Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia.[1] The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the national capital.
Arlington County is coextensive with the U.S. Census Bureau's census-designated place of Arlington. Arlington County is the eighth-most populous county in the Washington metropolitan area with a population of 238,643 as of the 2020 census.[2] If Arlington County were incorporated as a city, it would rank as the third-most populous city in the state. With a land area of 26 square miles (67 km2), Arlington County is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the nation.
Arlington County is home to
Corporations based in the county include the
History
Colonial Virginia
Present-day Arlington County was part of
Residence Act
Present-day Arlington County and most of present-day Alexandria were ceded to the new federal government by Virginia. On July 16, 1790, the Congress passed the Residence Act, which authorized the relocation of the capital from Philadelphia to a location to be selected on the Potomac River by U.S. President George Washington. The Residence Act originally only allowed the President to select a location in Maryland as far east as the Anacostia River. President Washington, however, shifted the federal territory's borders to the southeast in order to include the existing town of Alexandria.
In 1791, Congress, at Washington's request, amended the Residence Act to approve the new site, including the territory ceded by Virginia.[6] The amendment to the Residence Act prohibited the "erection of the public buildings otherwise than on the Maryland side of the River Potomac."[7]
The initial shape of the federal district was a square, measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side, totaling 100 square miles (260 km2). In 1791 and 1792, Andrew Ellicott and several assistants placed boundary stones at every mile point. Fourteen of these markers were in Virginia, and many of the stones are still standing.[8]
When
The Act established the borders of the area that eventually became Arlington, but the citizens in Washington, D.C., were no longer considered residents of Maryland or Virginia, which represented the end of their federal representation in Congress.[10]
Retrocession
Prior to retrocession, residents of
Alexandria was a center for the slave trade; Franklin and Armfield Office in Alexandria was once an office used in slave trading. Rumors circulated that abolitionists in Congress were attempting to end slavery in the District, an act that, at the time, would have further depressed Alexandria's slavery-based economy.[13] At the same time, an active abolitionist movement arose in Virginia that created a division on the question of slavery in the Virginia General Assembly. Pro-slavery Virginians recognized that if Alexandria were returned to Virginia, it could provide two new representatives who favored slavery in the state legislature. Some time after retrocession, during the American Civil War, this division led to the formation of West Virginia as a state, which comprised what then 51 counties in the northwest part of the state that favored abolitionism.[14]
Largely as a result of the economic neglect by Congress, divisions over slavery, and the lack of voting rights for the residents of the District, a movement grew to return Alexandria to Virginia from the District of Columbia. From 1840 to 1846, Alexandrians petitioned Congress and the Virginia legislature to approve such a transfer, known as retrocession. On February 3, 1846, the Virginia General Assembly agreed to accept the retrocession of Alexandria if Congress approved. Following additional lobbying by Alexandrians, Congress passed legislation on July 9, 1846, to return all the District's territory south of the Potomac River back to Virginia, pursuant to a referendum, and President James K. Polk signed the legislation the next day. A referendum on retrocession was held on September 1 and September 2, 1846, and the voters in Alexandria voted in favor of the retrocession by a margin of 734 to 116, while those in the rest of Alexandria County voted against retrocession 106 to 29. Pursuant to the referendum, President Polk issued a proclamation of transfer on September 7, 1846. However, the Virginia legislature did not immediately accept the retrocession offer. Virginia legislators were concerned that Alexandria County residents had not been properly included in the retrocession proceedings. After months of debate, on March 13, 1847, the Virginia General Assembly voted to formally accept the retrocession legislation.[12]
In 1852, the Virginia legislature voted to incorporate a portion of Alexandria County as the City of Alexandria, which until then had been administered only as an unincorporated town within the political boundaries of Alexandria County.[15]
Civil War
During the
For the duration of the Civil War, the Confederacy claimed the whole of antebellum Virginia, including the more staunchly Union-supporting northwestern counties that eventually broke away and were later admitted to the Union in 1863 as West Virginia. However, the Confederacy never fully controlled all of present-day Northern Virginia. In 1862, the U.S. Congress passed a law that required that obligated owners of property in districts where active Confederate insurrections were occurring to pay their real estate taxes in person.[17]
In 1864, during the Civil War, the U.S. federal government confiscated the Abingdon estate, which was located on and near the present Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, when its owner failed to pay the estate's property tax in person because he was serving in the Confederate States Army.[17] The government then sold the property at auction, and the purchaser leased the property to a third party.[17]
In 1865, after the Civil War ended, the Abingdon estate's heir,
The property included the former residence of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's family at and around Arlington House, which had been subjected to an appraisal of $26,810, on which a real estate tax of $92.07 was assessed. Likely fearing an encounter with Union officials, Lee's wife, Mary Anna Custis Lee, the owner of the property, chose not pay the tax in person. She instead sent an agent on her behalf, but Union officials refused to accept it.[18][19] As a result of the 1862 law, the U.S. federal government confiscated the property, and transformed it into a military cemetery.[18]
After the Civil War ended and his parents died,
Confederate incursions from Falls Church, Minor's Hill and Upton's Hill, then securely in Confederate hands, occurred as far east as the present-day Ballston. On August 17, 1861, 600 Confederate soldiers engaged the 23rd New York Infantry Regiment near Ballston, killing a Union Army soldier. Later that month, on August 27, another large incursion of 600 to 800 Confederate soldiers clashed with Union soldiers at Ball's Crossroads, Hall's Hill, and at the present-day border between the Falls Church and Arlington. A number of soldiers on both sides were killed. However, the territory in present-day Arlington never fell under Confederate control and was not attacked.[20]
Separation from Alexandria
In 1870, the
In 1896, an electric trolley line was built from Washington, D.C. through Ballston; Northern Virginia trolleys were a significant factor in the county's growth. In 1920, the trolley was named Arlington County, named after Arlington House, the home of the American Civil War Confederate general Robert E. Lee later seized by the Union in a tax sale, is located on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.
