Upper Arlington, OH
What Upper Arlington is actually like
Brothers Ben and King Thompson bought 840 acres of farmland from James T. Miller in 1913 to found what they first marketed as the "Country Club District," choosing the site specifically because it sat on higher ground than Columbus's other inner-ring suburbs and had no nearby factories; the community incorporated as a village in 1918 with 200 residents and had taken the name Upper Arlington by 1917, to distinguish it from the neighboring hamlet of Arlington (now Marble Cliff), per Wikipedia and Columbus Neighborhoods.
Northwest Boulevard, built along one of Columbus's original streetcar lines, still carries the curving street pattern the Thompsons and landscape architect William Pitkin Jr. laid out, per Columbus Neighborhoods; the southern half of the community was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Upper Arlington Historic District in 1985. That same ambition later shaped the city's public schools: Upper Arlington High School added an International Baccalaureate program and was entirely rebuilt in 2021, per Wikipedia.
Upper Arlington had 36,800 residents at the 2020 U.S. Census across 9.83 square miles, per Wikipedia.
Home values in Upper Arlington
Zillow's home value index put Upper Arlington's typical home value at $650,170 as of July 31, 2026, up 4.1% year-over-year, per Zillow.
Getting around
Upper Arlington's curving, streetcar-era street pattern and 21 parks (about 186 acres total) keep the community walkable within its own neighborhoods — reflected in a 74 Walk Score — though most errands beyond the immediate area still mean a car, since central Ohio has no rail transit and COTA's bus routes mostly run along the community's High Street and Lane Avenue edges rather than through its residential core.
Upper Arlington FAQ
Is Upper Arlington a good place to live?
Its A-rated school district (ranked #5 among Columbus-area districts by Niche, with an IB program and a rebuilt high school), 21 parks and streetcar-era street design are the draw, but it comes at a price — Zillow's typical home value was $650,170 as of July 2026.
What's the Upper Arlington school district like?
Upper Arlington City School District serves about 6,669 students, carries an overall A grade from Niche, offers AP and International Baccalaureate coursework, and posted a 97% graduation rate; its high school was entirely rebuilt in 2021.
Does Upper Arlington have its own electric utility?
No — AEP Ohio delivers electricity. The city negotiates the supply rate through an aggregation program with the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council, but AEP Ohio owns the wires and bills the account.
Is Upper Arlington walkable?
Walk Score rates it 74 (Very Walkable) thanks to its curving, park-lined streetcar-era streets, though central Ohio has no rail transit and most COTA bus routes run along the community's edges rather than through its residential core.
Nearby alternatives*We're not ranking these — every place has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.
Grandview Heights
Grandview Heights borders Upper Arlington directly to the south.
Worthington
Worthington sits a few miles northeast, on the other side of the Olentangy River.
Hilliard
Hilliard, a major Columbus suburb, picks up to the west, across the Scioto River.
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