Arlington, Texas at 150

Greetings, Vocal readers and subscribers! If you've been a loyal supporter of mine for a period of time, you know that I've been talking so much about Texas and the things that I loved so much about it. I've also previously talked about how much I loved growing up in Arlington, Texas. I'll have a link to that story down below, as well as other Arlington-related stories for your viewing pleasure. In this story, I'm going to talk more about Arlington. Located west of Dallas, this city is celebrating their 150th anniversary in 2026. Before I share how much I love this city, let's learn some facts about it.

The City of Arlington was founded in 1876, which was named after General Robert E. Lee's Arlington House in Arlington County, Virginia. It's located in Tarrant County, which was the namesake of Edward H. Tarrant, who was a politician and general. Per the 2020 U.S. Census, Arlington has a total of over 394,000 residents. The demonym for the city's residents are known as Arlingtonians. I never knew there was a name for residents of this thriving city. You learn something new every day. It's home to Six Flags Over Texas, University of Texas at Arlington, or UTA, and two professional sports teams: the Texas Rangers (Globe Life Field) and Dallas Cowboys (AT&T Stadium).

I was born in New York, but less than a year after my birth, my family and I moved to Arlington. We settled in North Arlington at an apartment complex that was close to South Highway 360. After a few years, we moved to Hurst, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb. I did attend school there and we lived there for five years until late Spring of 1998. I remember the date very well: June 1, 1998. For context, I was staying with relatives for a week at the time of the move, so I didn't return home, which was a townhouse in East Arlington, until days later. I finished the rest of my schooling and graduated in 2007. Back in February, I went on my first vacation in nearly 15 years. Where to, you ask? Arlington, of course. It was the place where I made a majority of my friends and many of my relatives resided or still reside there today. When I first stepped foot in Arlington for the first time since 2011, I was surprised how much things had changed the last time I was there. It felt good to be back home to a familiar place that I still call home, even though I currently reside in another state. Let me make something clear to everyone: I'm a Texan and will always be one for the rest of my life. Once a Texan, always a Texan. I'll always be a Texan first, because it's the only place I've always been familiar with for a majority of my life. During my first visit to Arlington in over a decade, I spent a couple of days there. The second time was during Memorial Day weekend, where I spent three days. I had to return to Arkansas a couple of days early, because of incoming thunderstorms. Thank goodness I made it back to Arkansas safe and sound. I'm currently planning a third trip to Arlington. I can't reveal too much about my plans. I will at a later time. I love being from Arlington because of the diversity and the amazing community as a whole. Plus, the entertainment district, the area where the Rangers and Cowboys play is fantastic. They have restaurants, places to shop, and other attractions. This area is a perfect area to enjoy nightlife. If you're visiting Arlington for the first time, I would highly recommend that you schedule a stadium tour of Globe Life Field. I went on a tour several months ago and it was fantastic. I've learned so much about the Rangers that I didn't know before, plus seeing a plethora of artifacts from their 2023 Postseason and World Series runs. Also, artifacts from past Postseasons and other items. For the last half hour of the tour, we got an opportunity to go on the field, a first for me. People played catch, but I didn't because all I wanted to do is admired how much I loved the field. The tour ended at the Grand Slam Team Store, the Rangers team shop. I bought a couple of items from there.

So which notable people are from Arlington? These names include NFL defensive end Myles Garrett, Maren Morris, and the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the founding member of Pantera.

I may have grown up in two Texas towns, but Arlington is and will forever be my home. No matter where I am, I never forget where I came from. Here's to 150 more years of Arlington becoming more prosperous.

A Texas Homecoming | Wander

Fun Times at Globe Life Field | Wander

Fun Times at Globe Life Field: Part 2 | Wander

Things I Love About Arlington, Texas | Wander