20th century
In 1900, Blacks were more than a third of Arlington County's population. Over the course of the century, the Black population dwindled. Neighborhoods in Arlington set up racial covenants and forbade Blacks from owning or domiciling property.[21][22] In 1938, Arlington banned row houses, a type of housing that was heavily used by Black residents. By October 1942, not a single rental unit was available in the county.[23] In the 1940s, the federal government evicted black neighborhoods to build the Pentagon and make room for highway construction.[21]
In 1908, Potomac was incorporated as a town in Alexandria County, and was annexed by Alexandria in 1930.
In 1920, the Virginia legislature renamed the area Arlington County to avoid confusion with the City of Alexandria which had become an independent city in 1870 under the new Virginia Constitution adopted after the Civil War.
In the 1930s, Hoover Field was established on the present site of the Pentagon; in that decade, Buckingham, Colonial Village, and other apartment communities also opened. World War II brought a boom to the county, but one that could not be met by new construction due to rationing imposed by the war effort.
In October 1949, the
In February 1959,
The state responded by suspending the county's right to an elected school board. The
Arlington during the 1960s underwent tremendous change after the huge influx of newcomers in the 1950s.
Arlington County officials called for the stations in Arlington to be placed along the decaying commercial corridor between Rosslyn and Ballston that included Clarendon. A new regional transportation planning entity was formed, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. Arlington officials renewed their push for a route that benefited the commercial corridor along Wilson Boulevard, which prevailed. There were neighborhood concerns that there would be high-density development along the corridor that would disrupt the character of old neighborhoods.
With the population in the county declining, political leaders saw economic development as a long-range benefit. Citizen input and county planners came up with a workable compromise, with some limits on development. The two lines in Arlington were inaugurated in 1977. The Orange Line's creation was more problematic than the Blue Line's. The Blue Line served the Pentagon and National Airport and boosted the commercial development of Crystal City and Pentagon City. Property values along the Metro lines increased significantly for both residential and commercial property. The ensuing gentrification caused the mostly working and lower middle class white Southern residents to either be priced out of rent or in some cases sell their homes. This permanently changed the character of the city, and ultimately resulted in the virtual eradication of this group over the coming 30 years, being replaced with an increasing presence of a white-collar transplant population mostly of Northern stock.
While a population of white-collar government transplant workers had always been present in the county, particularly in its far northern areas and in Lyon Village, the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s saw the complete dominance of this group over the majority of Arlington's residential neighborhoods, and mostly economically eliminated the former working-class residents of areas such as Cherrydale, Lyon Park, Rosslyn, Virginia Square, Claremont, and Arlington Forest, among other neighborhoods. The transformation of Clarendon is particularly striking. This neighborhood, a downtown shopping area, fell into decay. It became home to a vibrant Vietnamese business community in the 1970s and 1980s known as Little Saigon. It has now been significantly gentrified. Its Vietnamese population is now barely visible, except for several holdout businesses. Arlington's careful planning for the Metro has transformed the county and has become a model revitalization for older suburbs.[28][29]
In 1965, after years of negotiations, Arlington swapped some land in the south end with Alexandria, though less than originally planned. The land was located along King Street and Four Mile Run. The exchange allowed the two jurisdictions to straighten out the boundary and helped highway and sewer projects to go forward. It moved into Arlington several acres of land to the south of the old county line that had not been a part of the District of Columbia.[30]
21st century
On September 11, 2001, five al-Qaeda hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, killing 115 Pentagon employees and 10 contractors in the building, as well as all 53 passengers, six crew members, and five hijackers on board the aircraft.
