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Arlington County is an urban county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the U.S., directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Originally part of the District of Columbia, by an act of Congress on July 9 1846, the land now comprising the county was retroceded to Virginia effective in 1847.
As of January 1, 2006, the estimated population was 200,226 *. Its county seat is the census-designated place of Arlington. Strictly speaking, it is inaccurate to refer to it as the city of Arlington. All cities within the state are independent of counties, though towns may be incorporated within counties. However, Arlington has no existing incorporated towns because Virginia law prevents the creation of any new municipality within a county that has a population density greater than 1,000 persons per square mile. Arlington CDP is co-extensive with Arlington County.
History
Alexandria County
Arlington County shares with a portion of the independent City of Alexandria, Virginia, the distinction of having been once in Virginia, ceded to the US government to form the District of Columbia, and later retroceded to Virginia. Several border stones denoting the former boundary line of the District of Columbia still exist today. *Once part of Fairfax County in the Virginia Colony, Arlington was part of the original ten-mile square created as the District of Columbia in 1790 pursuant to Article I, Section 8, of the United States Constitution. The portion of the District created from territory ceded by Virginia was termed Alexandria County of the District of Columbia. It included the present-day Arlington County plus most of what is now the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia.
Over time, a movement grew to separate Alexandria from the District of Columbia. As competition grew with the port of Georgetown, D.C., and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal favored the north side of the Potomac, the city's economy stagnated. Many in Alexandria had hoped to benefit from land sales and increased business from the federal government, but Washington, D.C. had no need for the land south of the river. In addition, Alexandrians had lost representation and the right to vote at any level of government.
Perhaps most important in its quest for self-rule, Alexandria was also an important port and market in the slave trade. There was increasing talk of abolition of slavery in the national capital, and the local economy would suffer greatly if slavery was outlawed. At the same time, there was an active abolition movement in Virginia, and the state's General Assembly was closely divided on the question of slavery (partially resulting in the formation of West Virginia eighteen years later by the most anti-slavery counties). The City of Alexandria and Alexandria County would provide two new pro-slavery representatives. After a referendum, voters petitioned the United States Congress and the Virginia legislature to allow the return the area to Virginia. The area was retroceded to Virginia on July 9, 1846.*
In 1852, the City of Alexandria was incorporated from a portion of Alexandria County *, and the a movement to rename the county arose from the resulting confusion caused by the two entities sharing the same name; this is similar to the problem which currently occurs with Virginia's capital city of Richmond being confused with Richmond County, Virginia which are separate areas more than 85 kilometers (53 miles) distant from each other. In 1920, the name Arlington County was adopted, after Arlington House, the former home of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee which stands on the grounds of what is now Arlington National Cemetery.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is an American military cemetery established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's home, Arlington House (also known as the Custis-Lee Mansion). It is situated directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., next to the Pentagon. With more than 260,000 people buried, Arlington National Cemetery is the second largest national cemetery in the United States.
Arlington House was named after the Custis family's homestead on Virginia's Eastern Shore. It is uniquely 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.
In 1804 Custis had 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.
When George Washington Parke Custis died in 1857, he left the Arlington estate to Mrs. Lee for her lifetime and afterwards to the Lees' eldest son, George Washington Custis Lee.
The Custis-Lee Mansion and 200 acres (81 hectares) of ground immediately surrounding it were confiscated from the wife of Confederate General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. The grounds were designated officially as a military cemetery on June 15, 1864, by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. In 1882, after many years in the lower courts, the matter of the ownership of Arlington National Cemetery was brought before the United States Supreme Court. The Court decided that the property rightfully belonged to the Lee family. The United States Congress then appropriated the sum of $150,000 for the purchase of the property from the Lee family.
Veterans from all the nation's wars are buried in the cemetery, from the American Revolution through the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Pre-Civil War dead were re-interred after 1900.
The Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stands atop a hill overlooking Washington, DC. Other frequently visited sites in the cemetery are the USMC War Memorial, commonly known as the "Iwo Jima Memorial"; the Netherlands Carillon; and the grave of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is buried with his wife and some of their children. His grave is marked with an "Eternal Flame." His brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy is also buried nearby. Another President, William Howard Taft, who was also a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, is the only other President buried at Arlington.
Town of Potomac
The Town of Potomac was formerly located in Arlington County adjacent to the massive Potomac Yard of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. A planned community, its proximity to Washington, D.C., made it a popular place for employees of the U.S. government to live. Potomac was developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The town was annexed by the independent city of Alexandria in 1930. Today, in Alexandria, the Town of Potomac Historic District designates this historic portion of the city, and includes 1,840 acres (7.45 km²) and 690 buildings. The Town of Potomac was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
The Pentagon
The Pentagon in Arlington is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. It was dedicated on January 15, 1943 and it is the world's largest office building. Although it is located in Arlington, the United States Postal Service requires that "Washington, D.C." be used as the place name in mail addressed to the ZIP codes assigned to the Pentagon.
