A History of the Boundaries of Arlington County, Virginia

In Short

This administrative record serves as an essential reference for understanding the complex jurisdictional evolution of Arlington County. By meticulously documenting the legal acts, charters, and boundary disputes that shaped the region—from its origins as part of a ten-mile square federal district to its eventual return to the Commonwealth of Virginia—it provides a clear map of local governance. Though designed as a guide for students and title searchers, it remains a foundational text for anyone seeking to understand the historical paradoxes and political geography of this unique Northern Virginia enclave.

The Story

The story of Arlington’s boundaries is a chronicle of shifting political tides, starting in the seventeenth century with the expansive, often nebulous charters granted by the British Crown. The territory that constitutes the modern county began as part of a vast wilderness under the London Company, eventually being carved into various colonial jurisdictions, including Northumberland, Westmoreland, Stafford, Prince William, and finally, Fairfax County. This early period was defined by the transition of the land from a frontier to a settled agricultural region along the Potomac River.

The narrative gains complexity in 1789, when Virginia ceded a portion of its territory to help form the seat of the federal government. This tract, officially known as the "county of Alexandria," became part of the District of Columbia. The establishment of this federal district involved the precise, if difficult, placement of boundary stones—many of which remain today, weathered and partially obscured by time. However, the union between this Virginia land and the new capital proved temporary. By 1846, residents of the ceded area sought a return to their home state, citing political and economic grievances. Following a referendum in which the local populace voted decisively for separation from the District, the federal government retroceded the territory to Virginia.

Upon returning to Virginia in 1847, the region remained known as the county of Alexandria. The internal struggle for definition continued through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly regarding its relationship with the neighboring City of Alexandria. The city’s efforts to expand its limits through annexation frequently triggered legal battles with county authorities. These conflicts were characterized by rapid legislative shifts in the post-Civil War and Reconstruction eras, often reflecting the changing political complexion of the local electorate.

The county’s identity shifted again in 1920 when it officially adopted the name "Arlington," distinguishing itself from the city of the same name. During this same era, the county successfully resisted attempts to incorporate smaller towns within its borders, such as Clarendon. The courts ultimately determined that the county functioned as a single, homogeneous community, effectively barring further fragmentation.

The final segments of the history address the complex, ongoing resolution of water boundaries. As the federal government expanded its footprint in the twentieth century—constructing the National Airport and the Pentagon—the exact location of the border with the District of Columbia became a source of litigation. Supreme Court rulings and subsequent acts of Congress eventually solidified these lines, though the reality of tidal changes and artificial land-filling keeps these administrative boundaries in a state of uneasy, ongoing adjustment. The most recent chapter concludes with a rare, collaborative boundary rectification between the county and the city of Alexandria in 1966, securing the present-day footprint of the county.

How It Unfolds

The colonial foundation The narrative opens with the early royal charters of the seventeenth century, explaining how land grants and the establishment of "James Cittie" created the initial framework for Virginia’s territory. It details how the land moved through successive county administrative divisions before the revolution.

The federal experiment The focus shifts to the 1785 Potomac compact and the subsequent creation of the ten-mile-square federal district. The account details the 1791 survey led by President Washington and the physical placement of boundary stones that defined the new District of Columbia.

The return to Virginia The text examines the political and legal mechanisms of the 1846 retrocession, including the formal referendum and the 1847 Virginia act that integrated the county back into the Commonwealth. This section clarifies how the territory regained its Virginia identity after decades as a federal district.

The growth of the city The narrative tracks the persistent expansion of the City of Alexandria, documenting the legislative maneuvers and court-ordered annexations that periodically stripped land from the county. It highlights the 1870 separation of the city from the county as a pivotal administrative moment.

The modern resolution The concluding chapters detail the twentieth-century litigation regarding the Potomac River boundary and the administrative efforts to address the impact of federal infrastructure on land borders. It ends with the 1966 mutual adjustment of boundaries, summarizing the final consolidation of the county’s current geography.

The People

While the book focuses on administrative and legislative entities, several figures emerge as central to the county’s definition. Bert W. Johnson, the County Manager, acts as the primary curator of this history, emphasizing the importance of accurate land records for the public good. George Washington plays a symbolic and practical role, from his early influence on the initial site selection for the federal district to the later acquisition of the Arlington estate by the federal government, which complicated the county’s water boundaries.

The residents of the region, collectively, act as the primary political agents. Their overwhelming 1846 vote to leave the District of Columbia demonstrates a clear desire for local self-determination, which fundamentally altered the county’s trajectory. In the twentieth century, the Arlington County Board and the Alexandria City Council appear as recurring antagonists and eventual collaborators, working through the legal process to negotiate land exchanges. The courts, specifically the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia, serve as the final arbiters, consistently upholding the integrity of the county against both city annexation and internal subdivision.

In Its Own Voice

"It is one of those paradoxes so characteristic of Arlington that the area composing the County did not exist as a separate entity until it was ceded by Virginia to form part of the District of Columbia."

This observation, appearing in the introduction, frames the central irony that the county’s independent existence was born from its temporary removal from its parent state.

"Many of the original stones, set at intervals of one mile along the boundary, are still in place though badly showing the effects of time."

This description of the 1791 boundary markers highlights the tangible, aging reality of the lines that once defined the federal seat.

"The stone referred to earlier--at the northwest corner of present Arlington County--is chipped and almost overgrown by the great oak tree near which it was placed."

This final observation underscores the way nature and time have reclaimed the markers of past political decisions.

What It's Really About

The central argument of this work is that geographical borders are never static; they are the result of competing political, legal, and economic forces. By charting the history of Arlington, the text explores the tension between local identity and the pressures of a growing federal capital. It poses underlying questions about the nature of jurisdictional sovereignty: who owns the river, how do cities grow without consuming their neighbors, and what defines a "homogeneous community" in an era of rapid urbanization? Ultimately, the book asserts that a county's boundaries are not merely lines on a map, but the physical manifestation of historical compromises and the ongoing, often uneasy, processes of modern governance.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in local history, political geography, or the structural evolution of the American capital will find this text deeply rewarding. It provides an unadorned, factual account that strips away the myth-making often associated with land development. Because it relies heavily on legislative acts and court orders, the prose is formal and exact, reflecting the administrative nature of its subject. It is not a light, anecdotal read; rather, it is a dense, documentary-focused reference that rewards the patient reader who enjoys tracing the minute details of how a community defines its borders.

What stays with you is the sheer persistence of the legal and administrative process. The book illustrates that a "finished" boundary is a fiction; instead, it shows a territory constantly renegotiating its limits in the face of federal expansion, municipal growth, and the slow movement of the natural world. While the legal citations and technical descriptions of survey lines may be challenging for the casual reader, they provide an authentic sense of the complexity involved in maintaining a local government. It is an honest, utilitarian portrait of how a modern county is constructed and defended, layer by legislative layer, over the course of centuries.