Arlington, regarded as a model of smart growth, has experienced explosive growth in the early 21st century.[31]
Turnberry Tower, located in the Rosslyn neighborhood, was completed in 2009. At the time of completion, the Turnberry Tower was the tallest residential building in the Washington metropolitan area.[32][33]
In 2017, Nestle USA chose 1812 N Moore in Rosslyn as their U.S. headquarters.[34]
In 2018, Amazon.com, Inc. announced that it would build its co-headquarters in the Crystal City neighborhood, anchoring a broader area of Arlington and Alexandria that was simultaneously rebranded as National Landing.[35]
By 2020, single-family detached homes accounted for nearly 75% of zoned property in Arlington.[21]
Geography
Arlington County is located in Northern Virginia and is surrounded by Fairfax County and Falls Church to the west, the city of Alexandria to the southeast, and the national capital of Washington, D.C. to the northeast across the Potomac River, which forms the county's northern border. Minor's Hill and Upton's Hill represent the county's western borders.
According to the
Since the late 20th century, the county government has pursued a development strategy of concentrating much of its new development near transit facilities, such as Metrorail stations and the high-volume bus lines of Columbia Pike.[38] Within the transit areas, the government has a policy of encouraging mixed-use and pedestrian- and transit-oriented development.[39] Some of these "urban village" communities include:
- Aurora Highlands
- Ballston
- Barcroft
- Bluemont
- Broyhill Heights
- Claremont
- Clarendon
- Courthouse
- Crystal City
- Glencarlyn
- Greenbrier
- High View Park (formerly Halls Hill)
- Lyon Village
- Palisades
- Pentagon City
- Penrose
- Radnor - Fort Myer Heights
- Rosslyn
- Shirlington
- Virginia Square
- Waycroft-Woodlawn (formerly Woodlawn Park)
- Westover
- Williamsburg Circle
In 2002, Arlington received the
A number of the county's residential neighborhoods and larger garden-style apartment complexes are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and/or designated under the County government's zoning ordinance as local historic preservation districts.[42][43] These include Arlington Village, Arlington Forest, Ashton Heights, Buckingham, Cherrydale, Claremont, Colonial Village,
Arlington is often spoken of as divided between North Arlington and South Arlington, which designate the sections of the county that lie north and south of Arlington Boulevard. Places in Arlington are often identified by their location in one or the other. Much consideration is given to socioeconomic and demographic differences between these two portions of the county and the respective amounts of attention they receive in the way of public services.[48]
Arlington ranks fourth in the nation, immediately after Washington, D.C., for park access and quality in the 2018 ParkScore ranking of the top 100 park systems across the United States, according to the ranking methodologies of Trust for Public Land.[49]
Climate
The climate in the county is characterized by hot, humid summers, mild to moderately cold winters, and pleasant spring and fall seasons. Arlington County averages 41.82 inches of precipitation that is fairly evenly spread out during the year. Snowfall averages 13.7 inches per year. The snowiest months are January and February, although snow also falls in December and March; scarce snow may fall in November or April. The county usually has 60 nights with lows below freezing and 40 days with highs in the 90s. Hundred degree temperatures readings are rare, even more so negative temperature readings in Fahrenheit, last occurring August 13, 2016 and January 19, 1994, respectively.
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
84 (29) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
98 (37) |
86 (30) |
79 (26) |
106 (41) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.7 (19.3) |
68.1 (20.1) |
77.3 (25.2) |
86.4 (30.2) |
91.0 (32.8) |
95.7 (35.4) |
98.1 (36.7) |
96.5 (35.8) |
91.9 (33.3) |
84.5 (29.2) |
74.8 (23.8) |
67.1 (19.5) |
99.1 (37.3) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.8 (7.1) |
48.3 (9.1) |
56.5 (13.6) |
68.0 (20.0) |
76.5 (24.7) |
85.1 (29.5) |
89.6 (32.0) |
87.8 (31.0) |
80.7 (27.1) |
69.4 (20.8) |
58.2 (14.6) |
48.8 (9.3) |
67.8 (19.9) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 37.5 (3.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
47.6 (8.7) |
58.2 (14.6) |
67.2 (19.6) |
76.3 (24.6) |
81.0 (27.2) |
79.4 (26.3) |
72.4 (22.4) |
60.8 (16.0) |
49.9 (9.9) |
41.7 (5.4) |
59.3 (15.2) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.1 (−1.1) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
38.6 (3.7) |
48.4 (9.1) |
58.0 (14.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
72.4 (22.4) |
71.0 (21.7) |
64.1 (17.8) |
52.2 (11.2) |
41.6 (5.3) |
34.5 (1.4) |
