Arlington is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia on the opposite side of the Potomac River near the District of Columbia. Although it is listed as an urban county, Arlington is regarded as a city in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The population of Arlington was listed as 206,800 in early 2008. There are approximately 86,351 households and 39,290 families taken from the 2000 census.
The neighborhoods of Arlington County are treated like a set of distinct towns. Arlington calls them "urban villages" especially the neighborhoods located near the Metrorail stations. The villages, such as Crystal City and Pentagon City which are located near the major transportation corridors, are centers with the most commercial activity. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and is situated in Arlington, Virginia even though its address is listed as Washington D.C. Tourists interested in vacationing in the Washington D.C. area typically visit the historical sites in Arlington such as the military cemetery on the grounds of the Arlington House. The military cemetery, or more commonly known as The Arlington National Cemetery, was established in the American Civil War and is the second largest national cemetery in the United States. CNN ranked Arlington as the city with the most educated people because 35 percent of its residents have a graduate degree.