Arlington County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Arlington County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Arlington County is located in the Northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. The name Arlington was chosen because General Robert E. Lee’s home of that name is located in the County, on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.

County Courthouse
Arlington County Courthouse 1425 North Courthouse Road Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-228-7900 Arlington County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has birth, marriage, death, land and court records

History Timeline


Known as Alexandria County until 1920, when it was renamed Arlington County. The county was named after Henry Bennet, First Earl of Arlington (1618-1685), an English statesman.

Bible Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Historic Arlington: A History of the National Cemetery from Its Establishment to the Present Time, with Sketches of the Historic Personages Who Occupied the Estate Previous to Its Seizure by the National Government... c1892. By K. Decker and Angus McSween. Decker and Angus McSween. Washington, Decker and McSween Pub. Co. Online at: Google Books;.
 * Memorial Ceremonies at the National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, Under the Auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic, May 30, 1868. 1868. By F.H. Smith. Washington, DC : McGill &amp; Witherow, Printers and Stereotypers. Online at: Google Books;.

Church Records
Church of England
 * History of Truro Parish in Virginia. 1908. By Philip Slaughter and Edward Lewis Goodwin. Philadelphia, PA : George W. Jacobs. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books;.
 * The Truro Parish Colonial Vestry Book (1732-1785) and the proceedings of the Overseers of the Poor (1787-1802). Digitized images available online at Truro Parish Colonial Vestry Minutes.

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Arlington

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records Indexed images of Arlington County, Virginia Chancery Records 1790-1842 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
 * See Virginia_Cohabitation_Records for links to online records.(see Alexandria County)
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. c2005. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans;.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans in Arlington County.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Arlington County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families
 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. 2005-present. - free online book. Cole, Ennis, Fletcher, Handless, Lucas, McIntosh, Nichols, Shorter, Thomas, Valentine, Webster families of pre-1820 Arlington County, Virginia.

Local Histories

 * A Brief History of Alexandria County, Virginia : Its Wealth and Resources, Great and Growing Industries, Educational and Social Advantages. 1907. By G. G. Boteller, Crandal Mackey, M. E. Church, W. S. Hoge, Jr., C. B. Haller under the direction of the County Board of Supervisors. Falls Church, Virginia : The Newell Printing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust;.
 * Arlington National Cemetery. 1988. By U.S. Department of the Army. Online at: Hathitrust;.
 * Arlington National Cemetery, Shrine to America's Heroes. 1986. By James Edward Peters. Bethesda, MD : Woodbine House. Online at: Internet Archive (eBook can be borrowed for 14 days);.
 * Historic Arlington : A History of the National Cemetery from its Establishment to the Present Time, with Sketches of the Historic Personages who Occupied the Estate Previous to its Seizure by the National Government--Parke Custis and His Times--the Career of Lee, with Descriptions of Life in Virginia During the Early Part of the Century. c1892. By Karl Decker and Angus McSween. Washington, Decker and McSween Pub. Co. Online at: Family Search Books Online, Hathitrust, Google Books;.

Military Records
Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)

Civil War service men in Arlington County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 17th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Alexandria Riflemen), Company E (Mount Vernon Guards), Company G (Emmett Guards), Company H (Old Dominion Rifles), Company I (O'Connell Guards), and Company K (Warrenton Rifles).

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Other Records
Miscellaneous Records
 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1858-1878, 1868-1878 Arlington County Index to Wills and Estates, Book 9, 1858-1878, 1868-1878 Virginia Pioneers ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1815 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). By Roger D. Ward. c1997. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co. ..
 * 1829 A List of Tithables for the Town Part of the County of Alexandria, 1829. Original records, Arlington County Courthouse in Arlington, Virginia; FHL copy: Item 4.

Birth

 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages - FindMyPast ($)
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Family History Centers
To locate the closest family history center or affiliate library, use the link listed above.

Websites

 * Arlington County VAGenWeb Project, a part of The VAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
 * Cyndi's List
 * Site of Arlington Chapel Marker, The Historical Marker Database


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

 * A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Alexandria County [Arlington County]. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1959). . CD available at: American Ancestors ($).
 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Arlington County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1960):80. . CD available at: American Ancestors ($).
 * Genealogical Research in the Records of Alexandria City and Arlington County. By Suzanne Smith Ray. The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Jul.-Aug. 1984):1..