Will a person attain the reward of being in the first row even if there is only one row in the mosque?
Question

                Is it better to go to a mosque in which there is a large number of worshippers, even if it is far away? Will I attain the reward of being in the first row even if there is only one row in the mosque in which I pray?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    The evidence indicates that the reward for praying in 
    congregation increases with the number of worshippers. We have explained 
    that in the answer to question no. 
    38194. 

    The reward for the steps that you take to the mosque, no 
    matter how far away it is, is recorded for you with Allaah, as the Prophet 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every step that is 
    taken towards prayer is a charity.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2989; Muslim, 
    1009. 
Muslim (665) narrated 
    that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Some land 
    near the mosque became vacant, and Banu Salimah wanted to move there and be 
    close to the mosque. News of that reached the Messenger of Allaah  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he said to them, “I have 
    heard that you want to move near the mosque.” They said, “Yes, O Messenger 
    of Allaah, we want to do that.” He said, “O Banu Salimah, stay where you 
    are, for your steps are recorded; stay where you are, for your steps are 
    recorded.” 

    Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: What this 
    means is stay where you are, for your steps will be recorded and the many 
    steps that you take to the mosque will be recorded for you. Banu Salimah was 
    a well-known tribe of the Ansaar. End quote from Sharh Muslim, 
    5/169. 

    It should be noted that the criteria for deciding whether to 
    pray in one mosque or another includes other matters besides the number of 
    worshippers and the number of steps taken to reach the mosque, such as 
    whether the imam and congregation adhere to the Sunnah, how keen they are to 
    establish prayer as enjoined by Allaah, with proper focus and humility, 
    straightening the rows and other things that make the prayer more complete 
    and perfect. In some mosques there may be circles for teaching or memorizing 
    the Book of Allaah, so a person should have a share of that and should not 
    miss out on such things, even if the number of the people in the mosque is 
    small. 

    Proper understanding dictates that one should weigh up the 
    quality of one's deeds and prioritize accordingly, and strive to attain 
    reward as much as possible. 

    Secondly: 

    There are several ahaadeeth about the virtue of the first 
    row, such as that narrated by al-Bukhaari (615) and Muslim (437) from Abu 
    Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger 
    of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the 
    people knew what (reward) there is in the call and the first row, and there 
    was no other way to settle the matter than drawing lots, they would draw 
    lots for it.”  

    Abu Dawood (664) and al-Nasaa’i (811) narrated that al-Bara’ 
    ibn ‘Aazib said: The Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah 
    be upon him) used to walk up and down the rows, wiping our shoulders and 
    chests, and he would say, “Do not let your rows be ragged lest this create 
    disharmony in your hearts”, and he used to say, “Allaah and the  angels send 
    blessings on the front rows.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh 
    al-Nasaa’i. 

    This was also narrated by Ibn Maajah (997) with the wording: 
    “Allaah and the angels send blessings upon the first row.” 

    What is meant by the first row is that which is directly 
    behind the imam, whether there is a barrier or not. And it was said that it 
    is the first complete row that is directly behind the imam, or it means 
    those who came to the prayer first, even if they pray in the back rows. 
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah 
    have mercy on him) said: The first view is the one that is sound. This was 
    stated by the scholars. The other two views are clearly mistaken. 

    End quote from Fath al-Baari, 2/244. 

    It makes no difference whether there is one row or several 
    rows in the mosque. The row that is closest to the imam is the first row, 
    and its people are promised reward as indicated by the general meaning of 
    the ahaadeeth. 

    And Allaah knows best.