Visitor economy
Arlington County
County · Northern Virginia. Visitors spent $4.62B here in 2025, down 3.1% on 2024 and up 4.8% on 2019.
$4.62B
Visitor spending, 2025
2 of 133 localities
17,146
Jobs supported
4 of 133
$176M
Local taxes from visitors
2 of 133
$1.09B
Wages paid
$85M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Transport is the largest single category here at $2.52B, 54.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $586M12.7%
- Food and drink
- $913M19.8%
- Retail
- $248M5.4%
- Recreation
- $352M7.6%
- Transport
- $2.52B54.5%
Lodging includes short-term rentals and second-home spending. Transport covers both ground and air.
Year by year
| Year | Total | Change | Lodging | Food | Retail | Recreation | Transport | Jobs | Local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4.62B | -3.1% | $586M | $913M | $248M | $352M | $2.52B | 17,146 | $176M |
| 2024 | $4.76B | +6.0% | $597M | $883M | $245M | $347M | $2.69B | 17,141 | $177M |
| 2023 | $4.49B | +16.4% | $552M | $810M | $227M | $322M | $2.58B | 16,584 | $168M |
| 2022 | $3.86B | +36.2% | $451M | $716M | $208M | $286M | $2.20B | 14,376 | $150M |
| 2021 | $2.83B | +48.7% | $298M | $557M | $196M | $240M | $1.54B | 12,015 | $114M |
| 2020 | $1.91B | -56.7% | $215M | $411M | $149M | $167M | $965M | 11,400 | $98M |
| 2019 | $4.40B | +5.3% | $606M | $762M | $269M | $299M | $2.47B | 21,373 | $166M |
| 2018 | $4.18B | +4.3% | $571M | $721M | $264M | $287M | $2.34B | 21,079 | $158M |
| 2017 | $4.01B | +4.6% | $528M | $655M | $243M | $269M | $2.32B | 20,751 | $154M |
| 2016 | $3.84B | — | $503M | $627M | $236M | $258M | $2.21B | 20,309 | $153M |
How that compares
- 12.75% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 27.3% of the Northern Virginia region, which took $16.91B.
- Ranks 2 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 2 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Arlington County is -3.1%.