There are no cities or towns within Arlington County, and by law the County cannot be divided for the establishment of separate jurisdictions.

Arlington County remained largely undeveloped until recent times, although, beginning about the mid-nineteenth century, some residents of Washington, D.C. built summer homes here. It was not until after 1920 when the County's population was only 16,000, that more intensive development began. Today almost all of the land in Arlington has been developed, and consists of extensive single-family residential areas and areas where commercial, office and multi-family dwellings predominate.

Arlington County is an urban county of about 26 square miles located directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. No incorporated towns or cities lie within Arlington's boundaries. Originally part of the ten-mile square surveyed in 1791 for the Nation's Capital, the portion on the west bank of the Potomac River was returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia by the U.S. Congress in 1846. This area was known as Alexandria City and Alexandria County until 1920, when the County portion was renamed Arlington County.

Although perhaps best known to visitors as the home of the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington has maintained high-quality residential neighborhoods while supporting well-managed growth. The County's central location in the Washington metropolitan area, its ease of access by car and Metrorail, and its high quality labor force, have attracted an increasingly varied employment and residential mix. The County has focused high-density commercial and residential development around Metrorail stations in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor and in the Jefferson Davis Corridor, which includes Pentagon City and Crystal City, while maintaining lower-density development in the remainder. Arlington's population, among the most highly educated in the nation, is increasingly diverse; one in five residents is foreign-born, and one in four speak a language other than English at home.

Arlington is both a residential community and an employment center. The County had a population of 186,400 as of January 1, 1997, and is among the most densely populated jurisdictions in the country. Arlington is also home to one in five Northern Virginia jobs. Government employment, largely federal, comprises nearly 40% of the County's jobs. Additionally, services make up almost 30% of employment. As Arlington continued to emerge from the recent recession, its unemployment rate decreased from 3.4% to 3.0% between 1995 and 1996, maintaining the County's historically low rates within the region. Arlington's office and commercial markets have more than doubled in size since 1980, bringing the current inventory of private office and commercial space to 37.6 million
square feet and greatly expanding the County's tax base. During 1996, Arlington's real property tax base was nearly evenly divided between commercial and residential properties, enabling the County to maintain the lowest property tax rate in the Washington region, at $0.96 per $100 of assessed value. The year-end vacancy rate for office space in Arlington County remained less than 5.0% for the second consecutive year.

Population

1997 Population (Planning Division Estimate)........186,400
1990 Census......................................... 170,936

Age Distribution (1990)
Under 5........................9,426...................5.5%
5-17.........................16,452...................9.6%
18-24.........................20,248..................11.8%
25-34.........................44,150..................25.8%
35-44.........................30,986..................18.1%
45-64.........................30,265..................17.7%
65 and over...................19,409..................11.4%
Total Population 1990........170,936.................100.0%

Median Age 33.8 years.

Racial Composition (1990)
White........................130,873..................76.6%
Black.........................17,940..................10.5%
Asian-Pacific Islander........11,560...................6.8%
Other.........................10,563...................6.2%
Total Population 1990........170,936.................100.0%
Hispanic Origin*..............23,089..................13.5%

* Hispanic origin is not a separate race.
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Household Composition

Total Households 1997 Estimate*......................88,076

Household Size (1990)
1 Person.....................30,834..................39.3%
2 Persons....................26,112..................33.3%
3 Persons....................10,491..................13.4%
4 Persons.....................6,609...................8.4%
5+ Persons.....................4,474...................5.7%

Total Households 1990.........78,520.................100.0%

Household Type
1970 1980 1990
Family Households...............65%.........50%.........48%
Non-Family Households...........35%.........50%.........52%

Persons Living in Households*.......................182,200
Persons Living in Group Quarters*.....................4,200

Total Population 1997...............................186,400

* Planning Division Estimate. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Income

1996 Median Household Income........................$55,510
1996 Median Family Income*..........................$68,885

* A family is any household in which at least two members are related by birth,
adoption, or marriage. Household data includes family households.

1995 Effective Buying Income.................$4,518,902,000
Sales and Marketing Management, Survey of Buying Power, 1996.