50.9 (10.5) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 14.3 (−9.8) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
34.9 (1.6) |
45.5 (7.5) |
55.7 (13.2) |
63.8 (17.7) |
62.1 (16.7) |
51.3 (10.7) |
38.7 (3.7) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
12.3 (−10.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −14 (−26) |
−15 (−26) |
4 (−16) |
15 (−9) |
33 (1) |
43 (6) |
52 (11) |
49 (9) |
36 (2) |
26 (−3) |
11 (−12) |
−13 (−25) |
−15 (−26) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.86 (73) |
2.62 (67) |
3.50 (89) |
3.21 (82) |
3.94 (100) |
4.20 (107) |
4.33 (110) |
3.25 (83) |
3.93 (100) |
3.66 (93) |
2.91 (74) |
3.41 (87) |
41.82 (1,062) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.9 (12) |
5.0 (13) |
2.0 (5.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.7 (4.3) |
13.7 (35) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.7 | 9.3 | 11.0 | 10.8 | 11.6 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 10.1 | 117.7 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 8.0 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
62.1 | 60.5 | 58.6 | 58.0 | 64.5 | 65.8 | 66.9 | 69.3 | 69.7 | 67.4 | 64.7 | 64.1 | 64.3 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 21.7 (−5.7) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
39.7 (4.3) |
52.3 (11.3) |
61.5 (16.4) |
66.0 (18.9) |
65.8 (18.8) |
59.5 (15.3) |
47.5 (8.6) |
37.0 (2.8) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
44.4 (6.9) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 144.6 | 151.8 | 204.0 | 228.2 | 260.5 | 283.2 | 280.5 | 263.1 | 225.0 | 203.6 | 150.2 | 133.0 | 2,527.7 |
Percent possible sunshine | 48 | 50 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 60 | 59 | 50 | 45 | 57 |
Average ultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
Source 1: | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[58] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1800 | 5,949 | — | |
1810 | 8,552 | 43.8% | |
1820 | 9,703 | 13.5% | |
1830 | 9,573 | −1.3% | |
1840 | 9,967 | 4.1% | |
1850 | 10,008 | 0.4% | |
1860 | 12,652 | 26.4% | |
1870 | 16,755 | 32.4% | |
1880 | 17,546 | 4.7% | |
1890 | 18,597 | 6.0% | |
1900 | 6,430 | −65.4% | |
1910 | 10,231 | 59.1% | |
1920 | 16,040 | 56.8% | |
1930 | 26,615 | 65.9% | |
1940 | 57,040 | 114.3% | |
1950 | 135,449 | 137.5% | |
1960 | 163,401 | 20.6% | |
1970 | 174,284 | 6.7% | |
1980 | 152,599 | −12.4% | |
1990 | 170,936 | 12.0% | |
2000 | 189,453 | 10.8% | |
2010 | 207,627 | 9.6% | |
2020 | 238,643 | 14.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[59] 1790-1960[60] 1900-1990[61] 1990-2000[62] 2010-2020[63] 2010[64] 2020[65] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[64] | Pop 2020[65] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
132,961 | 139,653 | 64.04% | 58.52% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
17,088 | 20,330 | 8.23% | 8.52% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
394 | 258 | 0.19% | 0.11% |
Asian alone (NH) | 19,762 | 27,235 | 9.52% | 11.41% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 133 | 118 | 0.06% | 0.05% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 611 | 1,491 | 0.29% | 0.62% |
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 5,296 | 12,196 | 2.55% | 5.11% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 31,382 | 37,362 | 15.11% | 15.66% |
Total | 207,627 | 238,643 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 census,[66] there were 207,627 people, 98,050 households, and 41,607 families residing in Arlington. The population density was 8,853 people per square mile, the second highest of any county in Virginia.
According to the US Census, the racial makeup of the county in 2012 was 63.8%
There were 86,352 households, out of which 19.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.30% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.50% were non-families. 40.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.96.
Families headed by single parents were the lowest in the DC area, under 6%, as estimated by the Census Bureau for the years 2006–2008. For the same years, the percentage of people estimated to be living alone was the third highest in the DC area, at 45%.[67] In 2009, Arlington was highest in the Washington DC Metropolitan area for the percentage of people who were single – 70.9%. 14.3% were married. 14.8% had families.[68] In 2014 Arlington had the 2nd highest concentration of roommates after San Francisco among the 50 largest U.S. cities.[69]
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the county was $94,876, and the median income for a family was $127,179.[70] Males had a median income of $51,011 versus $41,552 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,706. About 5.00% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.
The age distribution was 16.50% under 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 42.40% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.70 males.
