Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. The county is predominantly suburban in character with some urban and rural pockets.

Fairfax County
County
Mount Vernon mansion
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°50′N 77°17′W / 38.83°N 77.28°W / 38.83; -77.28Coordinates: 38°50′N 77°17′W / 38.83°N 77.28°W / 38.83; -77.28
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	June 19, 1742
Named for	Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Seat	Fairfax (independent city)^1
Largest town	Herndon
Area
• Total	406 sq mi (1,050 km^2)
• Land	391 sq mi (1,010 km^2)
• Water	15 sq mi (40 km^2)  3.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,150,309
• Density	2,800/sq mi (1,100/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	8th, 10th, 11th
Website	www.fairfaxcounty.gov
^1 Administrative and court offices are located in unincorporated areas in Fairfax County

As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,150,309,^[1] making it Virginia's most populous jurisdiction, with around 13% of the Commonwealth's population. The county is also the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, with around 20% of the MSA population, as well as the larger Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area, with around 13% of the CSA population. The county seat is Fairfax, although because it is an independent city under Virginia law, the city of Fairfax is not part of Fairfax County.^[2]

Fairfax was the first U.S. county to reach a six-figure median household income and has the third-highest median household income of any county-level local jurisdiction in the U.S.^[3][4] Fairfax County, as part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, is usually included atop or near the top of lists of the wealthiest areas in the United States.^[5][6][7]

The county is home to the headquarters of several intelligence agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, National Counterterrorism Center, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence as well as the headquarters of several aerospace manufacturing and defense industry giants. The county is also home to the flagship campus of George Mason University, and headquarters to seven Fortune 500 companies, including three in the Falls Church area, though not in the independent municipality of Falls Church.^[8]

History

 

Piney Branch Mill, southeast of Fairfax city, Historic American Buildings Survey

 

Mount Vernon in 1858

At the time of first European encounter, the inhabitants of what would become Fairfax County were an Algonquian-speaking subgroup called the Taux, also known as the Doeg or Dogue. Their villages, as recorded by Captain John Smith in 1608, included Namassingakent and Nemaroughquand on the south bank of the Potomac River in what is now Fairfax County.^[9] Virginian colonists from the Northern Neck region drove the Doeg out of this area and into Maryland by 1670.

Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. It was named after Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781), proprietor of the Northern Neck.^[10][11] The Fairfax family name is derived from the Old English phrase for "blond hair", Fæger-feax.

The oldest settlements in Fairfax County were along the Potomac River. George Washington settled in Fairfax County and built his home, Mount Vernon, facing the river. Gunston Hall, the home of George Mason, is nearby. Modern Fort Belvoir is partly on the estate of Belvoir Manor, built along the Potomac by William Fairfax in 1741.

Thomas Fairfax, the only member of the British nobility ever to reside in the colonies, lived at Belvoir before moving to the Shenandoah Valley. The Belvoir mansion and several of its outbuildings were destroyed by fire immediately after the Revolutionary War in 1783, and George Washington noted the plantation complex deteriorated into ruins.

In 1757, the northwestern two-thirds of Fairfax County became Loudoun County. In 1789, part of Fairfax County was ceded to the federal government to form Alexandria County of the District of Columbia. Alexandria County was returned to Virginia in 1846, reduced in size by the secession of the independent city of Alexandria in 1870, and renamed Arlington County in 1920. The Fairfax County town of Falls Church became an independent city in 1948.^[12] The Fairfax County town of Fairfax became an independent city in 1961.^[13]

 

Map of battles on Bull Run, near Manassas on the border of Fairfax and Prince William County, fought between the forces of the Confederate States of America and of the Union Generals Beauregard and Johnston commanding the Confederate and General McDowell the United States forces, on July 21, 1861, from 7am to 9pm.^[14]

Located near Washington, D.C., Fairfax County was an important region in the Civil War. The Battle of Chantilly or Ox Hill, during the same campaign as the second Battle of Bull Run, was fought within the county; Bull Run is the border between Fairfax and Prince William Counties. Other areas of activity included Minor's Hill, Munson's Hill, and Upton's Hill, on the county's eastern border, overlooking Washington, D.C.

