European colonists settled the Town of Arlington in 1635 as a village within the boundaries of Cambridge, Massachusetts, under the name Menotomy, an Algonquian word considered by some to mean "swift running water", though linguistic anthropologists dispute that translation.

This includes the town of Belmont, and outwards to the shore of the Mystic River, which had previously been part of Charlestown.

[3] A stream called Mill Brook flows through the town, which historically figured largely into Arlington's economy.

Later on that first day of the American Revolution, more blood was shed in Menotomy than in the battles of Lexington and Concord combined.

Minutemen from surrounding towns converged on Menotomy to ambush the British on their retreat from Concord and Lexington.

The Jason Russell House is a museum which remembers those 12 Americans who were killed in and around this pictured dwelling on April 19, 1775.

Arlington is located in eastern Massachusetts and is bordered by the cities of Medford to the northeast, Somerville to the east, Cambridge to the southeast, and the towns of Winchester to the north, Lexington to the west, and Belmont to the south.

The Minuteman Bikeway also runs through the center of town, connecting residents by bike to Bedford, Lexington, the Alewife Red Line station and Boston.

Route 2 is a limited access highway that runs along the southern border of Arlington with Belmont.

[20][21][22] Arlington's executive branch consists of an elected five-member select board.

The day-to-day operations are handled by a town manager hired by the select board.

[23] Twelve town meeting members are elected to staggered three year terms from each of the 21 precincts.

Article LXXXIX section 8 of the Massachusetts Constitution permits towns with a population greater than 12,000 to adopt a city form of government.

In April 2021, Arlington voted to become the third municipality in the United States to recognize polyamorous domestic partnerships, following adjacent cities of Somerville and Cambridge.