Arlington National Cemetery

State: Virginia. Type: U.S. military cemetery in Arlington County, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Established May 13, 1864, during the Civil War. Covers 639 acres and holds roughly 400,000 graves. Operated by the U.S. Department of the Army. Home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington House (the Robert E. Lee Memorial).

Arlington National Cemetery sits on land that once belonged to Robert E. Lee's family, overlooking the Potomac River and the National Mall from Arlington County, Virginia. The Army began burying Union soldiers there in 1864, and the cemetery has since grown into one of the largest and most visited national cemeteries in the country, with about 400,000 graves across 639 acres. Its grounds hold the graves of veterans from every American war as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded around the clock, and the Kennedy gravesite with its eternal flame. Arlington House, a neoclassical mansion built in 1818 and later the home of Robert E. Lee, still stands atop the hill and is preserved as a memorial. Because it remains an active cemetery, conducting dozens of funerals most weekdays, visitors experience it as both a solemn working military cemetery and a major historic site.

The cemetery is located in Arlington County, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., adjacent to the Pentagon and Arlington Ridge. It sits at the Virginia end of the Memorial Bridge, which connects it to the Lincoln Memorial on the D.C. side.

The cemetery lies in the humid subtropical Mid-Atlantic climate of the Washington, D.C. area, with hot, humid summers and cool, sometimes snowy winters. Because much of a visit involves walking outdoors across hilly, open terrain, weather has a direct effect on comfort; summer heat and humidity and winter cold both call for appropriate clothing.

Spring and fall generally offer the most comfortable walking weather for the cemetery's hilly outdoor grounds. Weekday mornings tend to be quieter than weekends, though visitors should note that timed-entry passes are used to manage crowds and should be reserved in advance on the official website, especially for weekend and spring/summer morning slots.

The land was originally part of the Custis-Lee estate; Arlington House was built in 1818 and later became the home of Robert E. Lee through his marriage into the Custis family. When Lee resigned his U.S. Army commission to join the Confederacy, Union forces occupied the estate, and the government began burying war dead there in May 1864, in part reportedly to ensure the Lee family could never comfortably reclaim the property. The cemetery expanded steadily through the 19th and 20th centuries to hold veterans and military dead from the Civil War through modern conflicts. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated in 1921 for an unidentified World War I soldier, with unknowns from World War II and the Korean War added in 1958 and an unknown from the Vietnam War added in 1984 (later identified and removed in 1998, leaving that crypt empty). Arlington House was designated a memorial to Robert E. Lee by Congress in 1955 and is preserved by the National Park Service today.

Most visitors walk the cemetery's paths to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Changing of the Guard ceremony, visit President John F. Kennedy's gravesite with its eternal flame, and tour Arlington House on the hill above. Many also walk sections dedicated to specific wars or notable figures, and the cemetery's visitor center offers maps and orientation. A tram tour is available for visitors who prefer not to walk the full hilly grounds.

Key sites include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its guard changing ceremony, the John F. Kennedy gravesite and eternal flame, Arlington House (the Robert E. Lee Memorial), the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater, the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia memorials, and the Confederate Memorial. The Women in Military Service for America Memorial stands near the cemetery's entrance.

The cemetery has its own Metro stop, Arlington National Cemetery Station, on the Blue Line, located right at the entrance. It is also reachable by car via the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the National Mall side, or by rideshare and tour bus from around Washington, D.C.

As of research, the cemetery is generally open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through September and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October through March; the adjacent Metro station's entrance hours follow the cemetery's closing time. Confirm current hours on arlingtoncemetery.mil before visiting, since a direct fetch of the official visit page was not obtainable during this research and these hours come from secondary sources.

General admission to Arlington National Cemetery is free. In recent years the cemetery has used a free timed-entry pass system to manage visitor flow, reservable on the official website; popular weekend and spring/summer morning slots can fill up, so booking ahead is recommended.

Most visitors budget two to three hours to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Changing of the Guard, the Kennedy gravesite and Arlington House, with more time needed for a fuller walk through additional sections.

Because the cemetery sits at the edge of Arlington and across the river from Washington, D.C., visitors have a wide choice of hotels in both Rosslyn/Arlington (a short Metro ride or walk away) and across the river in downtown D.C., ranging from business hotels to larger convention properties. Staying anywhere along the Metro's Blue, Orange or Silver lines makes reaching the cemetery straightforward.

The cemetery itself has limited food service, so most visitors eat in nearby Rosslyn, Arlington, or across the river in Washington, D.C., both of which offer a wide range of casual and sit-down dining reachable by Metro or a short drive.

The Pentagon and its 9/11 memorial sit adjacent to the cemetery grounds. Across the Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, National Mall museums, and other Washington, D.C. landmarks are within easy Metro or walking reach.

Arlington National Cemetery Station on the Metro Blue Line sits directly at the cemetery's entrance. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is only a few Metro stops away, making it the most convenient airport for visitors flying in.

As an active military cemetery, visitors are expected to maintain quiet, respectful behavior, particularly near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and during funeral processions; running, loud conversation and inappropriate dress are generally discouraged. The grounds are hilly and involve significant walking, so comfortable footwear matters. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes are essential given the cemetery's size and hilly terrain, along with water and weather-appropriate clothing (sun protection in summer, warm layers in winter). A printed or downloaded map, or the official app, helps with navigation across the 639-acre grounds.

Reserve a free timed-entry pass in advance on the official website, especially for weekends and spring/summer visits. Arriving by Metro avoids the limited on-site parking and traffic near the cemetery. Check the current Changing of the Guard schedule before your visit so you can time your walk to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier accordingly.

Dial 911 for any emergency. General visitor inquiries can be directed to the cemetery through its official website, arlingtoncemetery.mil, though a specific current phone number could not be confirmed via direct fetch during this research; check the official site for the current visitor contact number.

Arlington National Cemetery (U.S. Department of the Army) - https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.