Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas (USA) within the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had an estimated population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex. Arlington is the seventh-largest city in Texas and the 49th largest city in the United States.Located approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of downtown Fort Worth and 20 miles (32 km) west of downtown Dallas, Arlington is home to the University of Texas at Arlington, the Texas Rangers' Ballpark in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium, the International Bowling Campus (which houses the United States Bowling Congress, International Bowling Museum and the International Bowling Hall of Fame), the headquarters for American Mensa, and the theme parks Six Flags Over Texas (the original Six Flags) and Hurricane Harbor. The city borders Kennedale, Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Fort Worth, and surrounds the smaller communities of Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego. Arlington is the headquarters of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV.Arlington is the largest city in Texas to be contained within only one county; it does not extend city boundaries to another county. Likewise it is also the largest city in the state that is not a county seat.
History
Anglo-European settlement in the Arlington area dates back at least to the 1840s. After the May 24, 1841 battle between Texas General Edward H. Tarrant (Tarrant County is named for him) and Native Americans of the Village Creek settlement, a trading post was established at Marrow Bone Spring in present-day Arlington (historical marker at 32°42.136′N 97°6.772′W / 32.702267°N 97.112867°W / 32.702267; -97.112867). The rich soil of the area attracted farmers, and several agriculture-related businesses were well established by the late nineteenth century.Arlington was founded in 1876 along the Texas and Pacific Railway. The city was named after General Robert E. Lee's Arlington House (in present-day Arlington County, Virginia). Arlington grew as a cotton-ginning and farming center, and incorporated in 1884. The city could boast of water, electricity, natural gas, and telephone services by 1910, along with a public school system. By 1925 the population was estimated at 3,031, and it grew to over four thousand before World War II.The Arlington Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1945, by community, business, and civic leaders who believed there should be a single voice to speak for the City’s business community.The rich history of the Chamber traces back to many of the city's most well known and beloved leaders, including three former Mayors who served as Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors: Tom Vandergriff in 1949–1951, Harold Patterson in 1967-68, and Richard Greene in 1981-82. Today, the Arlington Chamber is one of the region's largest business federations representing business, trade association, and non-profit organization members, who collectively employ more than 60,000 individuals in Arlington, amounting to one-third of the local community workforce.Large-scale industrialization began in 1954 with the arrival of a General Motors assembly plant. Automotive and aerospace development gave the city one of the nation's greatest population growth rates between 1950 and 1990. Arlington became one of the 'boomburbs,' the extremely fast-growing suburbs of the post-World War II era. U.S. Census Bureau population figures for the city tell the story: 7,692 (1950), 90,229 (1970), 261,721 (1990), and 359,467 (2004 estimate). Tom Vandergriff served as mayor from 1951 to 1977 during this period of explosive development. Six Flags Over Texas opened in Arlington in 1961. In 1972 the Washington Senators baseball team relocated to Arlington and began play as the Texas Rangers and in 2009 the Dallas Cowboys also began to play at newly constructed Cowboys Stadium.Arlington is the largest city in the world without a fixed bus route system of mass transit.
Geography
Arlington is located at 32°42′18″N 97°7′22″W / 32.705°N 97.12278°W / 32.705; -97.12278 (32.705033, -97.122839).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 99.7 square miles (258.2 km²), of which, 96.5 square miles (249.9 km²) of it is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it (3.19%) is water.Johnson Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River, and the Trinity River itself, flows through Arlington.
Climate
July and August are the warmest months, on average.
The highest recorded temperature was 113°F in 1980.
January is the average coolest month.
The lowest recorded temperature was -8°F in 1899.
The maximum average precipitation occurs in May.
