The cathedral has a Baroque organ built by the German builder Johann Andreas Silbermann, based in Alsace, in 1761.

The instrument was restored by Metzler in 1959–1962, and is an example of the fusion of French and German organ building styles.

[4] The protected location on the western foot of the Gempen Plateau encouraged early settlement of the area.

Paleolithic Magdalenian culture items from around 10,000 BC were discovered in the Birseck–Ermitage and Hollenberg 3 caves.

The caves contained traces of fires, spear points carved from reindeer antler, and pendants made from snail and mussel shells.

From the end of the Palaeolithic era, Birseck–Ermitage cave contains galets colori, red-stripe-like painted limestone pebbles, and flint tools.

From the Mesolithic period (c.6000–5000 BC), flint tools have been discovered at the Abri overhang at Hohlefels, excavated in 1905 by Fritz Sarasin, and in the Birseck–Hermitage cave.

Several Neolithic ax blades were discovered across the municipal area, with a concentration at Dachsenhöhle and Kleinen Höhle am Hohlefels that were excavated in 1952–1954 by Martin Herkert, Bernhard Hesse, and Andreas Schwabe.

In the Kleinen Höhle, skeletal remains of children with grave goods as well as a typological flint spear points were also found.

[5] The farm complex of Arlesheim was owned by Mont Sainte-Odile Monastery in Alsace starting in the 8th century.

While Arlesheim was probably under the influence of Basel through the counts of Birseck, it never entered into a Burgrecht treaty with the city.

About half a century later, in 1582, the Bishop of Basel, Jakob Christoph Blarer von Wartensee, succeeded in spreading the Counter-Reformation in Arlesheim.

[6] In the Thirty Years War the surrounding countryside was damaged by looting and pillaging.

As a result, when the Basel cathedral council and priests moved from Freiburg im Breisgau in 1678, they went to Arlesheim.

An administrative center and impressive early baroque residences were built in the town.

Under the same artistic concept, and initially led by Franz Demess, the cathedral was built in 1679–1681.

These new buildings made Arlesheim an attractive place for nobles, high clergy, diplomats, artists, and craftsmen.

The flight of the canons led to an economic depression in the village in the years following the French invasion.

In 1830 Johann Siegmund Alioth moved from Basel to Arlesheim and set up the first mechanical silk-factory in Switzerland along the Birs.

These two train lines gave further impetus to the industrial and service sectors including the Alioth electric equipment supply company in 1892, the anthroposophist Ita Wegman Clinic in 1921, and the Weleda remedies company.

Arlesheim has a mild climate and sunny vineyards, which made it a popular location for vacation villas.

The many workers who moved into Arlesheim fostered a sectarian shift in what was once a very Catholic village.

The ensuing infrastructure problems, including overbuilding, led to a town planning ordinance of 1971 and redevelopment of the village square in 1987 and 1991.

[6] Arlesheim has an area, as of 2009[update], of 6.93 square kilometers (2.68 sq mi).

Of the rest of the land, 2.65 km2 (1.02 sq mi) or 38.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km2 (7.4 acres) or 0.4% is either rivers or lakes.

[10] The age distribution, as of 2010[update], in Arlesheim is; 559 children, or 6.2% of the population, are between 0 and 6 years old, and 1,220 teenagers, or 13.6%, are between 7 and 19.

[11] The historical population is given in the following chart:[4][16] The Andlauerhof, the Domherrenhaus at Domstrasse 2, the Domherrenhäuser am Domplatz, the Cathedral Church, the Hermitage site which includes the ruins of Birseck Castle, as well as paleolithic cave dwellings, an early cult site and Neolithic graves and Reichenstein Castle are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire village of Arlesheim is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

In the tertiary sector; 1,121 or 32.4% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 469 or 13.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 94 or 2.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 68 or 2.0% were in the information industry, 77 or 2.2% were the insurance or financial industry, 256 or 7.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 136 or 3.9% were in education and 835 or 24.1% were in health care.

[11] From the 2000 census[update], 3,135 or 36.3% were Roman Catholic, while 2,842 or 32.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.