The federal government's growth during and after World War II spurred rapid growth in the county and made it increasingly suburban. Other large businesses continued to settle in Fairfax County and the opening of Tysons Corner Center spurred the rise of Tysons Corner. The technology boom and a steady government-driven economy also created rapid growth and an increasingly large and diverse population. The economy has also made Fairfax County one of the nation's wealthiest counties.^[15]

A general aviation airport along U.S. Route 50 west of Seven Corners called the Falls Church Airpark operated in the county from 1948 to 1960. The facility's 2,650-foot unpaved runway was used extensively by private pilots and civil defense officials. Residential development, multiple accidents, and the demand for retail space led to its closure in 1960.^[16][17][18]

Geography

 

Montgomery

 

Alexandria

Arlington

 

Fairfax

Fairfax County

 

Falls Church

Loudoun

 

Manassas

 

Manassas Park

Prince William

Washington

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 406 square miles (1,050 km²), of which 391 square miles (1,010 km²) is land and 15 square miles (39 km²) (3.8%) is water.^[19]

Fairfax County is bounded on the north and southeast by the Potomac River. Across the river to the northeast is Washington, D.C., across the river to the north is Montgomery County, Maryland, and across the river to the southeast are Prince George's County, Maryland and Charles County, Maryland. The county is partially bounded on the north and east by Arlington County and the independent cities of Alexandria and Falls Church. It is bounded on the west by Loudoun County, and on the south by Prince William County.

Most of the county lies in the Piedmont region, with rolling hills and deep stream valleys such as Difficult Run and its tributaries. West of Route 28, the hills give way to a flat, gentle valley that stretches west to the Bull Run Mountains in Loudoun County. Elevations in the county range from near sea level along the tidal sections of the Potomac River in the southeast portion of the county to more than 500 feet (150 m) in the Tysons Corner area.

Adjacent jurisdictions

• Arlington County – east
• Charles County, Maryland – southeast
• City of Alexandria – east
• City of Fairfax – surrounded by Fairfax County
• City of Falls Church – east
• Loudoun County – northwest
• Montgomery County, Maryland – north
• Prince George's County, Maryland – east
• Prince William County – southwest

Geology

The Piedmont hills in the central county are made up of ancient metamorphic rocks such as schist, the roots of several ancestral ranges of the Appalachians. The western valley is floored with more recent shale and sandstone. This geology is similar to adjacent bands of rocks in Maryland and further south in Virginia along the eastern front of the Appalachians.

An area of 11 square miles (30 km²) of the county is known to be underlain with natural asbestos.^[20] Much of the asbestos is known to emanate from fibrous tremolite or actinolite. The threat was discovered in 1987, prompting the county to establish laws to monitor air quality at construction sites, control soil taken from affected areas, and require freshly developed sites to lay 6 inches (150 mm) of clean, stable material over the ground.^[21][22]

For instance, during the construction of Centreville High School a large amount of asbestos-laden soil was removed and then trucked to Vienna for the construction of the I-66/Nutley Street interchange. Fill dirt then had to be trucked in to make the site level.^{[citation needed]} Marine clays can be found in widespread areas of the county east of Interstate 95, mostly in the Lee and Mount Vernon districts. These clays contribute to soil instability, leading to significant construction challenges for builders.^[23]

Government and politics

 

Fairfax County Government Center

Fairfax County uses the urban county executive form of government, which county voters approved in a 1966 referendum.^[24][25]

Under the urban county executive plan, the county is governed by the 10-member Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with the day-to-day running of the county tasked to the appointed Fairfax County executive.

Nine of the board members are elected from the single-member districts of Braddock, Dranesville, Franconia, Hunter Mill, Mason, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully, while the chairman is elected at-large.