In 2008, 20.3% of the population did not have medical health insurance.[74] In 2010, AIDS prevalence was 341.5 per 100,000 population. This was eight times the rate of nearby Loudoun County and one-quarter the rate of the District of Columbia.[75]
Crime statistics for 2009 included the report of 2 homicides, 15 forcible rapes, 149 robberies, 145 incidents of or aggravated assault, 319 burglaries, 4,140 incidents of larceny, and 297 reports of vehicle theft. This was a reduction in all categories from the previous year.[76]
According to a 2016 study by Bankrate.com, Arlington is the best place to retire, with nearby Alexandria coming in at second place. Criteria of the study included cost of living, rates of violent and property crimes, walkability, health care quality, state and local tax rates, weather, local culture and well-being for senior citizens.[77]
2021 marked the fourth consecutive year that the American College of Sports Medicine named Arlington the "Fittest City in America" in their annual Fitness Index.[78] Arlington topped the list of 100 cities in both the Personal and the Community & Environment Health metrics.
Government and politics
Local government
Position | Name | Party | First elected | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chair | Libby Garvey[79] | Democratic | 2012 | |
Vice Chair | Takis Karatonis[80] | Democratic | 2020 | |
Member | Matt de Ferranti[81] | Democratic | 2018 | |
Member | Maureen Coffey[82] | Democratic | 2024 | |
Member | Susan Cunningham[83] | Democratic | 2024 |
For the last two decades, Arlington has been a Democratic stronghold at nearly all levels of government.[84] However, during a special election in April 2014, a Republican running as an independent, John Vihstadt, captured a County Board seat, defeating Democrat Alan Howze 57% to 41%; he became the first non-Democratic board member in fifteen years.[85] This was in large part a voter response to plans to raise property taxes to fund several large projects, including a streetcar and an aquatics center. County Board Member Libby Garvey, in April 2014, resigned from the Arlington Democratic Committee after supporting Vihstadt's campaign over Howze.[86] Eight months later, in November's general election, Vihstadt won a full term; winning by 56% to 44%.[87] This is the first time since 1983 that a non-Democrat won a County Board general election.[88] In 2018, without the controversial streetcar issue to bolster his campaign, Vihstadt lost.[89]
The county is governed by a five-person County Board; members are elected at-large on staggered four-year terms. They appoint a
Position | Name | Party | First elected | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clerk of the Circuit Court | Paul Ferguson[91] | Democratic | 2007 | |
Commissioner of Revenue | Ingrid Morroy[92] | Democratic | 2003 | |
Commonwealth's Attorney | Parisa Dehghani-Tafti[93] | Democratic | 2019 | |
Sheriff | Beth Arthur[94] | Democratic | 2000 | |
Treasurer | Carla de la Pava[95] | Democratic | 2014 |
Incorporation
Under Virginia law, the only municipalities that may be contained within counties are
Current state law would prohibit the incorporation of any towns within the county because the county's population density exceeds 200 persons per square mile.[97] In 2017, then-county board chairman Jay Fisette suggested that the county as a whole should incorporate as an independent city.[98]
State and federal elections
In 2009, Republican
Arlington elects four members of the
In the Virginia State Senate, Arlington is split between the 30th, 31st, and 32nd districts, represented by
Arlington is part of Virginia's 8th congressional district, represented by Democrat Don Beyer.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 22,318 | 17.08% | 105,344 | 80.60% | 3,037 | 2.32% |
2016 | 20,186 | 16.64% | 92,016 | 75.83% | 9,137 | 7.53% |
2012 | 34,474 | 29.31% | 81,269 | 69.10% | 1,865 | 1.59% |
2008 | 29,876 | 27.12% | 78,994 | 71.71% | 1,283 | 1.16% |
2004 | 29,635 | 31.31% | 63,987 | 67.60% | 1,028 | 1.09% |
2000 | 28,555 | 34.17% | 50,260 | 60.15% | 4,744 | 5.68% |
1996 | 26,106 | 34.63% | 45,573 | 60.46% | 3,697 | 4.90% |
1992 | 26,376 | 31.94% | 47,756 | 57.83% | 8,452 | 10.23% |
1988 | 34,191 | 45.37% | 40,314 | 53.49% | 860 | 1.14% |
1984 | 34,848 | 48.24% | 37,031 | 51.26% | 363 | 0.50% |
1980 | 30,854 | 46.15% | 26,502 | 39.64% | 9,505 | 14.22% |
1976 | 30,972 | 47.95% | 32,536 | 50.37% | 1,091 | 1.69% |
1972 | 39,406 | 59.36% | 25,877 | 38.98% | 1,100 | 1.66% |
1968 | 28,163 | 45.92% | 26,107 | 42.57% | 7,056 | 11.51% |
1964 | 20,485 | 37.68% | 33,567 | 61.75% | 311 | 0.57% |
1960 | 23,632 | 51.40% | 22,095 | 48.06% | 250 | 0.54% |
1956 | 21,868 | 55.05% | 16,674 | 41.97% | 1,183 | 2.98% |
1952 | 22,158 | 60.91% | 14,032 | 38.57% | 190 | 0.52% |
1948 | 10,774 | 53.57% | 7,798 | 38.77% | 1,539 | 7.65% |
