Editing Arlington, Washington (section)

==History==

===Pre-incorporation===

The indigenous [[Coast Salish|Coast Salish peoples]] have inhabited the [[Puget Sound region]] since the retreat of the [[Vashon Glaciation|Vashon Glacier]] approximately 12,000 years ago.<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=Oakley |first=Janet |date=December 31, 2007 |title=Arlington&nbsp;— Thumbnail History |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/8416 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=February 2, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907165040/http://www.historylink.org/File/8416 |archive-date=September 7, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss">{{cite book |last1=Hollenbeck |first1=Jan L. |last2=Moss |first2=Madonna |year=1987 |title=A Cultural Resource Overview: Prehistory, Ethnography and History: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest |publisher=[[United States Forest Service]] |pages=152–154 |oclc=892024380 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005998596 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref> Several archeological sites along the [[Stillaguamish River]] contain artifacts that are dated to the Olcott Phase, approximately 9,000 years [[before present]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=June 20, 2009 |title=Archaeological find at Snohomish County site |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/archaeological-find-at-snohomish-county-site/ |work=[[The Everett Herald]] |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The traditional territory of the [[Stillaguamish people]] includes modern-day Arlington and much of the [[Stillaguamish River]] basin; they had at least ten known villages along the river and its tributaries, including two in the Arlington area. Among them was {{langx|lut|sq'ʷuʔalqʷuʔ|label=none}} (meaning "confluence"; variously anglicized as Skabalko or Skabalco), a settlement with winter longhouses and 200–300 people at the confluence of the two forks of the Stillaguamish River.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss"/><ref name="AmberGrove">{{cite report |last1=Baldwin |first1=Garth L. |last2=Hillstrom |first2=Jeffrey K. |last3=Austin |first3=Stephen F. |date=February 2023 |title=A Cultural Resources Assessment of the Amber Grove Development (TPN 31051400101800), Arlington, Snohomish County, Washington |url=https://www.arlingtonwa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8954/4202023_Archaeological-Report |pages=8–11 |publisher=City of Arlington |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Herald-Stillaguamish">{{cite news |last=Breda |first=Isabella |date=November 25, 2021 |title=Arlington formally recognizes homeland of Stillaguamish people |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/arlington-formally-recognizes-homeland-of-stillaguamish-people/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 28, 2022}}</ref> Other Coast Salish peoples who were intermarried with the Stillaguamish would travel to this village in the summer to follow [[fish migration|fish runs]].<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The neighborhood of Kent Prairie ({{Langx|lut|xʷbaqʷab}}) was once a prairie where the Stillaguamish, [[Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington|Sauk]], and [[Snohomish people|Snohomish]] would gather wild crops.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss"/><ref name="AmberGrove"/> In modern [[Lushootseed]], Arlington and the surrounding area is named {{lang|lut|stiqayuʔ}},<ref name="Lushootseed">{{cite book |last1=Bates |first1=Dawn |last2=Hess |first2=Thom |last3=Hilbert |first3=Vi |author-link3=Vi Hilbert |year=2003 |title=Lushootseed Dictionary |pages=432–502 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |isbn=0-295-97323-4 |oclc=843308724}}</ref> meaning "wolf".<ref name="Herald-Stillaguamish"/>

American exploration of the area began in 1851, when [[prospecting|prospector]] Samuel Hancock was led by Indian guides on a [[canoe]] up the Stillaguamish River.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Pictorial">{{cite book |author=Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society |year=2003 |title=Arlington Centennial Pictorial History, 1903–2003 |publisher=Oso Publishing Company |location=Hamilton, Montana |oclc=53353599}}</ref>{{rp|2}} The area was opened to [[logging]] after the signing of the [[Treaty of Point Elliott]] in 1855 between the federal government and various Puget Sound peoples.<ref name="Metro">{{cite book |date=April 1983 |title=Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle Sludge Management Plan: Draft Environmental Impact Statement |publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] Region 10 |pages=249–252 |oclc=41688954 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dO40AQAAMAAJ |via=Google Books |access-date=April 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411140624/https://books.google.com/books?id=dO40AQAAMAAJ |archive-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref> The Stillaguamish, one of the signatory tribes, were ordered to travel to the [[Tulalip Indian Reservation]], but many members refused and remained in their ancestral lands. After attempts in the early 20th century, the tribe were granted federal recognition in 1976 and a reservation in 2014.<ref name="Herald-Stillaguamish"/>

