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12.8 km21.2 km2
Arlington is a town in eastern Massachusetts, six miles northwest of Boston, latitude 42 degrees 25 minutes north, longitude 71 degrees 09 minutes west. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 42,389.
Arlington is surrounded by Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Winchester, Lexington and Belmont.
Arlington covers 3,517.5 acres (14 km2), or 5.5 square miles, of which 286.2 acres (1.2 km2) are covered by water. There are 210.52 acres (0.9 km2) of parkland.
Arlington ranges from 4 feet above sea level (along Alewife Brook) to 377 feet near Park Avenue and Eastern Avenue.
Arlington borders on the Mystic Lakes and Alewife Brook, and contains Spy Pond, the Arlington Reservoir, Mill Brook, and Hills Pond.
Arlington currently has approximately 42,000 residents. Based on the U.S. censuses, Arlington's population has been declining by an average of 7% per decade since 1970. (1970: 52,720; 2000: 42,389).
As of the census of 2000, there are 42,389 people, 19,011 households, and 10,779 families residing in the town. The population density is 3,159.6/km2 (8,179.6/mi2). There are 19,411 housing units at an average density of 1,446.8/km2 (3,745.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the town is 90.97% White, 1.70% African American, 0.13% Native American, 4.97% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 1.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 19,011 households out of which 23.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% are married couples living together, 8.8% have a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% are unmarried partners, and 43.3% are non-families. 34.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.22 and the average family size is 2.91.
In the town the population is spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $64,344, and the median income for a family is $78,741. Males have a median income of $52,352 versus $40,445 for females. The per capita income for the town is $34,399. 4.1% of the population and 2.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.0% of those under the age of 18 and 5.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Paul Revere's famous midnight ride to alert colonists took him through what is now known as Arlington. Later on that first day of the American Revolution, more blood was shed in Arlington than in the battles of Lexington and Concord combined. Minutemen from surrounding towns converged on Menotomy to ambush the British on their retreat from Concord and Lexington. All in all, 25 colonials were killed in Arlington (half of all Americans killed in the day's battle), as well as 40 British troops (more than half their fatalities).
The Jason Russell House is today a museum which remembers those twelve Americans, including Russell himself, who were killed in and around this pictured dwelling on April 19th, 1775. Bullet holes are visible in the interior walls to this day.
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Arlington, MA
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