1944 | 8,317 | 53.66% | 7,122 | 45.95% | 60 | 0.39% |
1940 | 4,365 | 44.26% | 5,440 | 55.16% | 57 | 0.58% |
1936 | 2,825 | 36.06% | 4,971 | 63.45% | 39 | 0.50% |
1932 | 2,806 | 45.01% | 3,285 | 52.69% | 143 | 2.29% |
1928 | 4,274 | 74.75% | 1,444 | 25.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 1,307 | 44.74% | 1,209 | 41.39% | 405 | 13.87% |
1920 | 997 | 53.32% | 835 | 44.65% | 38 | 2.03% |
Year | Democratic | Republican |
---|---|---|
2000
|
66.2% 54,651 | 33.8% 27,871 |
2002
|
73.4% 36,508 | |
2006
|
72.6% 53,021 | 26.3% 19,200 |
2008
|
76.0% 82,119 | 22.4% 24,232 |
2012
|
71.4% 82,689 | 28.3% 32,807 |
2014
|
70.5% 47,709 | 27.0% 18,239 |
2018
|
81.6% 87,258 | 15.4% 16,495 |
2020
|
79.4% 102,880 | 20.5% 26,590 |
Year | Democratic | Republican |
---|---|---|
1993
|
63.3% 32,736 | 36.2% 18,719 |
1997
|
62.0% 30,736 | 36.8% 18,252 |
2001
|
68.3% 35,990 | 30.8% 16,214 |
2005
|
74.3% 42,319 | 23.9% 13,631 |
2009
|
66.5% 36,949 | 34.3% 19,325 |
2013
|
71.6% 48,346 | 22.2% 14,978 |
2017
|
79.9% 68,093 | 19.1% 16,268 |
2021
|
76.7% 73,013 | 22.6% 21,548 |
The
Economy
Arlington has consistently had the lowest unemployment rate of any jurisdiction in Virginia.[104] The unemployment rate in Arlington was 1.9% in July 2023.[105] 60% of office space in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is leased to government agencies and government contractors.[106] There were an estimated 205,300 jobs in the county in 2008. About 28.7% of these were with the federal, state or local government; 19.1% technical and professional; 28.9% accommodation, food and other services.[107]
In October 2008,
In 2021, there were an estimated 119,447 housing units in the county.[110] In 2010, there were an estimated 90,842 residences in the county.[111] In 2019, the median home was worth $610,000.[112] 4,721 houses, about 10% of all stand-alone homes, were worth $1 million or more. By comparison, in 2000, the median single family home price was $262,400. About 123 homes were worth $1 million or more.[113]
In 2010, 0.9% of the homes were in foreclosure. This was the lowest rate in the DC area.[114]
14% of the nearly 150,000 people working in Arlington live in the county, while 86% commute in, with 27% commuting from
Federal government
A number of federal agencies are headquartered in Arlington, including the
Companies and organizations
Companies headquartered in Arlington include
Organizations located here include the
Arlington also has an annex of the South Korean embassy.[118]
Media organisations based in Arlington
Politico, a political focused digital based newspaper is based in Arlington.[119]
Axios, an American news website, founded by fomer Politico employees, focused on multiple subjects, in particular the collision between Technology and other subjects.[120][121]
Largest employers
According to the county's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[122] the top employers in the county, comprising 27.6% of total county employment are:
# | Employer | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Federal government | 27,600 |
2 | Local government | 12,300 |
3 | Accenture | 4,900 |
4 | Deloitte | 4,400 |
5 | Virginia Hospital Center | 3,200 |
6 | Booz Allen Hamilton | 1,900 |
7 | Gartner | 1,500 |
8 | Amazon | 1,000 |
9 | Bloomberg BNA
|
980 |
10 | Lidl | 950 |
11 | Marriott | 1,700 |
12 | State government | 770 |
13 | CACI | 700 |
14 | Marymount University | 600 |
15 | CNA | 530 |
15 | NRECA | 530 |
16 | Boeing | 520 |
17 | PBS | 510 |
17 | SAIC | 510 |
18 | Nestlé | 500 |
Entrepreneurship
Arlington has been recognized as a strong incubator for start-up businesses, with a number of public/private incubators and resources dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship in the county.[123]
Landmarks
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is an American
Arlington House was named after the Custis family's homestead on Virginia's Eastern Shore. It is associated with the families of Washington, Custis, and Lee. Begun in 1802 and completed in 1817, it was built by George Washington Parke Custis. After his father died, young Custis was raised by his grandmother and her second husband, the first US President George Washington, at Mount Vernon. Custis, a far-sighted agricultural pioneer, painter, playwright, and orator, was interested in perpetuating the memory and principles of George Washington. His house became a "treasury" of Washington heirlooms.[125]
In 1804, Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. Their only child to survive infancy was Mary Anna Randolph Custis, born in 1808. Young Robert E. Lee, whose mother was a cousin of Mrs. Custis, frequently visited Arlington. Two years after graduating from West Point, Lieutenant Lee married Mary Custis at Arlington on June 30, 1831. For 30 years, Arlington House was home to the Lees. They spent much of their married life traveling between U.S. Army duty stations and Arlington, where six of their seven children were born. They shared this home with Mary's parents, the Custis family.[citation needed]
