Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

The cemetery was established on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Custis Lee, a descendant of Martha Washington.

The first burial (a Confederate prisoner of war) occurred on May 13, 1864.

More than 300,000 people are buried here on 624 acres.

Arlington National Cemetery has the second-largest number of people buried of any national cemetery in the United States.

Three state funerals have been held at Arlington: those of Presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy, and that of General of the Armies John Pershing.

Whether or not they were wartime service members, U.S. Presidents are eligible to be buried at Arlington since they oversaw the armed forces.

Location

Arlington, Virginia
USA

Getting There

Arlington National Cemetery is accessible by public transportation. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operates several Metrobus routes that serve the cemetery, including the 7A, 10A, 10B, 10E, and 23A. Additionally, the cemetery is accessible via the Metrorail Blue Line at the Arlington Cemetery Station, which is located adjacent to the cemetery's main entrance.

The Metrorail Blue Line serves the Arlington Cemetery Station daily, with service starting around 5:00 am on weekdays and 7:00 am on weekends, and ending around midnight every day. Metrobus service to the cemetery varies by route, but generally runs from early morning until late evening.

It's important to note that the cemetery is quite large, so visitors should plan for some walking when visiting.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Virginia that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.