either near or over capacity. This places it slightly ahead of Alexandria, which, surprisingly, has a lower proportion of lane-miles near capacity

Now, let’s focus on driving time for a bit. We used a tool called INRIX DriveTime to determine which places you should live in if you wanna drive to the Pentagon within a certain timeframe.

The following criteria were used:

You’re driving to the Pentagon on a Tuesday
You want to reach the Pentagon by 8:30 AM
You want to get to the Pentagon within 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 60 minutes

Here is a rough idea of the areas you’d want to live in to reach The Pentagon within 15 minutes or so. Look into areas that are within the orange lines.

This region contains most of Arlington, especially to the east, northern Alexandria City, and further southwest to Lincolnia in Fairfax County. From Lincolnia, I-395 would be really useful because it’s a straight shot to The Pentagon.

Within the yellow lines are the areas that are within a 30-minute drive time to reach the Pentagon by 8:30 AM on a Tuesday.

This consists of Arlington County, Alexandria City, And Some Parts of Fairfax County, particularly those to the north, the central towns, and some to the east. Those that are a part of Fairfax County include Falls Church, West Falls Church, McLean, Vienna, and Wolf Trap to the north; Springfield and Franconia to the east; Lorton to the southeast; and Fairfax City.

The areas colored in green are those you can live in to be a 45-minute drive away to the Pentagon.

Now, that still includes Arlington County, Alexandria City, and Fairfax County, stretching as far as Reston, Herndon, Chantilly, and Great Falls, which borders Loudoun County. This region also includes parts of Loudoun County, such as Dulles, Sterling, Potomac Falls, and parts of Ashburn. Parts of Prince William County are also within this 45-minute drive, such as Woodbridge and Marumsco in the southeast; Minnieville and Montclair in the southwest; and Dumfries to the south. Other cities that you can also look into include Fairfax and Manassas Park.

Finally, if you don’t mind driving an hour to reach the Pentagon, here are the areas to look into.

It goes without saying that the places we’ve already talked about are included here – Arlington County, Alexandria City, and Fairfax County are all within an hour away. Parts of the three remaining counties are also within this criteria though. In Loudoun County, it stretches as far as Leesburg, Brambleton, and Ashburn. In Prince William County, it goes as far as Gainesville. And in Stafford County, you can consider Garrisonville, Aquia Harbour, parts of Stafford Courthouse, and Ramoth, the southernmost point of these limits.

Public Transportation

If you don’t want to get behind the wheel, or if you don’t mind driving for only a part of your commute, you already know your options because we talked about the Metro, VRE, and bus services in Northern Virginia above. All it boils down to is preference.

As mentioned earlier, Arlington has the highest number of commuters using public transportation, especially the metro, with Alexandria following behind. Though with such close proximity to the Pentagon, you can also go on a 15-minute drive to work from either one and just worry about parking or just take the bus. Either of these options is great since both Arlington and Alexandria are well-connected with public transit.

Fairfax County is a great in-between, depending on where you live. Northwest Fairfax County is particularly great for public transportation because it has several metro stations along the Orange and Silver lines, which connect to the Blue Line at the Rosslyn Station, so getting to the Pentagon Station just takes one change of train. You could also live somewhere near the Franconia-Springfield Station in Fairfax County, which is on the Blue Line – no switching of stations needed.

The thing about Fairfax County though is that for most of the region, you still need to drive to the metro station, park your car there or somewhere nearby, and then take the train. So at some point in your commute, you still have to drive. Unless you take one of the Fairfax Connector buses, but then you’d still have to get to a bus stop too. So, really consider where your home’s location is if you want to live a full life in the county without getting behind the wheel.

In Loudoun County, you’ve got fewer metro stations and fewer bus routes, especially if you’re in western Loudoun County – those areas beyond Leesburg and Aldie. The furthest metro line in Loudoun is the Ashburn Station on the Silver Line. So, again, you need to either drive or take the bus to get to this metro station.

Prince William County and Stafford County are the southernmost counties in Northern Virginia, which are around 35 to 40 miles away from the Pentagon. They’re not the furthest one from the Pentagon since Loudoun County is 44 to 51 miles away. But what makes it easier to live in Loudoun is that it has multiple roads going into Arlington, D.C., and the Pentagon. Prince William and Stafford only have two roads you can hop onto to get to the city – I-95 and US Route 1, which can become quite congested since everyone is on the same road to go north.

That’s why the OmniRide’s railway and bus services are extremely useful. Prince William County has both OmniRide’s VRE and bus services, while Stafford County only has the VRE rail services.

Property Types

Some of you may not be all that concerned about the commute time because getting the property type you want is more important. Northern Virginia has pretty much every type you can think of – single-family homes, townhomes, condos, even estate-type homes, farmettes, and mansions. Depending on the location though, there’s always going to be one or two that are more prevalent.