Pentagon: The Facts

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense and has been described as a city within itself by visitors. It houses approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel who are dedicated to protecting the interests of the United States of America.

The five-sided building is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The structure is comprised of five concentric pentagons around a center courtyard. The entire structure covers approximately 29 acres and is one of the largest office buildings in the world.

In 1941 US Army engineers started constructing the building designed by the American architect George Edwin Bergstrom. His chief purpose was to create a space that would bring all of the offices of what was then the 'Department of War' together under one roof. The Pentagon, as it is known today, was completed in 1943 and now houses various departments' headquarters including the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.