Arlington, VA ranked as America's fittest city

Arlington, VA is home to the fittest people in the U.S., maintaining its top ranking for nine years in a row due its high marks in personal health, community and environment, according to researchers. The county is a suburb of Washington, D.C., which holds second place in the ranking of the nation’s fittest cities.

The index released by the American College of Sports Medicine and Elevance Health Foundation ranks the country’s 100 largest cities across 35 indicators, from air quality to physical activity rates. In addition to having the lowest rates of smoking and diabetes, Arlington earned its fitness dominance due to residents reporting that they sleep more than seven hours a night, exercised during the previous month, and are in very good or excellent health.

“Cities with the highest Fitness Index scores are considered to have strong community fitness, similar to individuals having strong personal fitness,” according to the researchers. “Top-ranked cities tend to have more resources that encourage healthy living and fewer barriers that make it harder for residents to be active.”

Arlington residents looking for group runs to help them get or stay fit have several active run clubs to choose from, including Arlington Runners Club and Shirlington Running Club.