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Upper Arlington was founded by the real estate developers Ben and King Thompson, who purchased most of the farmland that was to become Upper Arlington from James Miller in 1913. This land was directly adjacent to the Marble Cliff Quarry Co. They originally wanted to call it the "Country Club District" after the Country Club development in Kansas City, but by 1917, the community became known as "Upper Arlington," in reference to its southern neighbor of Arlington (now known as Marble Cliff). The Upper Arlington Company was incorporated that year and operated out of a field office built on the former Miller farm; that building is presently the Miller Park branch of the Upper Arlington Library (see no. 4 on the map).

The development proceeded according to the Garden City-inspired plan by landscape architect William Pitkin, Jr., which called for curving streets copiously lined with trees rather than a gridded street layout. This development style gave the oldest district in Upper Arlington (at its southern-most end) its distinctively pleasant, park-like feel, though the lack of roadway predictability can lead to some frustrating driving experiences even for those familiar with the neighborhood. The area features numerous small green spaces.

Camp Willis, 1916In 1916, the development was interrupted (and largely undone) when the National Guard used the area as a temporary training camp called Camp Willis, after Ohio's governor at the time, Frank B. Willis. 8,000 servicemen were trained at Camp Willis and then dispatched against Pancho Villa on the Mexican border. The camp was dismantled by September of 1916. Development resumed shortly afterwards, and on June 17, 1918, Upper Arlington incorporated as a village, with a population of 20 and James Miller, the original landowner, serving as the first mayor. The Mallway business district, which was constructed in the 1920s, was the first deviation from Pitkin's plan. Upper Arlington became a city on February 8, 1941, and annexed surrounding land as its population grew. Most annexation occurred in the late 1940s through 1960. The two largest annexations occurred in 1954 and 1955, by which the city more than doubled its surface area.

One of the many historic homes in the Upper Arlington Historic DistrictAs was typical in many developing northern communities of the time, the Thompsons included restrictive covenants in their housing deeds that prevented African-Americans from purchasing homes in Upper Arlington (though the deeds were careful to point out that "colored servants" could still be employed). The covenants also prevented Jews from purchasing homes. The effects of this practice have carried through to the present demographics of Upper Arlington, still almost exclusively populated by whites.

The post-World War II housing boom led to the development of many new housing tracts north of Lane Avenue. The newer developments took on a much different character from the older core of the city, being mostly organized along normal street grids, and with the usually ranch-style houses being smaller and of more economical construction than the historic stone and brick mini-mansions to the south. Many Upper Arlington residents sometimes refer to section of this area of Upper Arlington as "the golden ghetto", a joking reference to the comparatively lower quality yet still high property values. By the 1960s, as the city grew north, the houses were larger and the neighborhoods more consistent with the intent, if not style, of the original section south of Lane Avenue. The southern half of the city, designated as the "Upper Arlington Historic District" (though simply referred to as "Old Arlington"), was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Upper Arlington is the birthplace of professional golfer Jack Nicklaus.

Upper Arlington is located at 40¡Æ1¡Ç14¡ÈN, 83¡Æ3¡Ç59¡ÈW (40.020613, -83.066520)GR1. It is bordered on the west by the Scioto River (immediately across which is Hilliard), on the north and east by Columbus, and on the south by Marble Cliff and Grandview Heights. The Olentangy River and the main campus of the Ohio State University are a short distance to the east of Upper Arlington. Downtown Columbus lies to the southeast, its skyline visible across the OSU farm land research facilities extending along Upper Arlington's eastern border.

The city is located on relatively high ground located between the Olentangy and Scioto rivers. Two ravines cut through the city. The slate run in the Northwest corner flows into the Scioto River. Turkey Run is longer. It originates in the north then runs southwards until it makes an eastward bend around Reed Rd. Then, it flows eastwards through the OSU Golf Course. The run is used as a storm drain at points and has been dammed in the OSU golf and runs through concrete pipes at two points. The soil is glacial till, like the rest of Columbus and is suitable for agriculture (OSU Farm is nearby),

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.4 km©÷ (9.8 mi©÷). 25.3 km©÷ (9.8 mi©÷) of it is land and 0.1 km©÷ (0.04 mi©÷) of it (0.20%) is water.

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 33,686 people, 13,985 households, and 9,509 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,332.6/km² (3,450.2/mi²). There were 14,432 housing units at an average density of 570.9/km² (1,478.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.72% White, 3.52% Asian, 0.98% Hispanic or Latino, 0.59% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races.

There were 13,985 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $72,116, and the median income for a family was $90,208. Males had a median income of $66,846 versus $41,581 for females. The per capita income for the city was $42,025. About 1.7% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Upper Arlington annually hosts a Fourth of July parade and fireworks display. The Labor Day Arts Festival at Northam Park (see no. 3 on the map)and the annual Halloween festival at Tremont Elementary School are other notable community events. The Jones Middle School Fall production and the Highschool's annual musicals are always a big hit. The City's Parks & Recreation Department hosts numerous events including the Winter Festival and Tree Lighting, various church festivals, Spring Fling, Summer Celebration and Fall Fest. Other events include the Taste of UA festival, and during the summer mounts Upper Arlington also host a program called "Movie in the Park" where (usually free of charge) a movie is shown in Upper Arlington's various parks.