In 1856, the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] built a [[military road]] connecting [[Fort Steilacoom]] to [[Fort Bellingham]], crossing the Stillaguamish River near the confluence.<ref name="AmberGrove"/> In the 1880s, [[wagon road]]s were constructed to this area from the towns of [[Marysville, Washington|Marysville]] to the south and [[Silvana, Washington|Silvana]] to the west, bringing entrepreneurs to the logging camps, informally named "The Forks". The area's first store was opened in 1888 by Nels K. Tvete and Nils C. Johnson, and was followed by a hotel with lodging and meals for loggers.<ref name="Whitfield1926">{{cite book |last=Whitfield |first=William M. |year=1926 |title=History of Snohomish County, Washington |publisher=Pioneer Historical Publishing Company |location=Chicago |pages=525–547 |oclc=8437390 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102122401 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref><ref name="IllustHistory">{{cite book|editor1-last=Hastie |editor1-first=Thomas P. |editor2-last=Batey |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Sisson |editor3-first=E.A. |editor4-last=Graham |editor4-first=Albert L. |title=An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte/page/359 359]–362 |chapter=Chapter VI: Cities and Towns |publisher=Interstate Publishing Company |location=Chicago |year=1906 |lccn=06030900 |oclc=11299996 |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte |via=[[The Internet Archive]] |access-date=April 8, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316125224/https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte |archive-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Arlington and Haller City.png|thumb|right|Map of original [[plat]]s and claims for Arlington (green) and Haller City (blue), along with later additions to Arlington (yellow), overlaid on modern-day downtown Arlington|alt=A map of modern downtown Arlington, with the locations of Arlington and Haller City highlighted.]]

Two settlements were established on the south side of the confluence in anticipation of the [[Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway]] building a track through the area.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="IllustHistory"/> G. Morris Haller, son of Colonel [[Granville O. Haller]], founded a settlement on the banks of the Stillaguamish River in 1883, naming it "Haller City".<ref name="Metro"/><ref name="Meany1922">{{cite journal |last=Meany |first=Edmond S. |author-link=Edmond S. Meany |title=Newspapers of Washington Territory |date=July 1922 |volume=13 |issue=3 |page=185 |journal=[[Pacific Northwest Quarterly|The Washington Historical Quarterly]] |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |oclc=2392232 |jstor=40474644 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLY3AQAAIAAJ |via=Google Books |access-date=May 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411065318/https://books.google.com/books?id=wLY3AQAAIAAJ |archive-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref>

The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad chose to build its [[railroad depot|depot]] on higher ground to the south of Haller City, leading contractors Earl & McLeod to establish a new town at the depot on March 15, 1890.<ref name="Metro"/> The new town was named "Arlington" after [[Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington|Lord Henry Arlington]], member of the cabinet of King [[Charles II of England]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Meany |first=Edmond S. |year=1923 |title=Origin of Washington Geographic Names |page=9 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |oclc=1963675 |url=http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/9548/Ori_Of_Was_Geo_Nam.pdf |via=[[Oregon State University|Oregon State University Libraries]] |access-date=April 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525051149/http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/9548/Ori_Of_Was_Geo_Nam.pdf |archive-date=May 25, 2016}}</ref> Arlington and Haller City were [[plat]]ted within a month of each other in 1890, quickly developing a rivalry that would continue for several years.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Whitfield1926"/>{{rp|804–806}}

