Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas | |
|---|---|
| Location within the state of Texas Location within the state of Texas | |
| County | Tarrant County |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dr. Robert Cluck |
| Population (2004) | |
| • City | 359,467 (city proper) |
| • Metro | 5,700,256 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Website | http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/ |
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas (USA) within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 332,969 (though a July 1, 2004 estimate placed the city's population at 359,467). Arlington is the seventh-largest city in the state and the fifty first-largest city in the United States.
Arlington is home to the Texas Rangers, Ameriquest Field in Arlington, the theme parks Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor, future home to the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium, and is approximately 12 miles east of Fort Worth and 20 miles west of Dallas. It is coterminous with Kennedale, Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Fort Worth. The city also completely surrounds the smaller communities of Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego.
History
The city was founded in 1875 and is named after General Robert E. Lee's Arlington House (in present-day Arlington County, Virginia). After the arrival of the railroad in 1876, it grew as a cotton-ginning and farming center, and incorporated in 1884. 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.
Geography
Arlington is located at 32°42′18″N 97°7′22″W / 32.70500°N 97.12278°W (32.705033, -97.122839)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 256.5 km² (99.0 mi²). 248.2 km² (95.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.3 km² (3.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.24% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 332,969 people, 124,686 households, and 85,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,341.7/km² (3,475.0/mi²). There were 130,628 housing units at an average density of 526.4/km² (1,363.3/mi²). 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. 9.9% of the population and 7.3% of families were below the poverty line. 12.3% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Average rents in Arlington in 2005 were $537 for a one bedroom apartment, and $701 for a two bedroom apartment.
Education
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 Texas at Arlington is the second largest component of the University of Texas System. The university has a current enrollment of 25,297 students as of Fall 2004, and is perceived as a valuable asset to the city of Arlington and its economy. Buildings on the UTA campus are amongst some of the oldest standing structures in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, including the original Arlington High School which was annexed by the campus.
Public Schools
Parts of Arlington's residents reside in four independent school districts (or ISDs) in the following descending order: Arlington ISD, Mansfield ISD, Kennedale ISD, and Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD. The majority of Arlington residents live within Arlington ISD. The remainder of residents live in the other forementioned school districts. The Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD portions of the city have not yet been developed, and there are no student residents in this area yet.
In Texas, school district boundaries do not always follow city and county boundaries because all aspects of the school district government apparatus, including school district boundaries, are separated from the city and county government. While not all city of Arlington residents are in the AISD, not all AISD students are residents of Arlington.
Sports
Arlington is the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, and is the future home of the Dallas Cowboys. Like the rest of Texas, Friday night high school football is a widespread obsession by fans of all ages. Lamar High School has been the most historically successful of the city's high schools over the past 3 decades. But in recent years, Martin High School, Arlington High School and Mansfield Summit High School (a Mansfield ISD school in Arlington city limits) have enjoyed much success.
Arlington High owns the city's only state football title from 1951 under Coach Mayfield Workman.
The University of Texas at Arlington used to field a football team, but the program was cancelled in the 1980s due to funding issues and waning attendance. The football vacancy at the campus stadium, Maverick Stadium, was quickly filled by Arlington High and susequently Bowie High School naming Maverick Stadium as their home fields. Cravens Field, on the campus of Lamar, and Wilemon Field, on the campus of Sam Houston, are home to the other 4 teams in the city. Both sport an excellent history of close and historic games.
Transportation
Arlington is the largest city in the United States that is not served by a public transportation system.[1]
City council and residents have been generally opposed to participation in DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) or The T (Fort Worth Transportation Authority) due to taxation concerns.
Twinning
Arlington is twinned with:
- Bad Königshofen, Germany since 1952
External links
- City's Homepage
- University of Texas at Arlington
- Arlington Independent School District
- Arlington Apartment Rental Statistics
