Arlington County
National Landing
Crystal City and Pentagon City, reshaped by Amazon's second headquarters: high-rise condominiums, three Metro stations, and a decade of construction ahead.
National Landing is the name adopted for Crystal City and Pentagon City in Arlington, together with Potomac Yard in Alexandria, in connection with Amazon’s second headquarters. It is the most rapidly changing piece of Northern Virginia, and buying here means buying into the change as well as the result.
Two jurisdictions under one name
This matters before anything else. Crystal City and Pentagon City are Arlington County. Potomac Yard straddles the county line, with its southern part in the City of Alexandria. The two set their own tax rates and run separate school divisions. Check the parcel, not the marketing name.
The areas
Crystal City is high-rise condominiums and apartments above an underground retail concourse, with offices and the new headquarters campus alongside. Pentagon City holds condominium towers, a mall, and apartment blocks. On the hill immediately west, Aurora Highlands is a single-family and townhouse neighborhood — a different market entirely, a few minutes’ walk from the towers. Along the river, parkland and the Mount Vernon Trail.
A decade of construction
The headquarters has brought office building, new residential development, public realm work, and a Virginia Tech graduate campus at Potomac Yard. None of it is finished. For a buyer that means noise, closed pavements, and changing views for years, alongside rising expectations.
Ask what is approved immediately around a specific building — the difference between a block that is finished and one that is next is substantial.
The airport
Reagan National is one Metro stop from Crystal City and walkable from parts of it. That is a real convenience and a real source of aircraft noise, depending on flight path, building, and floor. Stand in a specific unit and listen. It varies far more than buyers expect.
The transit
Three stations: Crystal City and Pentagon City on the Blue and Yellow lines, Potomac Yard just south. Crystal City is also a VRE stop. I-395 and the Parkway are immediately adjacent.
Schools
Arlington Public Schools for the Arlington portion, generally the Wakefield pyramid with option programs available; Alexandria City Public Schools for Potomac Yard south of the line. Confirm the jurisdiction first, then the assignment.
Buying or selling here
Buyers should read the condominium documents, listen for aircraft, and find out what is being built next door. Sellers should be specific about the station, the jurisdiction, and what construction is already complete nearby — the last of those is worth more here than in any other market in the region.
Communities in National Landing
- Crystal City
- High-rise condominiums and apartments over an underground retail concourse, with offices and the new headquarters campus alongside.
- Pentagon City
- Condominium towers, a mall, and apartment blocks between the Pentagon and Crystal City.
- Aurora Highlands
- The single-family and townhouse neighborhood immediately west, on the hill above the towers.
- Potomac Yard edge
- The southern side toward Alexandria's Potomac Yard and its Metro station, a separate jurisdiction.
- Long Bridge and the waterfront
- Parkland and trails along the Potomac at the area's eastern edge.
Schools
Arlington Public Schools serves the Arlington portion, generally through the Wakefield High School pyramid, with some addresses assigned elsewhere. APS runs option and immersion programs alongside neighborhood schools. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with APS, and note that Potomac Yard south of the county line is served by Alexandria City Public Schools instead.
Commuting
Three Metro stations serve the area — Crystal City and Pentagon City on the Blue and Yellow lines, and Potomac Yard just south — with Crystal City also a VRE stop. Reagan National Airport is one stop away or a walk from parts of Crystal City. I-395 and the George Washington Memorial Parkway are immediately adjacent, and the Mount Vernon Trail runs along the river.
Market
National Landing is a condominium and apartment market with a small quantity of townhouses and, on the hill above, the single-family streets of Aurora Highlands. Amazon's second headquarters and the associated investment have reset expectations here, and both prices and construction activity reflect it. Condominium fees in the older towers can be substantial and sometimes include utilities. Buyers should be clear that they are buying into a decade of building work as well as into the finished result.
Common questions
What is National Landing?
A name adopted for the combined area of Crystal City and Pentagon City in Arlington plus Potomac Yard in Alexandria, in connection with Amazon's second headquarters. It spans two jurisdictions, which matters: the Arlington and Alexandria portions have different tax rates and different school divisions.
How has the headquarters changed the area?
Substantially, and it is not finished. It has brought office construction, new residential building, public realm work, and a Virginia Tech graduate campus at Potomac Yard on the Alexandria side. For a buyer that means rising expectations and sustained construction — noise, closed pavements, and changing views — for years. Ask what is approved immediately around a specific building.
Which jurisdiction am I buying in?
Check the parcel. Crystal City and Pentagon City are Arlington County; Potomac Yard straddles the county line, with the southern part in the City of Alexandria. Arlington and Alexandria set their own tax rates and run separate school divisions, so the answer changes both. See the [Potomac Yard guide](/neighborhoods/potomac-yard/) for the Alexandria side.
What about the airport?
Reagan National is one Metro stop from Crystal City and within walking distance of parts of it, which is a genuine convenience and a source of aircraft noise depending on the flight path and the floor. Visit a specific unit and listen before deciding — it varies a great deal by building and orientation.
What schools serve the area?
Arlington Public Schools for the Arlington portion, generally the Wakefield pyramid with some addresses assigned elsewhere and option programs available. Alexandria City Public Schools serves the Potomac Yard area south of the county line. Confirm the jurisdiction first, then the assignment.
Current National Landing listings are available through my search site.
Last updated 2026-09-08.