Arlington has a humid subtropical climate, though it is located in a region that also tends to receive warm, dry winds from the north and west in the summer, bringing temperatures well over 100 °F (38 °C) at times and heat-humidity indexes soaring to as high as 117 °F (47 °C). When only temperature itself is accounted for, the north central Texas region where Arlington is located is one of the hottest in the United States during the summer months, usually trailing only the Mojave Desert basin of Arizona, southern Nevada, and southeastern California.Winters in Arlington are generally mild, with normal daytime highs ranging from 55 °F (13 °C) to 70 °F (21 °C) and normal nighttime lows falling in between 30 °F (−1 °C) and 45 °F (7 °C). A day with clear, sunny skies, a high of 63 °F (17 °C), and a low of 36 °F (2 °C) would thus be a very typical one during the winter. However, strong cold fronts known as 'Blue Northers' sometimes pass through the Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth region, plummeting nightly lows below 30 °F (−1 °C) for up to a few days at a time and keeping daytime highs in a struggle to surpass 40 °F (4 °C). Snow accumulation is usually seen in the city at least once every winter, and snowfall generally occurs 2–3 days out of the year for an annual average of 2.5 inches. February 2010 saw a record 11 inches of snowfall. Some areas in the region, however, receive more than that, while other areas receive negligible snowfall or none at all. A couple of times each winter in Arlington, warm and humid air from the south will override cold, dry air, resulting in freezing rain or ice and causing disruptions in the city if the roads and highways become slick. On the other hand, daytime highs above 70 °F (21 °C) are not unusual during the winter season and will occur at least several days each winter month—roughly the same number of days each December, January, and February that low temperatures fall below 30 °F (−1 °C) or that high temperatures fail to reach 50 °F (10 °C). Over the past 15 years, Arlington has averaged 31 annual nights at or below freezing, with the winter of 1999–2000 holding the all-time record as having the fewest freezing nights, with 14. During this same span of 15 years, the temperature in the region has only twice dropped below 15 °F (−9 °C), though it will generally fall below 20 °F (−7 °C) about once every other year. In sum, extremes and variations in winter weather are more readily seen in Arlington and Texas as a whole than along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, due to the state's location in the interior of the North American continent and the lack of any mountainous terrain to the north to block out Arctic weather systems.Spring and autumn bring pleasant weather to the area. Vibrant wildflowers (such as the bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush and other flora) bloom in spring and are planted around the highways throughout Texas. Springtime weather can be quite volatile, but temperatures themselves are mild. The weather in Arlington is also generally pleasant from late September to early December and on many winter days, but unlike in the springtime, major storms rarely form in the area.Each spring, cool fronts moving south from Canada will collide with warm, humid air streaming in from the Gulf Coast, leading to severe thunderstorms with lightning, torrents of rain, hail, and occasionally, tornadoes. Over time, tornadoes have probably been the biggest natural threat to the city, as it is located near the heart of Tornado Alley.The U.S. Department of Agriculture places Arlington in Plant Hardiness Zone 8a. However, mild winter temperatures in the past 15 to 20 years have encouraged the horticulture of some cold-sensitive plants such as Washingtonia filifera and Washingtonia robusta palms. According to the American Lung Association, Dallas has the 12th highest air pollution among U.S. cities, ranking it behind Los Angeles and Houston. Much of the air pollution in Dallas and the surrounding area comes from a hazardous materials incineration plant in the small town of Midlothian and from concrete installations in neighbouring Ellis County. Another major contributor to air pollution in Dallas is exhaust from automobiles. Due to the metropolitan area's spread-out nature and high amount of urban sprawl, automobiles are the only viable mode of transportation for many.
Demographics
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of Arlington was as follows:White: 63.2% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 48.1%)
Black or African American: 17.4%
Native American: 0.5%
Asian: 6.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
Some other race: 10.1%
Two or more races: 2.3%
Hispanic or Latino(of any race): 26.0%
Source:As of the census of 2000, there were 332,969 people, 124,686 households, and 85,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,475.0 people per square mile (1,341.7/km²). There were 130,628 housing units at an average density of 1,363.3 per square mile (526.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.69% White, 13.73% Black or African American, 0.55% Native American, 6.01% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 8.94% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races. 18.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 124,686 households out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.20.In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.The median income for a household in the city was $47,622, and the median income for a family was $56,080. Males had a median income of $38,612 versus $29,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,445. About 7.3% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. Average rents in Arlington in 2005 were $537 for a one bedroom apartment, and $701 for a two bedroom apartment.Arlington is the 50th largest city in the United States by population.