The building is pentagon-shaped in plan and houses approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel. It has five floors and each floor has five ring corridors.
Built during the early years of World War II, it is still thought of as one of the most efficient office buildings in the world. Despite 17.5 miles (28 km) of corridors it takes a maximum of seven minutes to walk between any two points in the building.
It was built from 680,000 tons of sand and gravel dredged from the nearby Potomac River 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.
The central plaza in the Pentagon is the largest "no-salute, no-cover" area (where hats need not be worn and salutes are not required) in the world. The open space in the center is informally known as ground zero, a nickname originating during the Cold War when it was thought of as the most likely target of a nuclear missile.
During World War II, the earliest portion of the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway was built in Arlington in conjunction with the parking and traffic plan for the Pentagon. This early freeway, opened in 1943, and completed to Woodbridge, Virginia in 1952, is now part of Interstate 395.
9/11 attack hits Arlington
Sixty years to the day after groundbreaking on the Pentagon, the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred. The Pentagon was one of the three major US buildings struck by airliners hijacked by terrorists affiliated with Al-Qaeda, a militant terrorist organization.American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. EDT, killing all of its 58 passengers and 6 crew. The section of the Pentagon hit consisted mainly of new, unoccupied offices and was damaged by the crash and the ensuing violent fire. The crash and subsequent fire penetrated three outer ring sections of the western side of the building. The outermost ring section was largely destroyed, and a large section collapsed. As a result, a total of 125 people in the Pentagon died, the efforts of Arlington County Fire Department and EMS personnel, among those of other jurisdictions, helped limit the loss of life and property damage.
Pictures and graphics showing the damage in the impact are available from the Department of Defense.
Government
| Year | Republican | Democrat |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 31.3% ''29,635 | 67.6% ''63,987 |
| 2000 | 34.2% ''28,555 | |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|60.1% ''50,260|
| 1996 | 34.6% ''26,106 | 60.5% ''45,573 |
| 1992 | 31.9% ''26,376 | 57.8% ''47,756 |
| 1988 | 45.4% ''34,191 | 53.5% ''40,314 |
| 1984 | 48.2% ''34,848 | 51.3% ''37,031 |
| 1980 | 46.1% ''30,854 | 39.6% ''26,502 |
| 1976 | 47.9% ''30,972 | 50.4% ''32,536 |
| 1972 | 59.4% ''39,406 | 39.à% ''25,877 |
| 1968 | 45.9% ''28,163 | 42.6% ''26,107 |
| 1964 | 37.7% ''20,485 | 61.7% ''33,567 |
| 1960 | 48.1% ''23,632 | 51.4% ''22,095 |
| Position | Name | Party | First Election | Next Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Chris Zimmerman * | Democratic Party | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Vice-Chairman | Paul Ferguson * | Democratic Party | 1996 | 2007 | |
| Member | Barbara Favola | Democratic Party | 1997 | 2008 | |
| Member | Jay Fisette * | Democratic Party | 1997 | 2009 | |
| Member | J. Walter Tejada | Democratic Party | 2003 | 2007 | |
Arlington also elects four Members of the 100 Member Virginia House of Delegates and two Members of the Virginia Senate. State Senators are elected to four year terms, while Delegates are elected to two year terms.
| Office | Name | Party and District | First Election | Next Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Patricia "Patsy" Ticer | Democratic Party (30) | 1995 | 2007 | |
| Senator | Mary Margaret Whipple * | Democratic Party (31) | 1995 | 2007 | |
| Delegate | David Englin * | Democratic Party (45) | 2005 | 2007 | |
| Delegate | Albert Eisenberg * | Democratic Party (47) | 2003 | 2007 | |
| Delegate | Robert Brink * | Democratic Party (48) | 1997 | 2007 | |
| Delegate | Adam Ebbin * | Democratic Party (49) | 2003 | 2007 | |
Arlington has an elected five person School Board, whose members are elected to four year terms.
| Position | Name | Party | First Election | Next Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Dave Foster | Independent -- endorsed by Republican Party in 2003 | 1999 | 2007 | |
| Vice-Chairman | Mary Hynes | Independent -- endorsed by Democratic Party in 2002 | 1994 | 2006 | |
| Member | Ed Fendley | Independent -- endorsed by Democratic Party in 2005 | 2005 | 2009 | |
| Member | Libby Garvey | Independent -- endorsed by Democratic Party in 2004 | 1996 | 2008 | |
| Member | Frank Wilson | Independent -- endorsed by Democratic Party in 2004 | 1996 | 2008 | |
Arlington also has several Constitutional Officers, all of whom are elected County-wide.