When George Washington Parke Custis died in 1857, he left the Arlington estate to Mrs. Lee for her lifetime and afterward to the Lees' eldest son, George Washington Custis Lee.[126]
After the secession of Virginia towards the beginning of the Civil War, Mary Custis and Robert E. Lee left the estate permanently. Citing a failure to pay taxes, the U.S. government confiscated Arlington House and 200 acres (81 ha) of property from the Lees on January 11, 1864. On June 15, 1864, the U.S. government and
Veterans from all the nation's wars are buried in the cemetery, from the
The
Other frequently visited sites near the cemetery are the
The Pentagon
The Pentagon in Arlington is the headquarters of the
The building is pentagon-shaped and houses about 24,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel. It has five floors and each floor has five ring corridors. The Pentagon's principal law enforcement arm is the United States Pentagon Police, the agency that protects the Pentagon and various other DoD jurisdictions throughout the National Capital Region.[128]
Built during World War II, the Pentagon is the world's largest low-rise office building with 17.5 miles (28.2 km) of corridors, yet it takes only seven minutes to walk between its furthest two points.[129]
It was built from 689,000 short tons (625,000 t) of sand and gravel dredged from the nearby Potomac River[129] that were processed into 435,000 cubic yards (330,000 m3) of concrete and molded into the pentagon shape. Very little steel was used in its design due to the needs of the war effort.[130]
The open-air central plaza in the Pentagon is the world's largest "no-salute, no-cover" area (where U.S. servicemembers need not wear hats nor salute). Before being torn down in 2006, a hot dog stand occupied
During
The Pentagon Memorial, commemorating victims in the September 11 attacks, is located outside of the Pentagon and is a major tourist attraction.
Transportation
Streets and roads
Arlington forms part of the region's core transportation network. The county is traversed by two
The street names in Arlington generally follow a unified countywide convention. The north–south streets are generally alphabetical, starting with one-syllable names, then two-, three- and four-syllable names. The first alphabetical street is Ball Street. The last is Arizona. Many east–west streets are numbered. Route 50 divides Arlington County. Streets are generally labeled North above Route 50, and South below.
Arlington has more than 100 miles (160 km) of on-street and paved off-road bicycle trails.
Public transport
Forty percent of Virginia's transit trips begin or end in Arlington, with the vast majority originating from Washington Metro rail stations.[134]
Arlington is served by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA or Metro), the regional transit agency covering parts of Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Arlington has stations on the Blue Orange, Silver and Yellow lines of the Washington Metro rail system. Arlington is also served by WMATA's regional Metrobus service. This includes Metroway, the first bus rapid transit (BRT) in the D.C. area, a joint project between WMATA, Arlington County, and Alexandria, with wait times similar to those of Metro trains. Metroway began service in August 2014.[135]
Arlington also operates its own county bus system, Arlington Transit (ART), which supplements Metrobus service with in-county routes and connections to the rail system.[136]
The
Other
Arlington County is home to
In 2007, the county authorized
Education
Arlington has an elected five-person school board whose members are elected to four-year terms. Virginia law does not permit political parties to place school board candidates on the ballot.[145]
Position | Name | First Election | Next Election |
---|---|---|---|
Chair | Reid Goldstein | 2015 | 2023 |
Vice Chair | Cristina Diaz-Torres | 2020 | 2024 |
Member | David Priddy | 2020 | 2024 |
Member | Mary Kadera | 2021 | 2025 |
Member | Bethany Sutton | 2022 | 2026 |
Through an agreement with
The
Marymount University is the only university with its main campus located in Arlington. Founded in 1950 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary as Marymount College of Virginia, both its main campus and its Ballston Center are located on North Glebe Road, with a shuttle service connecting the two.
In June 2011,
Rosslyn is a location for some of the University of Virginia's business programs, including McIntire School of Commerce Master of Science in the Management of Information Technology, and Darden School of Business Master of Business Administration (Executive/Global Executive).
