Ashton Heights is one of Arlington’s oldest neighborhoods, lying geographically in the “heart of Arlington.” It is bounded by Wilson Boulevard, N. 10th Street, N. Irving Street, Arlington Boulevard (Route 50), and Glebe Road. The neighborhood originated in the late 1910’s as a train suburb around the new Clarendon electric trolley station. It continued to thrive as a bedroom community after automobiles replaced the trains in the 1930’s and on through the 1950’s.
Ashton Heights today is a quiet, residential community of approximately 1800 households predominately in single-family homes on relatively narrow streets with mature shade trees. The long period over which Ashton Heights was established and renovated has resulted in a very non-homogeneous look to the neighborhood, prompting one observer in a 1990 Washington Post article to describe Ashton Heights as having “a feeling of historic depth.”
Our neighborhood conservation plan was adopted in November 2000 and you can download a copy here.