Arlington and Haller City grew rapidly in their first years, reaching a combined population of 500 by 1893, relying on agriculture, dairy farming and the manufacturing of [[wood shingle]]s as their main sources of income.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="IllustHistory"/> Both towns established their own schools, post offices, saloons, general stores, churches, social clubs, and hotels.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Whitfield1926"/> The two towns were separated by a {{convert|40|acre|adj=mid}} tract claimed by two settlers in 1891, preventing either town from fully absorbing the other.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spoerhase |first=Mildred |date=August 2, 1972 |title=Reflections of an Arlington pioneer |page=46 |work=[[The Arlington Times]] |url=http://arl.stparchive.com/Archive/ARL/ARL08021972P046.php |via=SmallTownPapers.com |access-date=July 6, 2018 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117125303/http://arl.stparchive.com/Archive/ARL/ARL08021972P046.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the late 1890s, the claim dispute was settled and merchants began moving to the larger, more prosperous Arlington, signalling the end for Haller City.<ref name="IllustHistory"/><ref name="Illust2005">{{cite book |last1=Cameron |first1=David A. |last2=LeWarne |first2=Charles P. |last3=May |first3=M. Allan |last4=O'Donnell |first4=Jack C. |last5=O'Donnell |first5=Lawrence E. |year=2005 |title=Snohomish County: An Illustrated History |publisher=Kelcema Books LLC |location=Index, Washington |isbn=978-0-9766700-0-1 |oclc=62728798}}</ref>{{rp|130–133}} Today, Haller City is memorialized in the name of a park in downtown Arlington, as well as a [[middle school]] operated by the Arlington School District.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=July 3, 2014 |title=Haller Park's new playground to be dedicated Friday |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/haller-park%C2%92s-new-playground-to-be-dedicated-friday/ |work=[[The Everett Herald]] |access-date=April 30, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419054317/http://www.heraldnet.com/news/haller-park%C2%92s-new-playground-to-be-dedicated-friday/ |archive-date=April 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stevick |first=Eric |date=May 14, 2004 |title=Arlington school now has a name |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/arlington-school-now-has-a-name/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref>

===Incorporation and early 20th century===
[[File:Arlington, WA - Arlington Hardware and Lumber 01.jpg|thumb|left|Storefronts on Olympic Avenue in downtown Arlington were built during the city's early history and have since been preserved|alt=A small, two-story building with a sign for "Arlington Hardware & Lumber" facing a city street, joined by similar-sized buildings with business of their own.]]

Arlington was [[Municipal incorporation|incorporated]] as a [[City government in Washington (state)|fourth-class city]] on May 20, 1903, including the remnants of Haller City (located north of modern-day Division Street).<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The incorporation came after a referendum on May 5, in which 134 of 173 voters approved the city's incorporation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Oakley |first=Janet |date=December 10, 2010 |title=Arlington incorporates on May 20, 1903. |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/9511 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=April 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412063050/http://www.historylink.org/File/9511 |archive-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Stratton |first=Wickliffe B. |author-link=Wickliffe Stratton |year=1904 |title=Report of the Attorney General of the State of Washington for the Period of Two Years Ending December 31, 1904 |page=101 |publisher=The Metropolitan Press |location=Seattle |oclc=518221388 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KJVDAQAAMAAJ |via=Google Books |access-date=April 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412065936/https://books.google.com/books?id=KJVDAQAAMAAJ |archive-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> The new city elected shingle mill owner John M. Smith as its first mayor.<ref name="Pictorial"/>{{rp|16}}<ref name="Whitfield1926"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Prosser |first=William Farrand |author-link=William Farrand Prosser |year=1903 |title=A History of the Puget Sound Country: Its Resources, Its Commerce and Its People, Volume I |publisher=[[Lewis Publishing Company]] |location=Chicago |oclc=32115376 |page=498 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NtYUSP5pFy8C |via=Google Books |access-date=April 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412065537/https://books.google.com/books?id=NtYUSP5pFy8C |archive-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> In the years following incorporation, Arlington gained a local [[bank]], a [[cooperative]] [[creamery]], a city park, a library, electricity, and telephone service.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Illust2005"/>{{rp|144}}

During the early 20th century, Arlington's largest employers remained its shingle mills and saw mills. Other industries, including dairy processing, mechanical shops, stores, and factories, became prominent after [[World War I]], during a period of growth for the city.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s forced all but one of the mills to close, causing unemployment to rise in Arlington and neighboring cities. The federal government established a [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] (CCC) camp near [[Darrington, Washington|Darrington]] to create temporary jobs; the young men built structures and conducted [[firefighting]] in the [[Mount Baker National Forest]].<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Illust2005"/>{{rp|243–245}} The [[Works Progress Administration]] and [[Civil Works Administration]] funded the construction of the city's sidewalks, a [[High school (North America)|high school]], and a [[Arlington Municipal Airport (Washington)|municipal airport]] that opened in 1934.<ref name="HistoryLink"/>

The entry of the United States into [[World War II]] brought the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] to Arlington, resulting in the conversion of the municipal airport into a [[naval air station]] in 1943. The Navy constructed new runways and hangars and, beginning in 1946, the municipal government was allowed to operate civilian and commercial services. Ownership of the airport was formally transferred from the federal government back to the city of Arlington in 1959.<ref name="Pictorial"/>{{rp|72}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Airport History |url=http://www.arlingtonwa.gov/index.aspx?page=101 |publisher=City of Arlington |access-date=May 11, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511154752/http://www.arlingtonwa.gov/index.aspx?page=101 |archive-date=May 11, 2017}}</ref>

