Pentagon City is a bustling urban village located near Arlington Cemetery and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the southeast section of Arlington County, Virginia. The community of residential, office, and retail complexes is a major tourist stop due to its proximity to Washington, D.C.; Pentagon City is less than a mile from the Potomac River, which separates The Commonwealth of Virginia from Washington, D.C..

The Pentagon, whose parking lots span both sides of nearby Shirley Memorial Highway (I-395), is located just a couple of blocks away. Neighboring Crystal City, Virginia separates Pentagon City from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as well as the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia. Washington Boulevard (VA Rt. 27), Arlington Boulevard (US Rt. 50), Columbia Pike (VA Rt. 244), Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway (US Rt. 1), and VA Rt. 110 are nearby major thoroughfares.

The area is known for its Pentagon City Mall, also known as the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, as well as its very convenient location on the Yellow and Blue lines of the Washington Metro (The Pentagon City (Washington Metro) station is one of the busiest in the metrorail system, during peak and off-peak hours).

In addition to the Pentagon City Mall, popular retail attractions include Costco Warehouse, Best Buy, Borders Books and Music, and many of the new stores on Pentagon Row. Notably absent from Pentagon City are any signs of gasoline refueling stations.

Virginia Highlands Park, located in the heart of Pentagon City, provides a lush green space as well as basketball, tennis, and softball/baseball facilities for residents and visitors. Adjacent to Virginia Highlands Park are the Aurora Hills branch of the Arlington Public Library system and a firehouse to keep the community safe.

The River House apartment complex includes four older high-rise buildings that house many residents to complement the newly developed luxury apartment homes and condos on Pentagon Row as well as the four-story Southampton Condominium.