| Position | Name | Party | First Election | Next Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treasurer | Frank O'Leary | Democratic Party | 1983 | 2007 | |
| Clerk of the Court | David Bell | Democratic Party | ? | 2007 | |
| Commonwealth's Attorney | Richard "Dick" Trodden | Democratic Party | 1993 | 2007 | |
| Sherriff | Beth Arthur | Democratic Party | 2001* | 2007 | |
| Commissioner of the Revenue | Ingrid Morroy | Democratic Party | 2003 | 2007 | |
In July 2000, Arthur was appointed as interim sherriff when her predecessor resigned. In the 2000 election, she ran to defend her appointment. In the 2002 election she ran for re-election, this time for a full term of four years.
Recent Arlington gubernatorial and House election results
- 2005 Governor...Timothy M. Kaine...(D)- 74%
- 2004 House........James P. Moran Jr...(D)- 60%
- 2001 Governor...Mark R. Warner.(D)- 68%
- 1997 Governor...Donald S. Beyer Jr...(D)- 62%
Transportation
Airports
Arlington is the home of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.Public transportation
Arlington is served by the Orange, Blue, and Yellow (and proposed Silver) lines of the Washington Metro. Additionally, it is served by Virginia Railway Express (commuter rail), Metrobus (regional public bus), and a local public bus system Arlington Transit (ART).Roads in Arlington
Length of roads in county
According to an estimate provided in a 2005 E-mail by an engineering office of Arlington County, there are approximately 559 miles of roads in the county.Interstate 66
The configuration of Interstate 66 through Arlington (first proposed in 1956) has long been controversial. The Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT) filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in 1971 opposing the portion of the project through Arlington. The group objected to that urban segment due to concerns over air quality, noise and community cohesion changes. In 1972 the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ACT, technically blocking any construction. Arlington Coalition on Transportation v. Volpe, 458 F.2d 1323 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 1000 (1972). The impasse was eventually broken when the parties agreed on experts to conduct air quality and noise studies for the Virginia Department of Transportation, then known as the Virginia Department of Highways; then, Secretary of Transportation Coleman personally intervened in 1976 with negotiations to reach a compromise by reducing the highway capacity, making I-66 HOV during parts of the day, and including a subway route in I-66's median.C. Michael Hogan and Harry Seidman, Air Quality and Acoustics Analysis of Proposed I-66 through Arlington, Virginia, ESL Inc. Technical Document T1026, Sunnyvale, Calif. (1971). Due to very frequent traffics jams in the four lane section of Interstate 66, many in the region have advocated widening I-66, although the County Board* and many local residents continue to oppose it.Maintenance of roads
Arlington County is one of only two counties in Virginia which maintain their own roads (with the exception of primary state highways, including U.S. Highways and Interstates), the other being Henrico County outside the State Capital of Richmond. This special status was due to the existence of county highway departments prior to the creation of the state agency which is now VDOT in 1927, and the assumption of local roads by that agency in 1932. The control of the roads system is considered a powerful advantage for community urban planners, who can require developers to contribute to funding needed for road needs serving their projects.Addressing and street-naming conventions
Although the streets of Arlington County are not laid to on a grid plan, its local streets follow sequential numbered or alphabetic patterns that are both rational and provide address numbering information.
Arterial routes
The street-naming system does not apply to the main arteries (none of which are "streets"). The north-south arteries from east to west are US 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway), Walter Reed Drive, Glebe Road, George Mason Drive and Carlin Springs Road. The east-west arteries from north to south are Williamsburg Boulevard, Yorktown Boulevard, Lee Highway (US 29), Wilson Boulevard, US 50 (Arlington Boulevard), Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive.Another main artery, Washington Boulevard, previously a cow path, runs both east-west and north-south. Through most of Arlington it runs east-west between Wilson Boulevard and Lee Highway. When it gets to the east side of the county, it turns south and crosses US-50 and becomes VA 27, a freeway, before crossing Columbia Pike and intersecting with I-395. It then turns back northeast and runs past the Pentagon to end at the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Bicycle paths
There are a number of bike paths through Arlington including the Mount Vernon Trail, which continues through Alexandria to George Washington's plantation home. Nearby the airport, Four Mile Run intersects the path and continues westward. In addition, the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail along Four Mile Run extends westward from Arlington out to Purcellville, 45 miles away, and provides a pleasant ride for bikers wishing to take a longer route. Other notable trails include the Custis Trail, which parallels Route 66, and a myriad of smaller trails and roads with bicycle access.