On October 19, 1959, a [[Boeing 707-227]] crashed on the banks of the Stillaguamish River's North Fork during a test flight, killing four of eight occupants. The plane, being flown by Boeing test pilots instructing personnel from [[Braniff International Airways]], lost three engines and suffered a fire in the fourth after a [[dutch roll]] had been executed beyond maximum bank restrictions. The plane made an emergency landing in the riverbed while unsuccessfully trying to reach a nearby open field.<ref>{{cite web |title=Accident description: October 19, 1959, near Arlington, WA |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19591019-0 |publisher=[[Aviation Safety Network]] |access-date=April 16, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417235615/https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19591019-0 |archive-date=April 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Barr |first=Robert A. |date=October 20, 1959 |title='Superb Flying': Survivor Lauds Courage of 2 Who Died at 707 Controls |page=1 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Powell |first=Steven |date=July 16, 2016 |title=Oso was site of Boeing's only commercial-jet crash in state |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/oso-was-site-of-boeings-only-commercial-jet-crash-in-state/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 16, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417005406/http://www.heraldnet.com/news/oso-was-site-of-boeings-only-commercial-jet-crash-in-state/ |archive-date=April 17, 2017}}</ref>

===Suburbanization and present day===

The completion of [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] and [[Washington State Route 9|State Route 9]] in the late 1960s brought increased residential development in Arlington, forming a [[bedroom community]] for commuters who worked in [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] and [[Seattle]]. Despite the influx of commuting residents, Arlington retained its small-town image while unsuccessfully attempting to lure new industries and a state college.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnsrud |first=Byron |date=August 22, 1971 |title=Arlington looks forward to more 'good old days' |pages=8–10 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> [[Suburb]]an housing developments began construction in the 1980s and 1990s, driving a 450 percent increase in Arlington's population to 15,000 by 2007.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Times-Identity">{{cite news |last=Heffter |first=Emily |date=March 12, 2003 |title=As commutes lengthen, county's small cities face evolving identities |page=H4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> In 1999, Arlington annexed the community of [[Smokey Point, Washington|Smokey Point]], located along Interstate 5 to the southwest of the city, after a lengthy court battle with Marysville, which instead was permitted to annex [[North Lakewood, Washington|Lakewood]] to the west.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brunner |first=Jim |date=April 16, 1999 |title=Arlington annexation opponents overruled; judge's ruling lets proposal go forward |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wolcott |first=John |date=December 14, 1997 |title=Urban vs. rural quagmire in Snohomish County |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/1997/12/15/focus5.html |work=[[Puget Sound Business Journal]] |access-date=April 16, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418081341/http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/1997/12/15/focus5.html |archive-date=April 18, 2017}}</ref> The city began developing a large business park around the municipal airport in the 1990s, bringing the city's number of jobs to a total of 11,000 by 2003.<ref name="Times-2003Jobs">{{cite news |last=Whitely |first=Peyton |date=April 30, 2003 |title=Arlington owes economic boom to leaders' lofty goals, airport |page=H26 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030430/boom30n/arlington-owes-economic-boom-to-leaders-lofty-goals-airport |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414162634/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030430&slug=boom30n |archive-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Herald-BusinessPark">{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=October 14, 2015 |title=Arlington business park expected to generate up to 2,000 jobs |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/business/arlington-business-park-expected-to-generate-up-to-2000-jobs/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416221539/http://www.heraldnet.com/business/arlington-business-park-expected-to-generate-up-to-2000-jobs/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref>