1994 Per Capita Income..............................$35,376
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis - Revised Series

Education

Public School Enrollment
1950.......16,080
1960.......25,240
1970.......24,760
1980.......15,376
1990.......15,073
1995.......17,556

Expenditure Per Pupil (FY 1996-97)...................$9,093
H.S. Graduates Continuing Their Education (1995)........86%

Educational Attainment - Persons 25+ (1990)

High School Graduates...................................87%
College Graduates.......................................52%
Persons with Graduate or Professional Degrees...........24%

Years of School Completed (1990)
Non-High School Graduate..............................12.4%
High School Graduate..................................14.8%
1-3 Years College.....................................20.5%
College Degree........................................28.3%
Graduate/Professional Degree..........................24.0%


Colleges and Universities

Institution Arlington Enrollment
George Mason University
Law School, International Institute,
Telecommunications, MPA (Non-Profits)
Regional Economic Development.......................1,800
Non-credit courses.................................15,000

George Washington University - Continuing Education...1,000
Marymount University..................................4,100
Strayer College.......................................1,200

Total Private Office Space 1-1-97: 30.4 million sq. ft.
Total Federally-Owned Office Space 1-1-97 8.3 million sq. ft.

Office Vacancy Rate: 4.8%

* These figures include convenience retail space in office buildings.

Hotels and Motels

Number of Hotels/Motels Arlington Total...........36
Number of Rooms-Arlington Total................9,410
Total Square Feet Convention Space: 266,513

Housing

Total Housing Units 1997 Estimate*............90,151
Single-Family Detached......................27,348
Single-Family Attached.......................9,353
Multi-Family................................52,706
Other..........................................744

Occupied Housing Units (1990)......78,520.......100%
Owner-Occupied...................35,009........45%
Renter-Occupied..................43,511........55%

Average Sales Price (1996)
Single-Family Detached House..............$252,500
Single-Family Detached House, Townhouse, Condominium, and Cooperative............$213,138

Office of Real Estate Assessments, December 1996

Median Rent (January 1996, Housing Division)....$778

* Planning Division Estimate

Employment

At-Place Employment by Industry (1997)*

Industrial...........................25,100......11.5%
Trade................................25,500......11.7%
Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate...8,900.......4.1%
Services.............................64,100......29.4%
Federal and Int'l Government.........75,200......34.5%
State and Local Government............7,800.......3.6%
Self-Employed........................11,300.......5.2%
Total...............................217,900.....100.0%

Ratio of Jobs to Residents*..................1.17:1.00
Daytime Population*............................271,600

* 1997 Planning Division estimates, based on 1990 Regional Employment Census
and Round V Cooperative Forecasts. Figures can not be compared with previous
years. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Arlington County Labor Force

Average Civilian Labor Force 1996*.............112,683
Average Unemployment Rate 1996*...................3.0%
Women Age 16+ in Labor Force 1990................70.8%

* Planning Division estimates from Virginia Employment Commission figures.
(1/96-12/96)

Major Private Employers

Employer No. of Employees
MCI Telecommunications Corporation...............2,400
USAir Group, Inc.................................2,400
Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc..............2,110
Columbia Arlington Hospital......................1,800
Marriott Corporation.............................1,785
Gannett/USA Today Company, Inc...................1,500
CACI International, Inc..........................1,400
The Hecht Company................................1,340
Charles E. Smith Management, Inc.................1,140
Nordstrom..........................................630

Additional Statistics

Major Retail Facilities

No. of Stores Sq. Ft.
Fashion Center at Pentagon City.....159........860,000
Ballston Common.....................125........660,000
Pentagon Centre.......................9........350,000
Village at Shirlington...............38........300,000
Crystal City Underground
and Plaza Shops...................120........240,000

Retail Sales (10/95-9/96)...............$1,950,396,625
Restaurants........................................426

Community Facilities

Libraries............................................8
County Parks and Playgrounds.......................178
Tennis Courts.......................................92
Northern Virginia Regional Parks.....................3
Community Centers...................................13
Nature Centers.......................................3
Bicycle Routes and Jogging Trails.............85 Miles
Fire Stations.......................................10
Hospital Beds......................................730
Nursing Home Beds..................................708
Apartments/Condominiums for the Elderly..........1,423
Assisted Living/Adult Care Residence Units.........277
Continuing Care Retirement Community.................1

Land Area and Open Space

Area....................................25.8 Sq. Miles
Population Density...............7,225 Persons/Sq.Mile
County Open Space..........................1,154 Acres
Federal Open Space...........................900 Acres
Regional Open Space..........................139 Acres
Total County Area in Open Space..................13.3%
Total County Area in County Open Space............7.0%
County Open Space per 1,000 Residents........6.2 Acres
Elevation (Highest Point).....................461 Feet