In addition to the Board of Supervisors, three constitutional officers—the commonwealth's attorney, clerk of the Circuit Court and sheriff—and the 12 members of the Fairfax County School Board are directly elected by the voters of Fairfax County.

The Fairfax County Government Center is west of the City of Fairfax in an unincorporated area.^[26] Fairfax County contains an exclave unincorporated area in the City of Fairfax's central business district, where many county facilities (including the courthouses and jail) are.^[27][28]

Fairfax County was once considered a Republican bastion, but in recent years Democrats have made significant inroads, gaining control of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board (officially nonpartisan) as well as the offices of sheriff and Commonwealth attorney. Democrats also hold all the Fairfax seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and every seat in the Senate.

Fairfax County encompasses parts of three congressional districts, the 8th District, the 10th District, and the 11th District. Democrats represent all three districts, with Jennifer Wexton representing the 10th, Don Beyer representing the 8th, and Gerry Connolly representing the 11th.

Communities closer to Washington, D.C., generally favor Democrats by a larger margin than outlying communities. In elections in 2000, 2001, and 2005, Fairfax County supported Democrats for U.S. Senate and governor. In 2004, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry won the county, becoming the first Democrat to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 (the last time Democrats carried the state until 2008). Kerry defeated George W. Bush in the county, 53% to 46%.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Kaine carried Fairfax County with over 60% of the vote in 2005, helping him win 51.7% of the statewide vote. In 2006, U.S. Senate candidate Jim Webb carried the county with 58.9% of the vote while winning the statewide election.

In the state and local elections of November 2007, Fairfax Democrats picked up one seat in the House of Delegates, two seats in the Senate, and one seat on the Board of Supervisors, making their majority there 8–2.

On November 4, 2008, Fairfax County continued its shift towards the Democrats, with Barack Obama and Mark Warner each garnering over 60% of the vote for president and U.S. Senate, respectively. Also, the Fairfax-anchored 11th District United States House of Representatives seat held by Thomas M. Davis for 14 years was won by Gerry Connolly, the Democratic chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Braddock supervisor Sharon Bulova won a special election on February 3, 2009, to succeed Connolly as chairman of the Board of Supervisors, continuing a Democratic hold on the office that dates to 1995. Delegate David Marsden won a special election on January 12, 2010, to succeed Ken Cuccinelli in the 37th State Senate district.^[29] Fairfax County is now represented in the Virginia State Senate by an all-Democratic delegation.^[30]

In the 2010 congressional elections, Republican challenger Keith Fimian nearly won the election for the 11th District seat, losing to Connolly by 981 votes out of over 225,000 cast (a margin of 0.4%). Jim Moran and Frank Wolf were reelected, 61%–37% and 63%–35%, respectively.

In 2012, Fairfax County solidly backed Obama for reelection as president, as he nearly matched his 2008 performance, winning the county 59.6% to 39.1%. Former Governor Tim Kaine, running for the U.S. Senate in 2012, carried Fairfax County with 61% of the vote as part of his statewide victory. Representatives Connolly, Moran, and Wolf were also reelected.

Although Republican governor Bob McDonnell won Fairfax County with 51% of the vote in 2009, the Republican resurgence in Fairfax was short-lived. In the 2013 election, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe won Fairfax County with 58% of the vote, defeating incumbent state attorney general and former Republican state senator from Fairfax Ken Cuccinelli. McAuliffe's running mates, Ralph Northam and Mark Herring, also carried Fairfax County in their respective bids for lieutenant governor and attorney general. These Democratic victories mirrored the Democratic ticket's sweep of the state's three executive offices for the first time since 1989.

In the 2016 general election, Fairfax continued its trend towards Democratic candidates. Representatives Beyer and Connolly were reelected, the latter unopposed. Fairfax County supported Hillary Clinton for president with 64.4% of the vote to Donald Trump's 28.6%, exemplifying a heavy swing toward Democrats across Northern Virginia.

In 2020, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won the county with 69.89% of the vote, the best percentage for a Democrat in the county since 1916.

