Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Arlington County, Virginia, has about 240,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Arlington County is held at the county jail, run by the Arlington County Police Department, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Arlington County public records, Arlington County arrest records, Arlington County warrants, Arlington County police reports, Arlington County property records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Arlington County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Arlington County is held at the county jail, run by the Arlington County Police Department, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Arlington County Police Department at inmatewebquery.arlingtonva.us/NewWorld.InmateInquiry/VA0070000 (page title: Inmate In Custody Search), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Someone booked recently shows on that page; someone cited and released at the scene, or held a few hours at a city station, does not.
The Arlington County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2025 the jail held about 330 people, down from about 350 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 482 beds, and it ran at 65 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Arlington County has about 240,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 14 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Arlington County Jail
The Arlington County Police Department makes the arrests that end in a booking in Arlington County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Arlington County: Reagan National Airport (other agency); the Arlington County State Police (state police).
The Arlington County Police Department reported 3,611 arrests to the FBI for 2025. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Arlington County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Arlington County serves the sentence in a facility of the Virginia Department of Corrections, whose inmate locator is at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Arlington County?
Look on the custody page of the Arlington County Police Department at inmatewebquery.arlingtonva.us. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Arlington County jail?
About 330 on an average day in 2025, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 482 beds.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Arlington County go?
To a facility of the Virginia Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Is this the official Arlington County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.