The city of Arlington celebrated its centennial in 2003 with a parade, a festival honoring the city's history, sporting events, and musical and theatrical performances.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitely |first=Peyton |date=January 15, 2003 |title=Arlington's party of a century |page=H16 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wright |first=Diane |date=July 2, 2003 |title=Old days are new at this month's Arlington Festival |page=H16 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The centennial celebrations culminated in the dedication of the $44 million [[Arlington High School (Washington)|Arlington High School]] campus, attended by an all-class reunion of the old school.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitely |first=Peyton |date=August 20, 2003 |title=School graduates to new campus |page=H16 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dondero |first=Tony |date=September 3, 2003 |title=New Arlington High School opens |page=1 |work=The Arlington Times |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xWIlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7xQGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2030%2C346523 |via=Google News Archive |access-date=July 30, 2018}}</ref> In 2007, the city of Arlington renovated six blocks of downtown's Olympic Avenue at a cost of $4.4 million, widening sidewalks, improving [[Urban forestry|street foliage]], and adding new street lights.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 28, 2008 |title=Community celebrates reopening of Olympic Avenue Oct. 6 |url=http://www.arlingtontimes.com/news/community-celebrates-reopening-of-olympic-avenue-oct-6/ |work=The Arlington Times |access-date=April 17, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418082125/http://www.arlingtontimes.com/news/community-celebrates-reopening-of-olympic-avenue-oct-6/ |archive-date=April 18, 2017}}</ref> The project was credited with helping revitalize the city's downtown, turning Olympic Avenue into a gathering place for residents and a venue for festivals.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=September 22, 2013 |title=Arlington's vibrant core |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/arlingtons-vibrant-core/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 17, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418081504/https://www.heraldnet.com/news/arlingtons-vibrant-core/ |archive-date=April 18, 2017}}</ref>

On March 22, 2014, a [[2014 Oso mudslide|large landslide]] near [[Oso, Washington|Oso]] dammed the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, with mud and debris covering an area of {{convert|1|sqmi|sqkm|spell=in}}. A total of 43 people were killed and nearly 50 structures destroyed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Kirk |date=March 27, 2014 |title=After Mountain's Collapse, Uncertainty and Loss |page=A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/us/washington-mudslide-search.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218062412/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/us/washington-mudslide-search.html |archive-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Kirk |date=July 23, 2014 |title=Washington Mudslide Report Cites Rain, but Doesn't Give Cause or Assign Blame |page=A13 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/us/washington-mudslide-report-cites-rain-but-doesnt-give-cause-or-assign-blame.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001081259/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/us/washington-mudslide-report-cites-rain-but-doesnt-give-cause-or-assign-blame.html |archive-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref> The landslide closed [[Washington State Route 530|State Route 530]] to Darrington, cutting the town off, leaving Arlington as the center of the coordinated [[emergency response]] to the disaster.<ref>{{cite web |last=Enger |first=Sue |date=May 14, 2014 |title=Oso "Extreme Event" Prompts New Look at Landslide Hazards Regulation |url=http://mrsc.org/Home/Stay-Informed/MRSC-Insight/May-2014/Oso-Extreme-Event%E2%80%9D-Prompts-New-Look-at-Landslide-H.aspx |publisher=[[Municipal Research and Services Center]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416172802/http://mrsc.org/Home/Stay-Informed/MRSC-Insight/May-2014/Oso-Extreme-Event%E2%80%9D-Prompts-New-Look-at-Landslide-H.aspx |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> Arlington was recognized for its role in aiding victims of the disaster and hosted U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] during his visit to the site in April.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bruno |first=Mary |date=July 10, 2014 |title=The small-town mayor who was Oso's hidden hero |url=http://crosscut.com/2014/07/barb-tolbert-oso-mudslide-mayor-arlington/ |work=[[Crosscut.com]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416131900/http://crosscut.com/2014/07/barb-tolbert-oso-mudslide-mayor-arlington/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Rikki |last2=Stevick |first2=Eric |last3=Nile |first3=Amy |date=April 22, 2014 |title=Obama tours Oso mudslide site, takes time with families |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/obama-tours-oso-mudslide-site-takes-time-with-families/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416221340/http://www.heraldnet.com/news/obama-tours-oso-mudslide-site-takes-time-with-families/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref>

The city has continued to grow in the late 2010s, with new [[apartment]] buildings constructed in Smokey Point, including those designed as [[retirement community|retirement communities]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Davey |first=Stephanie |date=January 8, 2020 |title=Arlington: It's growing everywhere with more on the horizon |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/arlington-its-growing-everywhere-with-more-on-the-horizon/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref> The Cascade Industrial Center, located on {{convert|4,000|acre|ha}} between Arlington and Marysville, was designated by the [[Puget Sound Regional Council]] in 2019 and is planned to house manufacturing and other industrial uses.<ref name="CIC-2019">{{cite news |last=Buell |first=Douglas |date=July 6, 2019 |title=Cascade Industrial Center: New name for investment in Arlington, Marysville |url=https://www.arlingtontimes.com/news/cascade-industrial-center-the-new-name-for-investment-in-arlington-marysville/ |work=The Arlington Times |access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>