United States presidential election results for Fairfax County, Virginia^[31]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	168,401	28.03%	419,943	69.89%	12,479	2.08%
2016	157,710	28.61%	355,133	64.43%	38,340	6.96%
2012	206,773	39.07%	315,273	59.57%	7,241	1.37%
2008	200,994	38.93%	310,359	60.12%	4,901	0.95%
2004	211,980	45.94%	245,671	53.25%	3,728	0.81%
2000	202,181	48.86%	196,501	47.49%	15,093	3.65%
1996	176,033	48.19%	170,150	46.58%	19,080	5.22%
1992	170,488	44.26%	160,186	41.58%	54,544	14.16%
1988	200,641	61.10%	125,711	38.28%	2,013	0.61%
1984	183,181	62.88%	107,295	36.83%	822	0.28%
1980	137,620	57.41%	73,734	30.76%	28,351	11.83%
1976	110,424	53.62%	92,037	44.69%	3,496	1.70%
1972	112,135	66.26%	54,844	32.40%	2,267	1.34%
1968	57,462	48.98%	44,796	38.18%	15,061	12.84%
1964	30,755	38.68%	48,680	61.22%	82	0.10%
1960	28,006	51.65%	26,064	48.07%	149	0.27%
1956	20,761	55.71%	15,633	41.95%	873	2.34%
1952	13,020	60.90%	8,329	38.96%	30	0.14%
1948	4,930	51.95%	3,719	39.19%	840	8.85%
1944	4,046	52.81%	3,582	46.75%	34	0.44%
1940	2,371	41.89%	3,263	57.65%	26	0.46%
1936	1,584	34.99%	2,913	64.35%	30	0.66%
1932	1,368	32.93%	2,714	65.33%	72	1.73%
1928	2,507	67.10%	1,229	32.90%	0	0.00%
1924	765	30.00%	1,586	62.20%	199	7.80%
1920	987	37.71%	1,598	61.06%	32	1.22%
1916	472	28.33%	1,179	70.77%	15	0.90%
1912	187	13.98%	992	74.14%	159	11.88%
1908	404	25.90%	1,143	73.27%	13	0.83%
1904	422	34.93%	774	64.07%	12	0.99%
1900	1,507	41.22%	2,135	58.40%	14	0.38%
1896	1,877	46.74%	2,109	52.51%	30	0.75%
1892	1,537	41.21%	2,168	58.12%	25	0.67%
1888	1,824	47.38%	2,010	52.21%	16	0.42%
1884	1,681	47.17%	1,883	52.83%	0	0.00%
1880	1,399	44.77%	1,726	55.23%	0	0.00%

County Board of Supervisors

Position		Name	Party	First Election	District
	Chairman	Jeff McKay	Democratic	2019	At-large
	Supervisor	James R. Walkinshaw	Democratic	2019	Braddock
	Supervisor	John Foust	Democratic	2007	Dranesville
	Supervisor	Walter L. Alcorn	Democratic	2019	Hunter Mill
	Supervisor	Rodney L. Lusk	Democratic	2019	Lee (now Franconia)
	Supervisor	Penelope Gross	Democratic	1995	Mason
	Supervisor	Daniel "Dan" Storck	Democratic	2015	Mount Vernon
	Supervisor	Dalia A. Palchik	Democratic	2019	Providence
	Supervisor	Patrick "Pat" Herrity	Republican	2007	Springfield
	Supervisor	Kathy Smith	Democratic	2015	Sully

Constitutional Officers

Position		Name	Party	First Election	District
	Sheriff	Stacey Kincaid	Democratic	2013	At-large
	Commonwealth's Attorney	Steve Descano	Democratic	2019	At-large
	Clerk of Circuit Court	John T. Frey	Republican	1991	At-large