Other private and technical schools maintain a campus in Arlington, including the
In addition,
Sister cities
Arlington Sister City Association (ASCA) is a nonprofit organization affiliated with Arlington County, Virginia. ASCA works to enhance and promote the region's international profile and foster productive exchanges in education, commerce, culture and the arts through a series of activities. Established in 1993, ASCA supports and coordinates the activities of Arlington County's five
- Aachen, Germany
- Coyoacán (Mexico City), Mexico
- Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
- Reims, France
- San Miguel, El Salvador
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in or resided in Arlington County include:
- Patch Adams, social activist and physician
- Aldrich Ames, Soviet double agent
- Warren Beatty, actor
- Sandra Bullock, actress
- Katie Couric, television journalist
- Roberta Flack, musician
- John Glenn, former U.S. Senator and astronaut
- Al Gore, former U.S. vice president in the Clinton administration
- Grace Hopper, U.S. Navy rear admiral
- Robert E. Lee, Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War
- Shirley MacLaine, actress
- Jim Morrison, lead singer and songwriter, The Doors
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army general during World War II[150]
See also
- Arlington Hall
- Arlington Independent Media
- List of federal agencies in Northern Virginia
- List of neighborhoods in Arlington, Virginia
- List of people from Washington, D.C.
- List of tallest buildings in Arlington, Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Arlington County, Virginia
Notes
References
- National Archives.
- ^ "QuickFacts: Arlington County, Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ a b "Raytheon moving global HQ to Arlington". Virginia Business. June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ "Why Is It Named Arlington?". Ghosts of DC. February 16, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ "Will of George Washington Parke Custis". Nathanielturner.com. June 29, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ Crew, Harvey W.; William Bensing Webb; John Wooldridge (1892). Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House. pp. 89–92.
- ^ (1) United States Statutes at Large: Volume 1: 1st Congress: 3rd Session; Chapter 17> XVII.—An Act to amend "An act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the government of the United States"
(2) "An ACT to amend "An act for establishing the TEMPORARY and PERMANENT SEAT of the GOVERNMENT of the United States". Congress of the United States: at the third session, begun and held at the city of Philadelphia, on Monday the sixth of December, one thousand seven hundred and ninety. Philadelphia: Printed by Francis Childs and Johnn Swaine (1791). March 3, 1791. Retrieved October 16, 2020 – via Library of Congress.Provided, That nothing herein contained, shall authorize the erection of the public buildings otherwise than on the Maryland side of the river Potomac, as required by the aforesaid act.
- ^ "Boundary Stones of Washington, D.C." BoundaryStones.org. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
- ^ Crew, Harvey W.; William Bensing Webb; John Wooldridge (1892). "IV. Permanent Capital Site Selected". Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House. p. 103.
- ^ "Statement on the subject of The District of Columbia Fair and Equal Voting Rights Act" (PDF). American Bar Association. September 14, 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About Washington, D.C." Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Richards, Mark David (Spring–Summer 2004). "The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801–2004" (PDF). Washington History. www.dcvote.org: 54–82. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 18, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
- ^ Greeley, Horace (1864). The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States. Chicago: G. & C.W. Sherwood. pp. 142–144.
- ^ Richards, Mark David (Spring–Summer 2004). "The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801–2004" (PDF). Washington History. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.: 54–82. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 18, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
- ^ "Alexandria's History". Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved August 30, 2006.
- ISBN 978-1578641864.
- ^ a b c d e (1) s: Bennett v. Hunter
(2) Wallace, John William (1870). "Bennett v. Hunter". Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of the United States, December Term, 1869. 9. Washington, D.C.: William H. Morrison: 326–338. Retrieved August 22, 2011. - ^ a b c d e "Arlington House". History of Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ a b (1) s: United States v. Lee Kaufman
(2) Desty, Robert, ed. (1883). "United States v. Lee; Kaufman and another v. Same, December 4, 1882 (106 U.S. 196)". Supreme Court Reporter. Cases Argued and Determined in the United States Supreme Court, October Term, 1882: October, 1882-February, 1883. 1. Saint Paul, MN: West Publishing Company: 240–286. Retrieved August 22, 2011. - ^ Gernand, A Virginia Village Goes to War, pp. 73–74, 89.
- ^ a b c "New Video Tackles Arlington's History of Race and Housing | ARLnow.com". ARLnow.com | Arlington, Va. local news. October 8, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ "A restrictive covenant used to block a duplex also barred non-white people from buying or renting it | ARLnow.com". ARLnow.com | Arlington, Va. local news. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ Arlington Sun Gazette, October 15, 2009, "Arlington history", page 6, quoting from the Northern Virginia Sun
- ISBN 978-0-9601630-1-4.: 588
For reference, here are the 30-year climatology benchmarks for Reagan National Airport for April, along with our projections for the coming month:...Average snowfall: Trace; Forecast: 0 to trace
External links
- Official website
- Arlington Historical Society
- Project DAPS – an online archive of primary sources related to School Desegregation in Arlington.
- Why is it Named Arlington? - history of the county's name