Aurora Highlands includes older residential streets beside the denser Pentagon City area in South Arlington. Its historic district grew from three subdivisions and includes houses built largely between the 1920s and 1950s. Aurora Hills Library and Virginia Highlands Park add public gathering places, while the broader civic-association area also includes Pentagon City.
Homes in the Aurora Highlands Historic District, photographed in 2013.Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and compressed for the web; page layouts may crop the display.
The neighborhood and the civic area
Aurora Highlands is a South Arlington neighborhood with a historic residential district. The district grew from three subdivisions developed between 1896 and 1930, with railways, buses and automobiles supporting its growth.
The Aurora Highlands Civic Association represents a broader area that includes Pentagon City and the subdivisions of Addison Heights, Aurora Hills and Virginia Highlands. Aurora Hills Library and Virginia Highlands Park are local public resources.
Airport and transit references
Reagan National Airport and the Pentagon City transit area are part of the neighborhood’s wider setting. Flight information, noise-reporting tools and station maps help answer practical questions about living and traveling here.
Understanding flight and noise information
The Airports Authority’s DCA WebTrak portal shows current and historical flight activity and readings at noise monitors. Current data is delayed, and monitor readings include community sounds as well as aircraft. The operator’s guide explains the map symbols and historical replay.
Reagan National’s official complaint page links the airport’s web form and WebTrak reporting tools. It also provides separate helicopter-reporting and FAA contacts, so residents can choose the appropriate channel for a particular concern.
WMATA’s station vicinity map identifies station access, nearby streets and bus boarding locations around Pentagon City, including the Virginia Highlands Park area. Use the map to find a boarding point, then consult current service alerts and timetables for the trip.
The historic district’s houses were largely built from the early 1920s through the late 1950s, with growth tied to Arlington’s expanding federal workforce. This older residential district is one part of the larger civic-association area. A neighborhood name, historic-district boundary and civic boundary do not necessarily describe the same group of properties.
Local history and public spaces
Housing for a growing federal workforce
Many district houses accommodated government employees. Growth continued as the federal workforce expanded, including workers at the Pentagon after its completion in 1943.
The Highlands Urban Garden occupies part of Virginia Highlands Park among its fields and courts. Managed by Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture, it demonstrates community-led growing in an urban public space.
Alongside its tennis, basketball and playing fields, Virginia Highlands Park has three pétanque courts. The National Club de Petanque participates in the county's Adopt-a-Park program there.
Aurora Hills Branch Library, photographed in 2017.Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and compressed for the web; page layouts may crop the display.
Are the civic area and historic district identical?
No. The historic district covers older residential streets, while the civic association represents a broader area that also includes Pentagon City and surrounding subdivisions.
Which library serves the area?
Aurora Hills Library is at 735 South 18th Street. Arlington Public Library publishes its current services and events.
Where can I read about the historic district?
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources maintains the district record and nomination documents.