Delegates

Position		Name	Party	First Election	District
	Delegate	Kathleen Murphy	Democratic	2015	34
	Delegate	Holly Seibold	Democratic	2023	35
	Delegate	Ken Plum	Democratic	1977	36
	Delegate	David Bulova	Democratic	2005	37
	Delegate	Kaye Kory	Democratic	2009	38
	Delegate	Vivian Watts	Democratic	1981	39
	Delegate	Dan Helmer	Democratic	2019	40
	Delegate	Eileen Filler-Corn	Democratic	2010	41
	Delegate	Kathy Tran	Democratic	2017	42
	Delegate	Mark Sickles	Democratic	2003	43
	Delegate	Paul Krizek	Democratic	2015	44
	Delegate	Elizabeth Bennett-Parker	Democratic	2021	45
	Delegate	Rip Sullivan	Democratic	2014	48
	Delegate	Alfonso Lopez	Democratic	2011	49
	Delegate	Marcus Simon	Democratic	2013	53
	Delegate	Karrie Delaney	Democratic	2017	67
	Delegate	Irene Shin	Democratic	2021	86

Senators

Position		Name	Party	First Election	District
	Senator	Adam Ebbin	Democratic	2011	30
	Senator	Barbara Favola	Democratic	2011	31
	Senator	Janet Howell	Democratic	1991	32
	Senator	Jennifer Boysko	Democratic	2019	33
	Senator	Chap Petersen	Democratic	2007	34
	Senator	Dick Saslaw	Democratic	1980	35
	Senator	Scott Surovell	Democratic	2015	36
	Senator	Dave Marsden	Democratic	2010	37
	Senator	George Barker	Democratic	2007	39

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	12,320		—
1800	13,317		8.1%
1810	13,111		−1.5%
1820	11,404		−13.0%
1830	9,204		−19.3%
1840	9,370		1.8%
1850	10,682		14.0%
1860	11,834		10.8%
1870	12,952		9.4%
1880	16,025		23.7%
1890	16,655		3.9%
1900	18,580		11.6%
1910	20,536		10.5%
1920	21,943		6.9%
1930	25,264		15.1%
1940	40,929		62.0%
1950	98,557		140.8%
1960	275,002		179.0%
1970	455,021		65.5%
1980	596,901		31.2%
1990	818,584		37.1%
2000	969,749		18.5%
2010	1,081,726		11.5%
2020	1,150,309		6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[32] 1790–1960^[33] 1900–1990^[34] 1990–2000^[35] 2010^[36] 2020^[37]

2020 census

Fairfax County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010^[36]	Pop 2020^[37]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	590,622	542,001	54.60%	47.12%
Black or African American alone (NH)	96,078	108,339	8.88%	9.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1,843	1,437	0.17%	0.12%
Asian alone (NH)	188,737	233,858	17.45%	20.33%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	779	772	0.07%	0.07%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	3,359	7,046	0.31%	0.61%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	31,826	57,622	2.94%	5.01%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	168,482	199,234	15.58%	17.32%
Total	1,081,726	1,150,309	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 census

As of 2010, there were 1,081,726 people, 350,714 households, and 250,409 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,455 inhabitants per square mile (948/km²). There were 359,411 housing units at an average density of 910 per square mile (350/km²). The ethnic makeup of the county was:

Percentage	Ethnic group
62.68%	White
9.17%	Black or African American
0.36%	Native American
17.53%	Asian
0.07%	Pacific Islander
4.54%	other races
3.65%	two or more races.
15.58%	Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

The largest ancestry groups were:

Percentage	Ancestry group
11.2%	German
10.2%	Irish
8.6%	English
5.1%	American
5.1%	Italian
4.1%	Indian
4.0%	Salvadoran
3.8%	Korean
3.3%	Sub-Saharan African
2.7%	Vietnamese
2.6%	Polish
2.4%	Chinese
2.4%	Arabs
2.2%	Scottish
1.9%	French
1.8%	Spanish
1.7%	Mexican
1.7%	Bolivian
1.4%	Filipino
1.4%	Russian
1.3%	Scotch-Irish
1.2%	Peruvian
1.1%	Honduran
1.0%	Guatemalan
1.0%	Pakistani

Ethnic structure of Fairfax County

  White (62.7%)

  Asian (17.5%)

  Black (9.2%)

  Other (6.5%)

  Two or more races (3.6%)

  Native (0.4%)

  Pacific islander (0.1%)

In 2000, there were 350,714 households, of which 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 21.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.20.

