Where to Live Near the Pentagon (2026)The closest towns, the drive, the Metro and the home prices
The Pentagon· Arlington
Artist’s renderings of real Northern Virginia places.
Last updated October 15, 2026Bright MLS closed sales (Ahmed’s own pulls), OpenStreetMap routing, WMATA, VRE, OmniRide, Loudoun County Transit, Fairfax Connector and the Pentagon Force Protection AgencyAbout a 6-minute read
Quick answer
The closest towns in this guide to the Pentagon, by drive time with no traffic, are Arlington (9 min, 3.8 mi), City of Alexandria (15 min, 6.3 mi) and City of Falls Church (15 min, 8.8 mi).2 The Pentagon has its own Metro station on the Blue and Yellow Lines, and its visitor entrance is right next to the Metro exit.3,4 Among the 15 guide towns within 30 minutes, the median house price runs from $610,000 in Woodbridge to $2,300,000 in McLean, and the lowest median townhouse price is $472,000, in Woodbridge.1
The Pentagon in four numbers
Drive times with no traffic; home prices from Bright MLS, 2026
Closest towns
The towns closest to the Pentagon, with their home prices.
Every guide town within 30 minutes of the Pentagon with no traffic, closest first, with its 2026 median sale price. Switch between single-family houses and townhouses. Tap a town for its full guide: schools, taxes and more.
- 19 min3.8 mi$1,406,000656 sold$1,050,000126 sold
- 215 min6.3 mi$1,350,000219 sold$915,000408 sold
- 3City of Falls ChurchIndependent city15 min8.8 mi$1,685,00053 sold$1,215,00021 sold
- 4Falls ChurchFairfax17 min8.8 mi$1,055,000377 sold$774,00078 sold
- 5AnnandaleFairfax17 min9.7 mi$925,000251 sold$627,00072 sold
- 6SpringfieldFairfax17 min11.4 mi$828,857455 sold$630,000241 sold
- 7McLeanFairfax20 min10.8 mi$2,300,000335 sold$1,100,00049 sold
- 8AlexandriaFairfax22 min10.9 mi$885,000782 sold$650,000460 sold
- 9LortonFairfax23 min16.1 mi$930,000105 sold$550,000102 sold
- 10BurkeFairfax25 min15.7 mi$925,000184 sold$616,000152 sold
- 11ViennaFairfax26 min16.6 mi$1,453,000428 sold$811,557102 sold
- 12OaktonFairfax27 min17.4 mi$1,420,000124 sold$798,50038 sold
- 13City of FairfaxIndependent city28 min18.3 mi$820,000121 sold$867,50042 sold
- 14WoodbridgePrince William28 min20.2 mi$610,000721 sold$472,000539 sold
- 15FairfaxFairfax30 min20.1 mi$985,000448 sold$735,000313 sold
Drive time: the fastest route with no traffic, from each town’s center point to the Pentagon, on OpenStreetMap roads (OSRM), October 15, 2026. Median sale price: single-family houses (3+ bedrooms, 2+ full baths) and townhouses, no condos, closed sales January 1 to October 2, 2026 (towns marked to October 3), Bright MLS Townhouse medians are shown only where 10 or more sold.
Drive-time map
How far each town is from the Pentagon, at a glance.
Darker towns are closer. The star marks the Pentagon.
- Within 10 minutes: Arlington.
- 11 to 20 minutes: City of Alexandria, City of Falls Church, Falls Church, Annandale, Springfield, McLean.
- 21 to 30 minutes: Alexandria, Lorton, Burke, Vienna, Oakton, City of Fairfax, Woodbridge, Fairfax.
- Rush hour is different. These are drive times with no traffic, from each town’s center point. At rush hour the same trip can take much longer, so check a live map for your own address and start time before you choose.
Hover over or tap a town to see its drive time.Open its guide
- Up to 10 min
- 11 to 20 min
- 21 to 30 min
- 31 to 45 min
- Over 45 min
- ★The Pentagon
Getting there
Getting to the Pentagon by Metro, train or bus.
The Pentagon is one of the easiest big job centers in Northern Virginia to reach without a car. It has its own Metro station, and commuter buses from Prince William, Loudoun and Fairfax counties stop there. Visitors can’t park: the Pentagon Force Protection Agency says public parking is not available on the Pentagon Reservation.3
METROIts own station, Blue and Yellow Lines.
