Arlington, Texas
The first Texas General Edward H. Tarrant fought Native Americans of the Village Creek settlement on the 24th of May 1841. A trading post emerged at Marrow Bone Spring in what is now Arlington. Rich soil attracted farmers who established agriculture-related businesses by the late nineteenth century. The city officially founded itself along the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1876. It took its name from General Robert E. Lee's Arlington House in Virginia. Cotton-ginning and farming centers grew quickly after this founding moment. Residents gained water, electricity, natural gas, and telephone services by 1910. A non-federal public school system also operated during these early years. A mineral well drilled exactly in downtown became a key attraction from 1892 until 1951. This well has since been paved over to create a public memorial plaza.
U.S. Census Bureau figures show population growth from 7,692 people in 1950 to 90,229 by 1970. Large-scale industrialization began in 1954 with the arrival of a General Motors assembly plant. Automotive and aerospace development drove one of the nation's greatest population growth rates between 1950 and 1990. Tom Vandergriff served as mayor from 1951 to 1977 during this period of robust economic development. Six Flags Over Texas opened in Arlington in 1961. The Washington Senators baseball team relocated to Arlington in 1972 and began play as the Texas Rangers. Population reached 261,721 by 1990 according to census data. The city became known as one of the boomburbs of the post-World War II era. By 2011, nearly 374,000 residents called the area home. The Arlington Downs horse-racing track operated until commercial developers destroyed it completely in 1958.
The Dallas Cowboys football team moved from Texas Stadium in Irving in 2009 to the $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium. This stadium has attracted high-profile sporting events including Super Bowl XLV in 2011. Residents voted to construct a new stadium in 2016 with construction beginning in 2017. The $1.1 billion Globe Life Field across the street from Choctaw Stadium serves as the new home of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers won the 2023 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Six Flags Over Texas remains the original Six Flags theme park. Hurricane Harbor waterpark opened after Wet 'n Wild was sold to them in the mid-1990s. The International Bowling Campus houses the United States Bowling Congress and the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. Texas Live! is a $250 million mixed-use district featuring dining and entertainment outside Globe Life Field. This district opened in August 2018 with a 302-room hotel and convention center.
As of the 2020 census, Arlington had a population of 394,266 people living in 142,650 households. The median age stood at 34.3 years according to official data. White alone residents made up 40.5% of the total population while Hispanic or Latino residents comprised 30.7%. Black or African American residents accounted for 22.9% of the city's population. Asian residents represented 7.7% of the total demographic mix. About 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.8% were 65 years old or older. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males overall. The median income for a household was estimated at $50,655 in 2011. Approximately 20.8% of the population were foreign-born from 2014 to 2018. About 16% of families lived below the poverty line in recent estimates.
On the 2nd of July 1902, the first Dallas/Fort-Worth Interurban electric trolley came to Arlington. This popular service ran between those three cities until Christmas Eve, 1934. The track ran through Arlington along what is now Abram Street. Between 1980 and 2013, voters rejected three separate ballot proposals to bring public transportation to the city. On the 19th of August 2013, the two-year pilot project known as the Metro Arlington Xpress bus began offering weekday bus service. The MAX program logged 64,600 one-way rides during its first year and cost $1.4 million. In January 2017, Arlington became part of a Texas state-wide designation as an Automated Vehicle Proving Ground. The autonomous electric shuttles named Milo provide service during major events at Globe Life Park and AT&T Stadium. Via Arlington launched a public on-demand shared transportation service in December 2017. This service covers key destinations within Arlington and connects to the Trinity Railway Express CentrePort Station.
On the 13th of January 1996, a 9-year-old girl named Amber Hagerman was abducted in Arlington. She was found murdered four days later according to police reports. No one has been arrested or convicted for her murder as of 2025. The case led to the creation of the Amber alert system nationwide. This tragedy transformed national safety protocols regarding child abduction cases. The incident remains unsolved despite extensive investigation efforts over nearly three decades. The community continues to honor Hagerman's memory through various memorial initiatives. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of rapid response systems for missing children across America.
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Common questions
When was Arlington Texas officially founded and what is the origin of its name?
Arlington Texas officially founded itself along the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1876. It took its name from General Robert E. Lee's Arlington House in Virginia.
What major population growth occurred in Arlington between 1950 and 1990?
U.S. Census Bureau figures show population growth from 7,692 people in 1950 to 90,229 by 1970. Population reached 261,721 by 1990 according to census data.
Which stadium hosts the Dallas Cowboys football team in Arlington as of 2009?
The Dallas Cowboys football team moved from Texas Stadium in Irving in 2009 to the $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium. This stadium has attracted high-profile sporting events including Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
How many residents lived in Arlington according to the 2020 census count?
As of the 2020 census, Arlington had a population of 394,266 people living in 142,650 households. The median age stood at 34.3 years according to official data.
When did public transportation service begin again in Arlington after the trolley era ended?
On the 19th of August 2013, the two-year pilot project known as the Metro Arlington Xpress bus began offering weekday bus service. Via Arlington launched a public on-demand shared transportation service in December 2017.
What happened to Amber Hagerman in Arlington and what system resulted from her case?
On the 13th of January 1996, a 9-year-old girl named Amber Hagerman was abducted in Arlington. She was found murdered four days later according to police reports and no one has been arrested or convicted for her murder as of 2025.