Arlington, ‘the can-do city,’ is a key force in North Texas’ growth

Arlington, Texas, a city of 340,000 people nestled between Dallas and Fort Worth, has been a driving factor in the continued economic growth of the North Texas Metroplex.

The city, the fastest growing metro in the country based on 2022 Census numbers, is home to multiple global businesses, a University of Texas system campus and a large sports and entertainment district.

The Texas Rangers play at Globe Life Field, and the Dallas Cowboys compete in the nearby AT&T Stadium. The city is known for hosting concerts and bringing tourists to its Six Flags amusement park.

“We’re the can-do city. I think that’s why we’ve attracted so many incredible businesses and sports teams and everything else,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said on Episode 9 of “The Connection: Partnering Private and Public Entities,” a companion podcast of Government Market News.

In recent years, the city has been expanding its reach beyond tourist attractions and into emerging transportation technology. For example, the city has partnered with Overair, a vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer, to establish a vertiport network at the Arlington Municipal Airport.

This is the first partnership between a Texas city and an eVTOL manufacturer, and will help transport residents directly to Arlington’s many amenities.

The airport had previously been a regional airport, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upped its designation in 2021, placing the facility on the path to receiving more federal funding.

Additionally, the airport is home to E-Space, which creates a network of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide Internet of Things (IoT) service. The company recently moved its headquarters to the city.

Two other companies have established their headquarters in town. Arlington offered incentives such as funding contributions for the construction of the new buildings, hiring grants and tax breaks.

The companies will bring in 750,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities and over 3,000 jobs in the next 10 years, according to Mayor Ross.

“We have a lot of really exciting projects going on,” Mayor Ross said.  “That’s not including everything else going on in the downtown and entertainment districts here in Arlington.”

To hear more about Mayor Ross’ approach to securing partnerships and new opportunities in Arlington, listen to Episode 9 of The Connection.