The age distribution was 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 33.90% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 7.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $81,050, and the median income for a family was $92,146; in a 2007 estimate, these figures rose to $102,460 and $120,804, respectively. Males had a median income of $60,503 versus $41,802 for females. The per capita income for the county was $36,888. About 3.00% of families and 4.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.20% of those under age 18 and 4.00% of those age 65 or over. A more recent report from the 2007 American Community Survey indicated that poverty in Fairfax County, Virginia had risen to 4.9%.^[4]

Judged by household median income, Fairfax County is among the highest-income counties in the country, and was first on that list for many years^[specify]. In the 2000 census, it was overtaken by Douglas County, Colorado. According to 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it had the second-highest median household income behind neighboring Loudoun County, at $94,610. In 2007, Fairfax County reclaimed its position as the richest county in America, in addition to becoming the first county in American history to have a median household income over $100,000, though not the first jurisdiction.^[38] In 2008, Loudoun County reclaimed the top position, with Fairfax County a statistically insignificant second.^[39][40] In 2012, Fairfax County's median household income was $108,439.^[41]

Fairfax County males have the highest life expectancy in the nation at 81.1 years, while females had the eighth-highest at 83.8.^[42]

Education

 

George Mason University, whose performing arts center is shown here, is located in Fairfax.

The county is served by the Fairfax County Public Schools system, to which the county government allocates 52.2% of its budget.^[43] Including state and federal government contributions, along with citizen and corporate contributions, this brings the 2008 budget for the school system to $2.2 billion.^[44] The school system has estimated that, based on the 2008 fiscal year budget, the county will be spending $13,407 on each student.^[45]

The Fairfax County Public School system contains the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a Virginia Governor's School. TJHSST consistently ranks at or near the top of all U.S. high schools due to the extraordinary number of National Merit Semifinalists and finalists, its students' high average SAT scores, and the number of students who annually perform nationally recognized research in the sciences and engineering. As a Governor's School, TJHSST draws students not only from Fairfax County, but also from Arlington, Loudoun, Fauquier, and Prince William counties, and the City of Falls Church.

Fairfax County is also home to many Catholic elementary and middle schools. The schools fall under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The Oakcrest School is a Catholic school in Fairfax County, which is not run by the diocese. Paul VI Catholic High School is Fairfax County's diocese-run Catholic high school.

George Mason University is just outside the city of Fairfax, near the geographic center of Fairfax County. Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) serves Fairfax County with campuses in Annandale and Springfield and a center in Reston that is a satellite branch of the Loudoun campus. The NVCC Alexandria campus borders Fairfax County. The University of Fairfax is also headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine recently^[when?] constructed a medical campus wing at Inova Fairfax Hospital in order to allow third- and fourth-year medical students to study at other state-of-the-art facilities in the Northern Virginia region.^[46]

Economy

 

Fairfax County is, along with Washington, a "core" employment jurisdiction of the Washington Metropolitan Area as indicated by this map. A U.S. Department of Labor study published in 2007 described Fairfax County as the second "economic pillar" of the Washington-area economy, along with the District of Columbia. The county has been described in Time as "one of the great economic success stories of our time."^[47]

Fairfax County's economy revolves around professional services and technology. Many residents work for the government or contractors of the federal government. The government is the largest employer, with Fort Belvoir in southern Fairfax the county's single largest source of federal employment. Fairfax County has a gross county product of about $95 billion.^{[citation needed]}

Fairfax County also is home to major employers such as Volkswagen Group of America, Hilton Worldwide,^[48] DXC Technology (formerly Computer Sciences Corporation), Northrop Grumman, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, Gannett, Capital One, General Dynamics, ICF International, Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae, ManTech International, Mars, NII and NVR. The county is home to seven Fortune 500 company headquarters,^[49] 11 Hispanic 500 companies,^[50] and five companies on the Black Enterprise 500 list.

