Northern Virginia

Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church are considered independent, but the rest of Northern Virginia is generally sorted into these counties:

• 🌍 Alexandria — shopping, dining, and recreational options abound in the historic Old Town district as well as the unique neighborhoods inland from the waterfront.
• 🌍 Arlington — with its monuments, government offices, and density, practically an extension of D.C.—of which it was historically part.
• 🌍 City of Fairfax — the county seat of massive Fairfax County, but retaining a quaint colonial downtown.
• 🌍 Leesburg — seat of Loudoun County, with a historic downtown and outlet shopping beyond.
• 🌍 Middleburg — a beautiful, rustic village; the center of horse country and home to fine dining for Washington escapists.
• 🌍 Reston — an early "New Town" planned community, with abundant green space, arts, and dining amidst office towers and condominiums.
• 🌍 Vienna — Sachertortes, mountain scenery, lederhosen, the waltz—wait, just kidding! But it's home to the big Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center, and right next to Tysons Corner shopping malls.

Northern Virginia is emphasis on the Northern. No drawls here, the politics are liberal, and people aren't too sure what to make of grits. Actually, most Northern Virginians were born elsewhere, with nearly half of them either from a different country or born to immigrant parents. Outside the immigrant populations, which are fairly wealthy in their own right by any national standards, the native-born population is downright spectacularly wealthy. Polo shirts and khakis shorts rule, pearls adorn the night, mansions are so nouveau-riche (and prevalent), and world class golf is in every direction.

Northern Virginia has always been closely tied with the nation's capital. This part of the state benefits from the history and the cultural aspects of Washington D.C., featuring famous museums, cemeteries, and the home of the first president of the United States. Arlington and Alexandria, in particular, are every bit as dense urban areas as D.C. itself—if not more so. Fairfax County is only slightly less dense, and, with over one million residents, is the most populous county in the state by far.

Much of the northeastern corner of Virginia, aside from the cores of Arlington and Alexandria, was farmland for most of its history until the period immediately following World War II, when government employment increased and the population around Washington D.C. began to grow. The area experienced another explosion in growth due to tech industry jobs in the early 1990s. Today it remains one of the fastest growing areas of the country. While Northern Virginia continues to expand, the region ranges from crowded planned cities with excellent shopping to soccer-mom suburbia, from ethnic neighborhoods full of authentic restaurants to the upper-crust style of the Hunt Country.

• Taking Metrorail might be a good option - there are many stations within the Beltway (near Washington, DC, in other words), including one that emerges right outside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. It is also the easiest way to enter Washington, DC.
• Driving can be convenient, unless you wish to enter Washington, DC, or cross the Beltway in either direction. The highways (I-395, I-95, I-495, and I-66) are extremely backed up during rush hour. The "Mixing Bowl" (the intersection of I-395, I-95, and I-495 south of Washington, DC) is especially notorious. Attempting to travel by road between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM on any weekday (and, for that matter, on a weekend) is strongly discouraged.

• The Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington is a national military cemetery that includes John F. Kennedy's tomb and the house of General Robert E. Lee. Visitors can watch the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
• Old Town Alexandria in the independent City of Alexandria. This highly walkable Old Town at the edge of the Potomac River features historic buildings, churches, museums and art galleries, a farmers market, and a variety of places to eat and shop.
• George Washington lived in the Mount Vernon country estate in Mount Vernon, Fairfax County.
• National Rifle Association Museum and Headquarters in Fairfax. Museum and firearms range.
• Pentagon in Arlington; just across the Potomac River from downtown DC. While lingering is not recommended for security reasons, you should know it is the largest office building in the world, and covers 4 zip codes. (Army, Navy, Air Force and Department of Defense.)
• Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center — National Air and Space Museum houses many air/spacecraft, including the SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane, the Concorde supersonic jet and the space shuttle "Enterprise".
• Manassas National Battlefield Park was the site of two major battles of the American Civil War, also known as the First and Second Battles of Bull Run.
• National Marine Corps Museum in Quantico is a fabulous museum, often and wrongly overlooked by those unaffiliated with the Marine Corps.

• Great Falls Park, in McLean. Gorgeous national park with waterfalls and hiking trails, minutes from the beltway. Kayaking and rock climbing. Going to the park after a large rain storm provides different views as the water levels can change drastically.

• Potomac Mills Outlets in Woodbridge offers slightly better outlet shopping.
• Tysons Corner Center is the D.C. area's biggest shopping mall, set within its biggest suburban business center.

• Washington, D.C. -- lots of memorials and other government attractions in the nation's capital.
• Maryland