Arlington County Welcomes Microsoft

January 7, 2021 | By Telly Tucker

It’s a great start to the new year for Arlington’s tech scene as Fortune 100 honoree Microsoft announced it is joining the Arlington business community. Microsoft is bringing its U.S. regulated industries team, including Microsoft Federal, to Rosslyn’s Commonwealth Tower as well as the DMV Global Sales and Marketing team and a Microsoft Technology Center. The company plans to start construction on the new space in a few months with the goal of being open in mid-2022.

This announcement expands on Microsoft’s robust commitment to the Northern Virginia region and highlights the region’s emergence as one of the world’s leading technology hubs. You may remember that last summer, Microsoft announced it was investing $64 million to establish a new 400,000 SF software development and regional R&D hub in neighboring Fairfax County. Approximately 1,500 new jobs are expected as part of that announcement.

Microsoft President of U.S. Regulated Industries Toni Townes-Whitley called the selection of the Arlington location and its proximity to the District key for the company’s customers and their needs, and she added that the move would unite the mid-Atlantic teams to ensure collaboration and productivity.

Microsoft joins several other high-profile companies, including Amazon, Nestlé, Lidl, March of Dimes, Yext, Phone2Action and Cerner, that have recently chosen Arlington County for their headquarters or for significant expansion. Arlington and the D.C. Metro region recently ranked #2 in the U.S. for tech talent by commercial real estate firm, CBRE. Arlington companies have raised $8 billion in venture capital covering 160 deals over the past five years.