Arlington County, Virginia

 county, draw only border, CDP - Census Designated Place, county seat

County with a population of 238,643 in 2020. It is the smallest self-governing county in the country. After the founding of the colony of Virginia, land in this area was granted to several English nobles, including Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, whose name eventually, via aspects of the county named for him, came to be used for the county. In 1791 the area became part of the federal capital, but Congress forbade the construction of public buildings on the Virginia side of the river. In 1801 Congress enacted legislation that organized the district west of the Potomac River into Alexandria County. Congress returned Alexandria County to Virginia in 1846. In 1920 the county was renamed Arlington to distinguish it from the nearby City of Alexandria.

Due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., Arlington has grown as a desirable suburb for federal employees and private companies doing business with the government. The Pentagon was built here in 1943, making it a center of the US military establishment. Arlington National Cemetery, the second-largest national cemetery in the United States. It is built on the grounds of Robert E. Lee's former estate of Arlington House. It is the burial site of President John Kennedy and his brothers, as well as numerous US military figures and the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport are located here.

Famous natives include actor Sandra Bullock and politician Mike Gravel.