Geography
Arlington is one of the smallest counties in the continental United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 67 km² (26 mi²), of which about 12 km² (4.6 mi²) is federal property.
Arlington is located at (38.880344, -77.108260). It is bounded on the north by Fairfax County, on the west by the City of Falls Church, on the south by the City of Alexandria, and on the east by the Potomac River; across the river is the City of Washington, DC.
A person standing on Memorial Bridge in Arlington is exactly as far from the Cumberland Gap, Virginia's western extreme point, as they are from downtown Boston, Massachusetts -- 394 miles (636 km).
Neighborhoods in Arlington
There are numerous unincorporated neighborhoods within Arlington that are commonly referred to by name as if they were distinct towns. Some of these neighborhoods - particularly those located at Metrorail stations and other major transportation corridors - are characterized by the county as "urban villages." These include:
In addition, the Lee Highway corridor and the East Falls Church areas have significant commercial/retail development, with some low density offices.
There are also numerous neighborhoods which are largely residential, including:
Arlington includes a large selection of Sears Catalog Homes, which were offered between 1908 and 1940. Considered to be of exceptional quality, in modern times, these houses are sought after by many home buyers.
Famous residents
The following people were either born or grew up in Arlington, but do not necessarily reside there today.Postal areas
The three-digit ZIP code prefix 222 uniquely identifies Arlington. Delivery areas north of Arlington Boulevard have odd-numbered ZIP codes (22201, 22203, 22205, 22207, 22209, and 22213), while delivery areas south of Arlington Boulevard have even-numbered ZIP codes (22202, 22204, and 22206). ZIP codes assigned to post office boxes, large mailers, and military facilities do not follow that rule.Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 189,453 people, 86,352 households, and 39,290 families residing in Arlington. The population density was 2,828/km² (7,323/mi²), the highest of any county in Virginia. There were 90,426 housing units at an average density of 1,350/km² (3,495/mi²).
The racial makeup of the county was 68.94% White, 9.35% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 8.62% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 8.33% from other races, and 4.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.62% of the population.
28% of Arlington residents were foreign-born.
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.
In the county, the population was spread out with 16.50% under the age of 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 years of age 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.
The median income for a household in the county was $63,001, and the median income for a family was $78,877. 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. In 2004 the average single-family home sales price passed $600,000, approximately triple the price less than a decade before, and the median topped $550,000 .
Arlington CDP population history
- 1960.....163,401Although Arlington CDP had a population of 135,449 in 1950, the Census did not treat Arlington as a CDP because in 1950 CDPs were assigned to rural areas only. They were first assigned to urban areas during the 1960 Census.
- 1970.....174,284
- 1980.....152,299
- 1990.....170,936
- 2000.....189,453
- 2006.....200,226 (estimated)*
Education
Arlington is served by the Arlington Public Schools system. The public high schools in Arlington are Yorktown High School, Washington-Lee High School, Wakefield High School, and the H-B Woodlawn program.
The Middle Schools in Arlington include: Swanson Middle School, Williamsburg Middle School, H-B Woodlawn Program, Kenmore Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and Gunston Middle School.
Arlington County spends about half of its revenue on education, making it one of the top ten per-pupil spenders in the nation (as of 2004, over $13,000, the second highest amount spent on education in the United States, behind New York City).
Through an agreement with Fairfax County Public Schools approved by the school board in 1999, up to 26 students residing in Arlington per grade level may be enrolled at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax at a cost to Arlington of approximately $8000 per student. For the first time in 2006, more students (36) were offered admission in the selective high school than allowed by the previously established enrollment cap *.
George Mason University operates an Arlington campus in the Virginia Square area between Clarendon and Ballston. The campus is home to the School of Law, School of Public Policy and other programs. A new building is under construction at the campus, set to open in 2007 and supplement the capacity of the Original Building and the Law Building.
Satellite campuses of Strayer University and DeVry University can be found in Arlington. Marymount University, a private four-year college, also calls the county home.
References
External links
- Arlington County official website
- Arlington Convention and Visitors Service official website
- Arlington Chamber of Commerce
- Arlington Economic Development Agency official website
- Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance
- Arlington's Urban Villages
- Arlington Historical Society
- Arlington County's Historical Markers
- Arlington Skyscrapers at Emporis
- Glencarlyn neighborhood webpage
- Fairfax Underground - a message board designed to improve communication between residents of Northern Virginia
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