Arlington County, Virginia · Arlington
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Pipes freeze in Arlington County on about 12 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 34% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in July. Arlington County averages 9.8 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
34% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Arlington County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.66 inches, and about 64 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
1% of occupied homes in Arlington County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Virginia county median of 11.9%.
About 79 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
With 121,970 homes and around 236,254 residents, Arlington County is 26 square miles of northeast Virginia. Arlington is the county seat. Half the homes here were built before 1976, half after.
62/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Arlington County ranks 16 of 95 Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Arlington County ranks highest compared with other Virginia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Arlington County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 12 nights a year at or below 20°F (55th of 95) and 70 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 7 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about 2°F on February 20, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 14 and end around Mar 27.
Rainfall is about average for Virginia. Of roughly 44.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 9.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 51st of 95. July, August and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.66 inches, July 22, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.74 inches, ending July 24, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 64 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
53% of homes in Arlington County predate 1980, above the Virginia county median of 46.2%, which ranks 19th of Virginia's 95 counties.
34% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Renters occupy 59% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Arlington County averages 79 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in July. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Arlington County it's 45% utility gas, 51% electric, under 1% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Arlington County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Arlington gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Arlington | Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 20% | 8 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 53% | 46% | 19 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 27% | 25% | 40 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 0.2% | 9.6% | 95 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 8.2% | 15% | 69 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 0.8% | 12% | 95 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 12/yr | 14/yr | 55 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.8/yr | 10/yr | 51 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 64/yr | 77/yr | 82 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 79/yr | 64/yr | 29 of 95 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Virginia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Arlington County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in July, August and December.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology