File:The_Pentagon,_Headquarters_of_the_US_Department_of_Defense_(cropped2).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ11208· pop 102· linked from 4,804 articles

The Pentagon

Also known as Pentagon, Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, Pentagon Office Building Complex, Headquarters of the United States Department of War (2025–present), Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense (1947–2025), Headquarters of the United States Department of War (1789–1947)

headquarters of the United States Department of Defense; named after the shape of the building, a polygon with five (greek: penta) sides

AI overview

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, named after the distinctive five-sided shape of the building itself. It matters because it serves as the central command center for the U.S. military and the primary workplace for the Secretary of Defense and top military leadership.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Official website: pentagontours.osd.mil/Tours
Image: The Pentagon, Headquarters of the US Department of Defense (cropped).jpg
Height: 21.6

Show 11 more facts

Commons gallery: Pentagon (building)
street address: 1400 Defense Pentagon
date of official opening: 1943-01-15
floors above ground: 5
Commons category: The Pentagon
postal code: 20301
capital cost: 83000000
inception: 1941-09-11
native label: The Pentagon
service entry: 1942-04-00
P12749: Hypericum tetrapterum

Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

~23 min read

Article

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase The Pentagon is often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership.

The building was designed by American architect George Bergstrom and built by contractor John McShain. Ground was broken on 11 September 1941, and the building was dedicated on 15 January 1943. General Brehon Somervell provided the major impetus to gain Congressional approval for the project. Colonel Leslie Groves was responsible for overseeing the project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which supervised it.