Ballston, Arlington: homes, schools, parks and commute

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. The boundary is Arlington County’s Ballston planning area, from the county’s Planning Areas map layer, and the county’s Ballston Sector Plan summary (PDF). School zones come from the boundaries behind Arlington Public Schools’ boundary locator; ratings from the Virginia Department of Education’s 2026-27 framework summary for Arlington (PDF); home values from the Zillow Home Value Index (Zillow Research); parks from the county’s parks map layer; bus routes from Arlington Transit’s published schedule data; place names, stores, trails and road distances from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Ballston is the 345-acre planning area around Ballston Metrorail station, the western end of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. It is the largest of the corridor’s five Metro planning areas, built up with office and apartment towers along Glebe Road, Wilson Boulevard and Fairfax Drive, and its growth has been guided by the county’s Ballston Sector Plan since 1980. The beer halls and game bars in our nightlife guide cluster here.

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: Washington-Liberty High School (the whole planning area)
• Typical home value, ZIP 22203: $642,144 in September 2026, according to Zillow
• Nearest interstate exit: I-66 Exit 71 (VA 120, Glebe Road), about 0.5 mile by road
• Zone questions: Arlington Public Schools, 703-228-8000

Where it is

The planning area stretches from North Quincy Street, where Virginia Square ends, west to North George Mason Drive, which forms much of its western edge. I-66 and Washington Boulevard run along parts of its northern edge. North Glebe Road, Wilson Boulevard, Fairfax Drive, North Carlin Springs Road, North Stafford Street and North Randolph Street run through it. About 75% of the area is in ZIP 22203 and 24% in 22201.

On the county’s civic association map, the area overlaps Bluemont, which covers about two-fifths of it, Ballston-Virginia Square and Buckingham. OpenStreetMap marks Ballston, Bluemont and Brandon Village inside it.

Schools

A small corner, about 4%, is zoned for Jefferson Middle. All of these schools are Fully Accredited. The ratings are Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework category and score for 2026-27, based on 2025-26 results; Ashlawn, Barrett and Long Branch were identified for targeted support for one or more student groups. Check one address in the APS boundary locator, and see our schools guide.

Home values

The figures are Zillow’s Home Value Index, a modeled typical value for mid-priced homes, not a sale price. Zillow’s figure for Arlington as a whole was $801,809 in September 2026, up 1.3%. See our home prices guide.

Parks and trails

From the county’s parks map:

• Ballston Wetland Park, 4747 Fairfax Drive, about 6.7 acres
• Fields Park, 825 N. George Mason Drive
• Glebe and Randolph Park, 615 N. Glebe Road
• Welburn Square, a privately owned plaza

The Custis Trail runs along I-66 on the north side, and the Bluemont Junction Trail and the Ballston Connector Trail also pass through the area. More in our parks and trails guide and walking and biking trails guide.

Getting around

Distances are measured on the road network from the middle of the planning area (OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data); they are distances, not drive times.

Ballston-MU Metrorail station, 4230 Fairfax Drive, is inside the area, and Virginia Square-GMU station is about a quarter mile east of its edge. Arlington Transit (ART) routes with stops in the area, according to ART’s schedule data:

• ART 41: Columbia Pike, Ballston and Court House
• ART 42: Ballston to Pentagon City
• ART 51: Ballston and Virginia Hospital Center
• ART 52: Ballston, Virginia Hospital Center and East Falls Church
• ART 56: Military Road to Rosslyn
• ART 72: Rock Spring, Ballston and Shirlington
• ART 75: Shirlington, Wakefield High School, Carlin Springs Road, Ballston and Virginia Square

See our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

• Harris Teeter, 624 N. Glebe Road, with a pharmacy
• Safeway, 5101 Wilson Blvd., at the western edge, with a pharmacy
• Glebe Market, 300 N. Glebe Road, just south of the area
• A CVS Pharmacy, mapped in OpenStreetMap inside the area

How to check an address

Look up the parcel on the county’s property search, then check its elementary school in the APS boundary locator, since Ballston is split between four elementary zones. Our property tax guide has the county rate, and the Arlington neighborhoods guide covers every planning area.

Frequently asked questions

What high school is Ballston zoned for?

All of the Ballston planning area is zoned for Washington-Liberty High School, rated Meets Expectations with a framework score of 92.2 in Virginia’s 2026-27 ratings. Most of it is zoned for Swanson Middle.

What ZIP code is Ballston, Arlington?

Mostly 22203, about three-quarters of the planning area. The eastern part is in 22201.

What is the typical home value in Ballston?

Zillow’s Home Value Index for ZIP 22203 was $642,144 in September 2026, up 1.8% from a year earlier. The countywide figure was $801,809. These are modeled values, not sale prices.

Is Ballston a good place to live?

Ballston is a 345-acre planning area around Ballston Metrorail station, with the 6.7-acre Ballston Wetland Park and the Custis and Bluemont Junction trails. It is zoned for Washington-Liberty High, rated Meets Expectations for 2026-27, and Zillow’s typical 22203 value was $642,144 in September 2026.