For Arlington County in the state of Virginia to be as small as it is— with a total area of only 26 square miles, even so, 4.6 square miles belongs to U.S. Government property—there is a lot going on the city of 212,200 people. There is a lot of history, culture and fun in every corner. Arlington is home to the Marine Corps War Memorial for (Iwo Jima), Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon Memorial. The Pentagon building is also available for tours on a daily basis, but only for schools, other educational institutions, churches, government agencies or military organizations. The Pentagon is the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Defense and employs approximately 23,000 military and civilian personnel to maintain the defense of the nation. Another historic area in the area is the Arlington National Cemetery, which is a shrine to the thousands of women and men who have died in service of our country. There are over 200,000 veterans and their dependents are buried here, including: John F. and Jacqueline B. Kennedy, former president William Howard Taft and World War II's most decorated soldier Audie Murphy. If that's not enough history and heritage for you, there are other sites where you can witness firsthand African American history, battlefields of the Civil War and Native American chronologies.
Economy:
In a fun, but serious, list of "Best Places for the Rich and Single" or where people should go when "seeking a sugar daddy or sugar mama" by CNN Money, Arlington, Virginia ranked at number two with Hermosa Beach, California, topping the list. The editors of Money Magazine looked at the population, percentage of singles and the median family income when garnering a list of winning cities from the entire U.S. With a population of 204,568, a singles percentage at over 40 percent, and the median family income at $108,815, Arlington is clearly a great place to live well. That explains why people are moving to Arlington and why Arlington moving companies, as a result, are doing so well. As the rest of the country tends to suffer higher unemployment rates—in some states, with double-digit figures—Arlington residents have jobs and a consistently low percentage of those that don't.
Tourism:
If the idea of visiting historical sites and big national monuments during your vacation is not a pleasant thought, you should definitely visit Arlington for other reasons than The Pentagon and National Cemetery. For those seeking to participate in stress-reducing sports and refreshing recreation, seek out the Mount Vernon Trail along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. There, you can run, jog, walk, or hobble along the 18.5 mile trail from Mount Vernon to the Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River near the Lincoln Memorial. Along the trail, there are many possible connections to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove, Navy Marine Memorial and Gravelly Point. Arlington, Virginia is a great place to walk and be active because of the city's initiative to make people walk more. Recently, WALKArlington has been put in place to promote health, the environment, commuting, and the many benefits of walking. There have been many investments in pedestrian-friendly villages and walkways all over the city to help you get around.
History:
Arlington, Virginia was first settled by the Iroquois and other Native American groups in the land south of the Potomac River and east of the Blue Ridge. In 1749, the town Alexandria was established, which followed the founding of George Town in the Maryland side of the Rock Creek. The District of Columbia was established in 1801 encompassing the area of Arlington into its boundaries. In 1846, Arlington County decided to withdraw from the District of Columbia to become its own county. Arlington County renamed itself from its original Alexandria County to differ itself from the City of Alexandria.