Arlington County was originally incorporated into the District of Columbia. Even after the land was returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia, it remained a place for summer homes for D.C. residents. In 1870, Arlington and the City of Alexandria officially separated their jurisdictions, and in 1920 it adopted the name Arlington County. The County is governed by 5 County Board members elected at-large for staggered 4 year terms.

Development
Arlington County remained largely undeveloped until the mid-nineteenth century. Even then, it was not till the 1920s, that development took off in the county. In the 1960s, Arlington negotiated to have Metrorail stations built along its depressed commercial district on Wilson Boulevard instead of along I-66. They replanned their development around the Metro stations. All new commercial development has been constructed on just 5-7% of the county's land at Metro stations. The Rosslyn-Ballston Metro corridor now has 30 million sq. ft. of commercial development - as much as Tyson's Corner on a fraction of the land and with much less traffic. Development along the corridor is mixed use with storefronts, restaurants and cafes on the ground floor, and offices and apartments above. Nearby neighborhoods have condos and single family homes within easy walking distance of Metros, stores and offices. More on transit-oriented development.

Transportation
Two major transportation projects have shaped the history of the county: I-66 and Metrorail.

A plan for a highway through Arlington first appeared in 1940. In 1956, I-66 was proposed by the Virginia Highway Commission as a 76-mile link between Washington, D.C. and another planned interstate, I-81. It was to be an 8-lane highway. By 1970, a citizen group known as the Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT) formed to prevent the construction of I-66. While they earned some concessions, they were unable to stop the road from being built. By 1977, the Coleman compromise was brokered to build a 4-lane highway and in 1982, I-66 was opened to traffic. More recently, plans to widen I-66 have surfaced and the Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation has joined with the County Board to oppose them. (1) More on I-66.

In the midst of the I-66 struggle, Metrorail was being introduced to the D.C. Region. The County took advantage of it to revitalize its commercial centers and create the convenient, transit-oriented communities that make it such a great place to live today. As a condition for allowing the Metro line through the county, Arlington insisted that the stations be placed along Wilson Boulevard in the depressed commercial district and that there be a station every half mile. Metro dropped its plans to build rail down the middle of I-66 and agreed to the county's proposal.

Housing
Affordable housing has been a struggle for Arlington county. Because it is such a desirable place to live, housing prices have been far too high for many families who would like to live there. The County does not have a housing agency and must rely on non-profit organizations to create affordable housing. More on affordable housing.

More on Arlington

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Sources:
(1) Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation. An Abridged I-66 Chronology. Available: http://acstnet.org/66part6.htm