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Arlington County Genealogy

Edited by Avery J. Parker · Virginia Genealogy · Last reviewed July 31, 2026 · Continuously operated research hub (1997-origin site)

  • Formed 1846
  • Parent county / earlier Alexandria County / District of Columbia retrocession context
  • County seat Arlington
  • Neighbors Alexandria*, Fairfax, District Of Columbia

Arlington, Virginia — formed 1846. Jurisdiction-first research hub. Details below; confirm holdings at Library of Virginia.

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

9 places — view all town pages

Arlington county seat Ballston Clarendon Crystal City Rosslyn Shirlington Columbia Pike Pentagon City Courthouse

History notes

Arlington County (formerly Alexandria County) sits on the DC edge. Federal worker eras and boundary history with Alexandria* create multi-jurisdiction FAN clubs.

Always match the event year to the correct county or independent city* series. Abstract every name in deeds and estates. Use Library of Virginia catalogs, Virginia Chronicle, and FamilySearch before paid databases. Neighbor FAN clubs often complete brick walls.

Newspapers

Title-by-title year ranges below are digitized holdings listed below (digitized issues), not always the full publication span. Open each title to confirm gaps. Mastheads and successors change often.

  • Arlington County / regional newspapers
    Arlington · Varies
    Search Virginia Chronicle and Chronicling America for local and regional titles covering Arlington County. Confirm each title’s run dates before assuming continuous coverage.

Statewide newspapers guide · newspaper portals · Chronicling America

Structured transcriptions

Searchable tables with book/page and microfilm-style citations for Arlington County. Rows are finding aids from published public abstracts—verify every line against film or the original before citing as evidence.

  • Arlington County finding-aid batch (parity expansion)
    20 searchable rows · Finding-aid practice / parity expansion; verify on Library of Virginia film for Arlington.
    Grantor Grantee Year Book:page
    Grantor01, Example Grantee01, Example 1760 A:5
    Grantor02, Example Grantee02, Example 1768 B:9
    Grantor03, Example Grantee03, Example 1776 C:13
    Grantor04, Example Grantee04, Example 1784 —
    Grantor05, Example 1792 —
    Grantor06, Example Grantee06, Example 1800 F:25

    Open full table & search

All transcription collections

Cemeteries & burial research

Starting points and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard in the county.

  • Arlington County cemeteries & churchyards
    Arlington
    Start with published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—pair stones with obituaries and church books.
    Find a Grave

Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

  • Arlington County public library / local history desk
    library · Arlington
    Start with the county public library local history desk or Virginia room for Arlington. Hours and catalog portals change—verify before visiting. Pair with Library of Virginia catalogs and Virginia Chronicle for newspapers.
  • Arlington County historical / genealogical societies
    society · Arlington
    Search for active historical and genealogical societies serving Arlington County. Names and websites change; VAGenWeb and Library of Virginia society lists are good discovery points.
  • Library of Virginia
    archive · Richmond
    Primary state repository for historical and genealogical research.
  • Library of Virginia
    archive · Richmond
    Cornerstone state repository — patents, chancery, newspapers, manuscripts, and genealogy research rooms.
  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    other · Online
    Published encyclopedia / historical essays useful for place and context research.
  • Virginia Memory
    archive · Online
    Digitized collections from the Library of Virginia and partners.
  • Virginia Chronicle
    other · Online
    Historic Virginia newspapers digitized via LVA.
  • Virginia Chronicle / Chronicling America
    other · Online
    Historic newspaper directory and digitizations for Virginia titles.

Full societies & libraries directory

Vital records

County vs. city* vs. DC series—map carefully.

Census

Federal schedules with metro overlays.

Courthouse & contacts

Arlington County offices; Alexandria* for city events.

If not found here, try…

Virginia brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. When a deed, probate, or vital is missing here, try the parent district for the event year and neighboring counties for kin who lived across the line—not a substitute for later statewide birth/death registration.

  • Formed 1846
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Alexandria County / District of Columbia retrocession context — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Alexandria* Fairfax District Of Columbia

Also use Start here, the counties & formation guide, and local history news for recent heritage context.

What to do next

Stay in Arlington County only after the event year matches this courthouse. Otherwise open parents first.

Start here guide Free PDF checklist Cheatsheet bundle This week in Arlington history

Sources & further reading

Formation, place-names, and series notes on this hub will cite standard Virginia references. Always verify at the repository—fires and thin series vary by book and decade.

  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    State encyclopedia / published historical essays — search for Arlington County topics.
  • County formation & boundaries
    Virginia county formation and independent-city research — verify in Library of Virginia guides (this county formed 1846). See also the counties & formation guide when published.
  • Place-names & communities
    Virginia place-names, former communities, and watercourses (local histories + GNIS).
  • Library of Virginia
    Primary repository for county records, microfilm, catalogs, and research guides.
  • Virginia Chronicle / Chronicling America
    Historic newspaper directory and digitizations — confirm title runs before citing continuous coverage.
  • Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
    National newspaper directory + selected digitized pages.
  • FamilySearch Wiki · VAGenWeb
    Volunteer and wiki bibliographies—cross-check dates against archives and local inventories.

Prefer the state archives, published formation tables, and encyclopedia articles over anonymous web mirrors.