Construction of the trolley line, which branched at Clarendon to serve both Rosslyn and downtown Washington, D.C., temporarily shifted much of the area's development away from the crossroads.

A historical marker entitled "Lacey Car Barn" located near the northwest corner of N. Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive states:In 1896, the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway began running electric trolleys from Rosslyn to Falls Church on the present routes of Fairfax Drive and I-66.

In 1910, at this location, the railway built a car barn, railyard, workshops, electrical substation, and general office.

In 1912, the rival Washington and Old Dominion Railroad began crossing the tracks on a bridge 200 yards west of here, following the present route of I-66 from Rosslyn.

[8]In 1951, the Parkington Shopping Center opened at the intersection, formerly known as Balls Crossroads on the site of present-day Ballston Quarter.

Parkington was anchored by the headquarters location of the Hecht Company, and was reputed to have the largest parking garage in the nation when it opened.

In addition to the ice hockey team's training center, the Iceplex features two indoor NHL-sized ice rinks, office space, locker rooms, a full-service pro-shop, a Capitals team store, a snack bar, and space for special events.

[13][14] Ballston hosts the annual Taste of Arlington food festival,[15] a street fair which has been produced each spring since 1987.

The 2009 Taste of Arlington event featured over 40 area restaurants offering portions of their cuisine to ticket-holders, and drew approximately 15,000 people.

[17] The neighborhood has a concentrations of scientific research institutes, research and development agencies, think tanks, lobbying-advocacy groups, trade associations, government agencies, and aerospace manufacturing and defense industry companies, as well as engineering, management, and public sector consulting firms.