Local
The Arlington City Council has been presided over by Mayor Robert Cluck since 2003, following the six-year reign of Mayor Elzie Odom.The Arlington City Council is composed of a Mayor Robert Cluck and eight City Council members. Elections are conducted every spring in May. State Representative Leo Berman of Tyler formerly resided in Arlington and served on the city council, including a stint as mayor pro tempore from 1979 to 1985.According to Arlington's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $572.8 million in Revenues, $425.8 million in expenditures, $2.213 million in total assets, $835 million in total liabilities, and $297.7 million in cash in investments.Fire protection is provided by the Arlington Fire Department, and emergency medical services are provided by American Medical Response, which also provides medical support to Cowboys Stadium.The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
Federal representation
The United States Postal Service (USPS) operates the Arlington Main Post Office. Other post offices operated by the USPS include Bardin Road, East Arlington, Great Southwest, Oakwood, Pantego, and Watson Community.The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Arlington Aviation field office in Arlington.
Colleges and universities
Arlington is home to The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), the Southeast Campus of Tarrant County College, and Arlington Baptist College. The University of Phoenix and Texas Tech University also have a presence in Arlington near Interstate 20.The University of Texas at Arlington is the third largest institution of the University of Texas System. The university has a current enrollment of 32,956 students as of Fall 2010, and is a valuable asset to the city of Arlington and its economy. Buildings within the academic core of the UT Arlington campus are among the oldest structures in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, including Preston Hall, Ransom Hall, College Hall, Brazos House, and the original Arlington High School.
Primary and secondary schools
Arlington's residents live in the following four independent school districts (or ISDs), listed in descending order with respect to number of population served: Arlington ISD, Mansfield ISD, Grand Prairie ISD and Kennedale ISD. Parts of Arlington located in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD's jurisdiction currently have no residents, but this is being developed into as many as 4,000 homes. In Texas, school district boundaries do not always follow city and county boundaries because all aspects of school district government apparatus, including district boundaries, are separated from city and county governments. Not all city of Arlington residents are in the AISD, and not all AISD students are residents of Arlington.
Professional sports
Arlington has long been the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, who made Arlington Stadium their first home upon moving to Dallas/Fort Worth from Washington, D.C., in 1972. In 1994, the Rangers built a new stadium, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. In 2009, the Dallas Cowboys football team would leave Texas Stadium in Irving for a new stadium down the road from Rangers Ballpark, Cowboys Stadium.The Cowboys' move has attracted high-profile sporting events to Arlington, including the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl XLV in 2011. In between the two events was the Rangers' trip to the 2010 World Series, which they lost to the San Francisco Giants in 5 games.
Local sports
As in the rest of Texas, Friday night high school football is a widespread obsession with fans of all ages. Arlington High School owns the city's only state football championship, having won it in 1951 under head coach Mayfield Workman. Lamar High School nearly pulled off the same feat in 1990, but had to settle for a state runner-up title. In recent years, Bowie High School, Martin High School and Mansfield Summit High School (a Mansfield ISD school located within Arlington) have enjoyed some success.The University of Texas at Arlington used to field a football team, but the program was canceled in 1985 due to funding issues and waning attendance. The football vacancy at the campus stadium, Maverick Stadium, was quickly filled by Arlington High and subsequently Bowie High School. Cravens Field, on the campus of Lamar but funded by Martin High School, and Wilemon Field, on the campus of Sam Houston, are home to the other four teams in the city. Both have enjoyed a history of close and dramatic games.High school teams in various other sports have state championships to their credit, including:Arlington, volleyball (1970, 1976, 1982)
Bowie, girls' basketball (2005)
Martin, baseball (1993)
Martin, boys' wrestling (2004)
Martin, girls' soccer (1992, 1998)
Martin, volleyball (1996, 2005)
Mansfield, girls basketball(1999–2002) (campus located in Arlington city limits at the time of the state championships)
Mansfield Summit, girl's basketball (2009) (campus located in Arlington City limits)
Several individual state titles have also been won by Arlington students including the following:Arlington, boys' wrestling, 112 weight class (2007)
Arlington, girls' wrestling, 215 weight class (2007)
Arlington, boys' wrestling, 152 weight class & all around state champion (2005)
Bowie, boys' wrestling, 152 weight class (2007)
Bowie, boys' wrestling, 145 weight class (2006)
Lamar, boys' wrestling, 152 weight class (2003)
Lamar, boys' wrestling, 152 weight class (2004)
Martin, boys' wrestling, 130 weight class (2006)