Pentagon station is at 2 South Rotary Road, and the visitor entrance is immediately next to the Metro exit.3,4 With no change of trains you can ride there from Arlington (Pentagon City, Crystal City, National Airport), the City of Alexandria (Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town, Potomac Yard, Eisenhower Avenue), Huntington in Alexandria, and on weekdays from Franconia-Springfield in Springfield.4,5 Orange and Silver Line riders change once, at Rosslyn. WMATA’s weekend tables list only the Yellow Line at the Pentagon.4
VRETrain to Crystal City, then Metro.
VRE has no Pentagon stop. Riders get off at Crystal City and change to Metro, or at Alexandria, where the city says the VRE station sits next to King Street-Old Town Metro.5,6 Scheduled weekday morning times to Crystal City: Franconia-Springfield 21 minutes, Lorton 29, Burke Centre 35, Woodbridge 36, Manassas Park 49, Manassas 55 and Broad Run in Bristow 63.7 VRE runs weekdays and skips a list of holidays.7
BUSCommuter buses from three counties.
OmniRide runs weekday commuter buses to the Pentagon from Dale City (route 972, about 25 minutes from the Horner Road lot on the timetable), Montclair (952), Lake Ridge (981) and Gainesville (612, about 37 to 40 minutes from the University Commuter Lot).8 Loudoun County Transit runs Pentagon buses from Leesburg and Loudoun Gateway (482) and from Aldie and East Gate in Chantilly (282 and 284).9 Fairfax Connector express routes 393 to 396, 598 and 698 also stop at Pentagon Metro.10
ACCESSVisitors need a sponsor.
A sponsor with a valid CAC must register visitors at least 24 hours ahead, and walk-up visitors are not processed. Visitors 18 and older need a REAL ID-compliant photo ID, and everyone goes through security screening. The Visitor Entrance is open Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.3
DRIVECarpool free on the I‑395 Express Lanes.
VDOT says vehicles with three or more people ride the I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes free with an E-ZPass Flex set to HOV mode.11 The reversible lanes run north on weekday mornings, 2:30 to 11 a.m., and south from noon.12
About the job center
Who works at the Pentagon.
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, on the Arlington side of the Potomac. Military OneSource puts its workforce at approximately 24,000 military and civilian employees (undated page, read October 2026).13 See the largest employers in Northern Virginia for the full list.
From Ahmed
Pick the commute first, then the house.
When a new job starts the search, I begin with the trip to work: which towns are close, which have a train or bus that goes there, and what homes cost in each. Then we look at houses in the towns that pass that test.
If you will work at the Pentagon, I can walk you through the towns and the numbers around it, in English or Arabic.
Questions
What people ask about living near the Pentagon.
What is the closest town to the Pentagon?
In this guide, Arlington is the closest: about 9 minutes and 3.8 miles by car with no traffic, from the town’s center point. Next come City of Alexandria (15 minutes) and City of Falls Church (15 minutes). Times are from OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads, October 15, 2026.
How much are homes near the Pentagon?
Among the 15 guide towns within 30 minutes with no traffic, the median single-family house price runs from $610,000 in Woodbridge to $2,300,000 in McLean, from Bright MLS closed sales, January 1 to October 2, 2026 (a few towns a day or two later). The lowest median townhouse price in that group is $472,000, in Woodbridge. A median is the middle sale: half sold for more and half for less.
Are these drive times to the Pentagon with traffic?
No. They are the fastest route with no traffic, from each town’s center point, so they are best for comparing towns with each other. Rush-hour trips take longer. Check a live map for your own address and start time.
Can I take the Metro to the Pentagon?
Yes. The Pentagon has its own Metro station on the Blue and Yellow Lines, and the visitor entrance is right next to the Metro exit (Pentagon Force Protection Agency and WMATA, read October 15, 2026). On weekends, WMATA’s tables list only the Yellow Line there.
Is there a VRE station at the Pentagon?
No. VRE riders get off at Crystal City and change to Metro, or at Alexandria next to King Street-Old Town Metro. On VRE’s weekday timetable, Woodbridge to Crystal City is 36 minutes and Manassas to Crystal City is 55 minutes.
Can visitors park at the Pentagon?
No. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency says public parking is not available on the Pentagon Reservation. Visitors come by Metro, bus or drop-off, and need a sponsor to register them at least 24 hours ahead.
Your next step
Working at the Pentagon? Let’s find the home that fits the commute.
Tell me where you will work, how you want to get there and when you start. I answer in English or Arabic, with real numbers, not a pitch.
اقرأ هذه الصفحة كاملة بالعربية ←
وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.
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