From Parks to Pipes: The Scope of Arlington's City Assets
Published on June 04, 2025
The City of Arlington is facing a challenging Fiscal Year 2026. Throughout the next several months, our “Piecing it Together” budget series will provide a high-level overview of the unique situational and economic factors impacting Arlington’s budget this year. Have a question or topic you’d like to see included? Send us a message.
From soccer fields to streetlights and from walking trails to water mains, the City of Arlington is responsible for maintaining thousands of acres of public land, more than 190 public buildings, thousands of pieces of equipment and public infrastructure both above and below ground throughout the 99-square mile city. Together, these pieces help the City provide high-quality services, programs and infrastructure to meet the needs of the community today and tomorrow.
Parks & Recreation
Arlington Parks and Recreation recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, which included the opening of the community’s 100th public park. Centennial Park is home to ACTIV, which is the City’s newest and largest voter-approved recreation center with programming for patrons 50 and up.
In all, Arlington offers residents and visitors more than 5,600 acres of total park land to enjoy, from the 1,000-acre River Legacy Park in far North Arlington to Webb Community Park, which is home to the Beacon Recreation Center in far southeast Arlington. Amenities are available for people of all ages and abilities, including four municipal golf courses, 123 miles of trails, a tennis center and pickleball courts and more than 160 outdoor sports and practice fields. The new Meadowbrook ability-inclusive playground is among the City’s 60 total playgrounds, with four new playgrounds to open at Richard Simpson Park, N.L Robinson Park, Al Rollins Park and High Oak Park.
Whether you are looking for fitness classes, summer camps or a place to hold a party, the City has nine recreation centers and rental centers available, including the beautiful Kathryn Wilemon Lake House Event Center near Lake Arlington.
Residents also can get a break from the heat at one of the City’s seven pools or four public splash pads.
All of these public spaces and amenities are among the reasons that Arlington is ranked No. 4 in Texas and No. 47 nationwide in the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore rankings for the 100 largest cities in America.
Public Works
Did you know the City’s Public Works Department is responsible for 3,017 total lane miles of roadway and 1,093 miles of sidewalk that crisscross our community? That’s a lot of asphalt and concrete to keep in shape for the millions of commuters, whether on foot, bike or in a vehicle, who travel around and through Arlington each year. Our city crews also manage the traffic signals at 374 intersections and 44,964 signs. Ever use the Ask Arlington app to report a burned-out streetlight? We appreciate it! Arlington has 23,666 total streetlights to keep shining bright for our residents. But streets, sidewalks and lights aren’t the only priority. Public Works also maintains 612 miles of stormwater pipes, 57 miles of stormwater channels and flumes and 12,733 stormwater inlets to help direct rainwater away from neighborhoods quickly and efficiently.
Water Utilities
Our water crews also have an impressive list of infrastructure to help keep clean, great-tasting drinking water flowing to homes, schools and businesses. That includes two water treatment plants that produce millions of gallons of a water a year, a state-of-the-art water utilities laboratory, 10,331 hydrants, and nearly 1,500 miles of public water mains, which have more than 24,000 valves. Arlington Water Utilities also reads a combined 114,632 water meters, 89% of which are at residential properties.
And what happens to the water that drains out of your sink or bathtub? It flows into 1,260 miles of sewer mains, which are accessed by 20,067 manholes.
Asset Management
Residents may stop by City Hall to pay their water bill or pick up a copy of a birth certificate or visit their local library branch to check out the latest best sellers. But those aren’t the only city facilities. The Asset Management team is responsible for 193 city facilities which include a combined total of 2,156,662 square feet. That includes Arlington’s five police stations, 17 fire stations and seven library branches.
City Fleet
Arlington’s Fleet team manages 1,260 pieces of equipment overall, ranging from street sweepers to animal services vehicles to fire engines. In addition to 890 city vehicles, whose uses range from Code Compliance to interlibrary material transfers, Arlington also has 164 police patrol vehicles and 45 fire-fighting apparatus.
As you can see, the City of Arlington's commitment to providing high-quality services and infrastructure for its residents is evident in the vast array of capital assets it diligently manages. This significant investment, totaling $2.8 billion in capital assets, underscores the City's dedication to meeting the diverse needs and expectations of the Arlington community.