Martin, boys' wrestling, 112 weight class (2004)
Martin, boys' wrestling, 135 weight class (2004)
Martin, boys' wrestling, 275 weight class (2004)
Mansfield girls track, high jump 6'1' jump (2000) (Brie Madden lived in Arlington but attended Mansfield at the time, also located in Arlington city limits)
Arlington is the home of several notable athletes. 1998 American League Rookie of the Year Ben Grieve graduated from Martin High School in 1994. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Vernon Wells grew up in Arlington and attended Bowie High School, Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence attended Arlington High School and played collegiate baseball at University of Texas at Arlington, and Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey also played for UTA. Lamar High School alumnus Jeremy Wariner won two gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics, and the 2005 world championship in the 400 meters in Rome. UTA also produced Doug Russell, who won two gold medals in swimming at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 and for whom a park on campus is named and Rick Stone, All-Southland Conference track athlete at UTA who later became a United States Department of Justice 'Law Enforcement Officer of the Year' and the most highly decorated officer in Dallas Police Department history with multiple awards including the Medal of Valor. . Champion bodybuilder (Mr. Olympia 1998–2005) and former Arlington police officer, Ronnie Coleman resides in Arlington. Houston Comets Guard Erin Grant grew up in Arlington and attended Mansfield high school where she became the first high school basketball player to win four state championships. She currently holds the Big 12 assist record. NFL wide receiver Mark Clayton, now with the St. Louis Rams, graduated from Sam Houston High School in 2000 and was part of the University of Oklahoma's 2001 national championship team. Jared Connaughton, sprinter for the 2008 Canada olympic team, was a sprinter for the UT Arlington team.
Entertainment
Arlington is home to Six Flags Over Texas, a nation-wide theme park that includes many notable attractions. Six Flags also opened Hurricane Harbor, a waterpark, after the previous location, Wet 'n Wild was sold to them in the mid 90's.With the relocation of the U.S. Bowling Congress, and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America and the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, Arlington became the world headquarters for bowling.The brothers Vinnie Paul Abbott and Darrell Abbott are the two most notable musicians from Arlington who formed the metal group Pantera. Ever since Darrell died on December 8, 2004 friends, family, and the community participate in the Ride For Dime event every year on August 20, Darrell's birthday. This attraction includes music, a ride by his cemetery, and booze.For retail shopping, Arlington is home to The Parks Mall at Arlington, which houses numerous retail outlets and a movie theatre. In addition, The Arlington Highlands was completed in mid-2007, serving as an entertainment hotspot with places such as Studio Movie Grill, Piranha Killer Sushi, Splitsville, BJ's Brewhouse, The Improv Theatre, Blackfinn, Plucker's, World Market and Dave and Busters, among others. The Arlington Highlands is located on I-20 at Matlock Rd.Arlington is also home to Theatre Arlington, one of the largest community theatres in the nation which produces quality live theatre year round and offers theater classes for all ages.Levitt Pavilion opened in 2009 and offers 50 free concerts per year in Downtown, ArlingtonOn July 4, the Arlington 4th Of July Parade Association puts on the annual parade through Downtown, Arlington featuring floats and entries from local school, businesses, and organizations. The parade is broadcast on local stations as well as on via AISD TV.
Transportation
Arlington Municipal Airport is located in Arlington.Arlington is the largest city in the United States not served by a comprehensive public transportation system. Voters have rejected a fixed-route bus transit system three times. However, Arlington has four transit systems targeting individual demographic groups. Handitran serves senior citizens and the disabled. Arlington hotels pay for a tourist-oriented shuttle bus system for their guests. The University of Texas at Arlington runs a shuttle service for college students. Lastly, Mission Arlington, an Arlington-run charity, has a bus system that circulates people needing various social services, as well as transportation to employment.The city is served by two Interstate Highways, I-20, also known as Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, and I-30, also named Tom Landry Memorial Highway. Other limited-access freeways include State Highway 360, which is named for the founder of Six Flags Over Texas, Angus G. Wynne, running along the eastern border, and U.S. Highway 287, which traverses the southwestern portion of the city. In most cases, the memorial names are not used in reference to these roadways.The Union Pacific Railroad now owns and operates the Texas and Pacific (later Missouri Pacific) route though Arlington.
Sister cities
Arlington and Bad Königshofen, Germany have been sister cities since 1952. Arlington operates the Bad Königshofen outdoor family aquatic center, named after its sister city. In return, Bad Königshofen has a recreational park named after Arlington. The relationship between the two cities dates to 1951, when the German town manager, Kurt Zuhlke, visited Arlington as part of a study tour in the U.S.[citation needed]
