Arlington (US cities)

Arlington 1 Town (1990 pop. 44,630), Middlesex co., E Mass., a residential suburb of Boston; settled c.1630 as Menotomy, inc. as West Cambridge 1807, renamed Arlington 1867. The area was the scene of fierce fighting after the Lexington and Concord battles in 1775. Some 17th-century buildings remain. 2 Industrial city (1990 pop. 261,721), Tarrant co., N Tex., largest of the "Mid-Cities" between Dallas and Fort Worth; inc. 1896. Arlington had a population increase of over 64% between 1980 and 1990 and remains one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities. It produces motor vehicles and parts; transportation, medical, electronic, and oil-field equipment; and rubber and plastic products. Six Flags Over Texas, a huge theme park, is there, and the city is home to the Texas Rangers baseball team. It is also the seat of the Univ. of Texas at Arlington. 3 City, N Va., coextensive with Arlington co.

Arlington, USA 1. There are at least nineteen towns and cities in the USA bearing this name.2. Massachusetts: its original Native American name, Menotomy, meant ‘Swift Waters’. In 1807 it was renamed West Cambridge. It was renamed again in 1867 after the Virginia estate of the playwright, George Washington Parke Custis, the grandson of George Washington, the USA's first president (1789–97). Custis named his mansion after Henry Bennet (1618–85), 1st Earl of Arlington, secretary of state (1662–74) to Charles II^†.3. Texas: the original settlement, Bird's Fort, was later renamed Johnson's Station. In 1876 it was developed and named after the home in Virginia of General Robert E. Lee (1807–70), one of the leading Confederate generals during the Civil War (1861–5). Lee was the son‐in‐law of George Washington Parke Custis.4. Arlington County, Virginia: settled as Bellehaven County and then renamed Alexandria County, it was ceded to the Federal Government in 1789 and included in the District of Columbia. It was restored to Virginia in 1846 and in 1920 renamed after the 1st Earl of Arlington. Within it are sited Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, and the Ronald Reagan National Airport, all of which are federal property.