Streets and highways of Arlington County, Virginia facts for kids
This article deals with the streets and highways of Arlington County, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. in the United States.
Overview
In 2009, the county maintains 376 miles (605 km) of roads. As of 2004[update], the total mileage of (primary) state highways in Arlington County was 39.66 (59 km).
Arlington County is one of only two counties in Virginia which maintain its own roads (with the exception of primary state highways, including U.S. Highways and Interstates), the other being Henrico County outside the State Capital of Richmond. Because of this special status, there are no secondary state roads and, therefore, most roads are unnumbered. This status originated due to the existence of county highway departments in Arlington prior to the creation of the state transportation agency which is now the VDOT in 1927, and the assumption of local roads control by that agency in 1932. The control of the roads system is considered a powerful advantage for community urban planners, who can require developers to contribute to funding needed for road needs serving their projects.
Although the streets of Arlington County are not laid out on a grid plan, its local streets follow the Arlington County, Virginia, street-naming system: a system of sequential numbered or alphabetic patterns that are both rational and provide address numbering information.
Parkways
Arlington has two limited-access scenic parkways maintained by the U.S. National Park Service which also serve as major commuter routes.
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway runs northwest-southeast along Arlington County's entire Potomac River boundary with Washington, D.C., except for a small section traversing Columbia Island which is part of the District of Columbia.
Spout Run Parkway
The Spout Run Parkway is a spur from the George Washington Parkway providing access to Cherrydale, Lee Highway (U.S. Highway 29), and, indirectly, Interstate 66.
Bridges
Arlington County is connected to Washington, D.C. by several road bridges across the Potomac River. From upstream to the southeast, they are the Chain Bridge (State Route 123), the Francis Scott Key Bridge (U.S. Route 29), the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (Interstate 66/U.S. Route 50), the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the 14th Street Bridge complex (Interstate 395/U.S. Route 1).
