Arlington CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Average — typical outage frequency and duration nationally. This county sits in the middle of the national distribution — its outage frequency and duration over the past 12 years are close to the nationwide median, neither notably better nor worse than most other US counties. A typical amount of backup-power preparedness is reasonable here.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2019 | 47 hrs | 35,742 (32%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 52 hrs | 34,068 (31%) | Excessive Heat |
| Mar 2, 2018 | 84 hrs | 14,663 (13%) | Dense Fog |
| Jun 5, 2020 | 12 hrs | 12,142 (11%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| May 22, 2022 | 24 hrs | 11,347 (10%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Arlington County, Virginia that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Arlington County recorded 1,316 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Arlington County started May 23, 2019 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 47 hours and leaving up to 35,742 customers without power (32% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Arlington County, with 153 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Arlington County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 55th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Virginia
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Arlington County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Hopewell County | C | 55th |
| Greene County | C | 55th |
| Williamsburg County | C | 54th |
| Alexandria County | C | 56th |
| Norfolk County | C | 54th |
Most reliable counties nationally
The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | South Dakota | A | 100th |
| Clearwater County | Minnesota | A | 99th |
| Limestone County | Alabama | A | 99th |
Least reliable counties nationally
The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Lincoln County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Cameron Parish | Louisiana | F | 0th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Arlington County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Arlington County recorded 1,316 outage events, averaging 2.5 hours each.
What is Arlington County's reliability grade?
Arlington County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 55th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Arlington County?
The worst outage on record started May 23, 2019 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 47 hours and affecting up to 35,742 customers.