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Arlington, Texas

"The Entertainment Capital of Texas"
Midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, Arlington chose stadiums over subways — building a sports and entertainment empire anchored by AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field while remaining the largest U.S. City without public transit.
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Founded 1876 | Population 408,318 | Peak 408,318 (2024) | County Tarrant County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Arlington, Texas

1
2009AT&T Stadium Opens: The Dallas Cowboys' $1.3 billion stadium opened in Arlington, featuring a retractable roof and the world's largest column-free interior. It has since hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours, and concerts.
2
1961Six Flags Over Texas Opens: Angus Wynne Jr. opened Six Flags Over Texas, creating one of America's first regional theme parks. The park launched the Six Flags brand that would expand nationwide.
3
1972Texas Rangers Move to Arlington: The Washington Senators relocated to Arlington as the Texas Rangers, giving the city its first major professional sports team and cementing its place in the DFW sports landscape.
4
1954General Motors Assembly Plant Opens: GM opened its Arlington assembly plant, which became one of the most productive auto plants in America. For over six decades it has built Chevrolet Suburbans, Tahoes, and Cadillac Escalades.
5
2020Globe Life Field Hosts Neutral-Site World Series: The Rangers' new $1.2 billion retractable-roof stadium hosted the entire 2020 World Series between the Dodgers and Rays — the first neutral-site Fall Classic since 1943.
6
1876Arlington Founded Along the Railroad: The town was established along the Texas and Pacific Railway between Dallas and Fort Worth, named after Robert E. Lee's former home, Arlington House.
7
1895Mineral Wells Boom: Arlington grew as a stop between Dallas, Fort Worth, and the mineral springs resort area, becoming a center for cotton farming and small manufacturing.
8
2011Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium: AT&T Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLV between the Packers and Steelers, bringing the world's biggest sporting event to Arlington and generating hundreds of millions in economic impact.
9
1970University of Texas at Arlington Expansion: UTA grew from a small college into a major research university, eventually becoming the second-largest institution in the UT System and a key economic driver for the city.
10
2023Texas Rangers Win First World Series: The Texas Rangers won their first World Series championship in franchise history, bringing a title home to Arlington after 51 years.
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Population Over Time

0 102,080 204,159 306,239 408,318 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in Arlington

News articles will appear here as they're published.

Complete Historical Timeline

1876 Government
Arlington founded along Texas and Pacific Railway
1884 Government
Town incorporated with a population of 200
1895 Business
Cotton farming drives early economic growth
1917 Government
Camp Bowie military training established nearby
1954 Industry
General Motors opens assembly plant
1961 Business
Six Flags Over Texas opens as major theme park
1966 Government
Arlington transitions from small town to suburb
1972 Sports
Washington Senators become the Texas Rangers
1980 Government
Population booms past 160,000
1994 Architecture
The Ballpark in Arlington opens for Rangers
2001 Business
Hurricane Harbor water park opens at Six Flags
2009 Architecture
Cowboys Stadium opens as $1.3 billion venue
2011 Sports
Super Bowl XLV hosted at AT&T Stadium
2017 Architecture
Entertainment District master plan unveiled
2020 Sports
Globe Life Field opens; hosts neutral-site World Series
2023 Sports
Texas Rangers win first World Series championship
2024 Government
Population surpasses 400,000

Did You Know?

1
Arlington is the largest city in the United States without a public transit system — residents voted against joining Dallas's DART system multiple times.
2
The GM Arlington Assembly Plant has built full-size SUVs continuously since 1954, making it one of the longest-operating auto plants in America.
3
AT&T Stadium's video board was the world's largest when it opened in 2009, stretching from one 20-yard line to the other — larger than most IMAX screens.
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