A year with multiple challenges led to a 5% passenger-traffic decline at Reagan National Airport in 2025.
Federal job cuts, the seven-week government shutdown, wintry weather and the aftermath of the fatal midair crash over the Potomac River all affected total passenger levels for the year, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) President Jack Potter said.
Regional airport leaders are budgeting for a moderate rebound in passenger numbers after a decline in 2025.
The calendar year 2026 budget for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) anticipates about 12.8 million enplanements next year, up from a projected 12.6 million in 2025 but down from the record 13.1 million enplanements in 2024.
The housing market in Arlington held up well in October despite economic headwinds and the federal shutdown.
One key indicator: The average sales price for single-family detached homes approached $1.5 million — down from an unexpectedly high amount in September but still well above year-over-year figures.
Despite high office vacancy rates, several of Arlington’s major commercial corridors have some of the highest commercial real estate prices in Northern Virginia, new data shows.
Rosslyn, Ballston, National Landing and Clarendon/Courthouse/Virginia Square were the only sub-corridors of Northern Virginia with asking rates above $40 per square foot in third-quarter figures reported last week by Savills Research & Data Services.
More than 200 of Arlington’s “seasoned citizens” are among a record 1,200 across the region participating in the 2025 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.
That county’s total of 209 competitors is up 17% from 2024, making Arlington the jurisdiction with the second most participants this year — behind Fairfax County.
Regional mutual-aid agreements do not require Arlington agencies to support federal policing efforts in D.C., County Board Chair Takis Karantonis believes.
The federal government is not a signatory to those agreements, and even if a request came via D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, it would receive close scrutiny, Karantonis said at a Tuesday luncheon of Arlington Senior Democrats.
Arlington’s unemployment rate has risen to its highest point in nearly four years.
A total of 5,061 Arlington residents were counted as seeking jobs in May, according to new figures from the Virginia Employment Commission.
Real-estate sales data for May paint a mixed picture but show no signs of impending doom for the Arlington and Falls Church markets.
The average sales price per square foot for both jurisdictions was up year-over-year, according to new figures, although May’s rate was running below the year-to-date average in each case.
Arlington’s representative on a panel studying D.C. Metro funding is opposing a region-wide sales tax to support the transit system.
Instead, County Board member Matt de Ferranti believes Virginia, D.C. and Maryland should each determine how they will pay for the extra regional costs now estimated at $500 million to $600 million a year.
A stricter policy on banning riders from the Metro system has some leaders optimistic about better safety in Northern Virginia.
Beginning June 2, the policy will allow the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to impose longer bans on people arrested for sex crimes or assaults on Metro employees and customers.
Unemployment claims in Northern Virginia rose 7.1% between January and February, new data shows — offering a first glimpse of the impacts of mass federal layoffs.
A total of 53,394 people in the region were counted as unemployed and looking for work in February as sweeping job cuts began going into effect.
An Arlington leader is among several local officials opposing a proposal to merge bus systems in Northern Virginia in a quest for greater efficiency.
Though the possibility of merging transit systems came up during DMV Moves meetings late last year, leaders including County Board member Matt de Ferranti expressed skepticism after the concept re-appeared during a meeting last week.
