diff --git a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 4e37cebe108..0720f567a4e 100644
--- a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ if(ARROW_BUILD_BENCHMARKS
    OR ARROW_BUILD_INTEGRATION
    OR ARROW_FUZZING)
   set(ARROW_JSON ON)
+  set(ARROW_TESTING ON)
 endif()
 
 if(ARROW_CUDA
diff --git a/cpp/cmake_modules/DefineOptions.cmake b/cpp/cmake_modules/DefineOptions.cmake
index 64ec7fa28bd..11bc88c31ce 100644
--- a/cpp/cmake_modules/DefineOptions.cmake
+++ b/cpp/cmake_modules/DefineOptions.cmake
@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ if("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}" STREQUAL "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
 
   define_option(ARROW_TENSORFLOW "Build Arrow with TensorFlow support enabled" OFF)
 
+  define_option(ARROW_TESTING "Build the Arrow testing libraries" OFF)
+
   #----------------------------------------------------------------------
   set_option_category("Thirdparty toolchain")
 
diff --git a/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake b/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
index 151ae6f7b2c..ac86d8a27f1 100644
--- a/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
+++ b/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
@@ -1647,10 +1647,7 @@ macro(build_gtest)
   add_dependencies(GTest::gmock googletest_ep)
 endmacro()
 
-if(ARROW_BUILD_TESTS
-   OR ARROW_BUILD_BENCHMARKS
-   OR ARROW_BUILD_INTEGRATION
-   OR ARROW_FUZZING)
+if(ARROW_TESTING)
   resolve_dependency(GTest)
 
   if(NOT GTEST_VENDORED)
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/src/arrow/CMakeLists.txt
index f3aae96a80d..5a33eae5f57 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -530,11 +530,7 @@ if(ARROW_BUILD_STATIC AND ARROW_BUNDLED_STATIC_LIBS)
                            ${_OTHER_LIBS})
 endif()
 
-if(ARROW_BUILD_TESTS
-   OR ARROW_BUILD_BENCHMARKS
-   OR ARROW_BUILD_INTEGRATION
-   OR ARROW_FUZZING)
-
+if(ARROW_TESTING)
   # that depend on gtest
   add_arrow_lib(arrow_testing
                 CMAKE_PACKAGE_NAME
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/flight/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/src/arrow/flight/CMakeLists.txt
index ddf4983d7a9..03483f4e8c3 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/flight/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/flight/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ foreach(LIB_TARGET ${ARROW_FLIGHT_LIBRARIES})
 endforeach()
 
 # Define arrow_flight_testing library
-if(ARROW_BUILD_TESTS OR ARROW_BUILD_BENCHMARKS OR ARROW_BUILD_INTEGRATION)
+if(ARROW_TESTING)
   add_arrow_lib(arrow_flight_testing
                 CMAKE_PACKAGE_NAME
                 ArrowFlightTesting