The county's economy is supported by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which provides services and information to promote Fairfax County as a leading business and technology center. The FCEDA is the nation's largest non-state economic development authority. Fairfax County is also home to the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a trade association for local technology companies. It is the nation's largest technology council, with technology industry figures such as Bill Gates and Meg Whitman speaking at various local banquets.^[51][52] Fairfax County has a higher concentration of high-tech workers than Silicon Valley.^[53]

Tysons

 

Tysons is Fairfax County's leading business center and one of the largest business districts in the United States.

The Tysons CDP of Fairfax County is Virginia's largest office market and the nation's largest suburban business district, with 26,600,000 square feet (2,470,000 m²) of office space.^[54][55] It is the country's 12th-largest business district and is expected to grow substantially in the coming decades. It contains a quarter of the county's total office space inventory, which was 105,200,000 square feet (9,770,000 m²) at year-end 2006, about the size of Lower Manhattan.^[56] Forbes wrote that the area is "often described as the place where the Internet was invented, but today it looks increasingly like the center of the global military-industrial complex",^[57] because it is home to the nation's first ISPs (many now defunct) and attracts numerous defense contractors that have relocated from other states to or near Tysons Corner.

Every weekday, Tysons draws over 100,000 workers from around the region. It also draws 55,000 shoppers every weekday, as it is home to neighboring super-regional malls Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. In comparison, Washington, D.C., draws 15 million visitors annually, or the equivalent of 62,500 per weekday.

After years of stalling and controversy, the $5.2 billion expansion of the Washington Metro Silver Line in Virginia from Washington, D.C., to Dulles International Airport was funded by the Federal Transit Administration in December 2008.^[58] The Silver Line added four stations in Tysons, including a station between Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria.

Along with the expansion of Washington Metro, Fairfax County government has a plan to "urbanize" the Tysons area. The plan calls for a private-public partnership and a grid-like street system to make Tysons a more urban environment, tripling available housing to allow more workers to live near their workplaces. The goal is to have 95% of Tysons Corner within 1⁄2-mile (800 m) of a metro station.^[59]

Employment

Fairfax County's average weekly wage during the first quarter of 2005 was $1,181, 52% more than the national average.^[60] By comparison, the average weekly wage was $1,286 for Arlington—the Washington metropolitan area's highest—$1,277 for Washington, D.C., and $775 for the U.S. as a whole.^[60] The types of jobs available in the area make it very attractive to highly educated workers. The relatively high wages may be partially due to the area's high cost of living.^[60]

 

CIA headquarters in Langley

In early 2005, Fairfax County had 553,107 total jobs, up from 372,792 in 1990. In the area, this is second to Washington's 658,505 jobs in 2005 (down from 668,532 in 1990).^[60]

As of the 2002 Economic Census, Fairfax County has the largest professional, scientific, and technical service sector in the Washington, D.C., area—in terms of the number of business establishments; total sales, shipments, and receipts; payrolls; and number of employees—exceeding the next-largest, Washington, D.C., by roughly a quarter overall, and double that of neighboring Montgomery County.^[61]

The headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are in Langley, on Fairfax County's northeastern border.

Top employers

According to the county's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[62] the county's largest employers are:

#	Employer	# of Employees	% of Total County Employment
1	Federal Government	26,543	4.30
1	Fairfax County Public Schools	25,389	4.12
3	Fairfax County Government	12,128	1.97
4	Inova Health System	10,000-12,000	1.78
5	George Mason University	5,000-9,999	1.22
6	Booz Allen Hamilton	5,000-9,999	1.22
7	Amazon	5,000-9,999	1.22
8	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation	5,000-9,999	1.22
9	SAIC	5,000-9,999	1.22
10	Capital One	5,000-9,999	1.22

Arts and culture

 

Spectators watching a performance at Wolf Trap.

Annual festivals include the "Celebrate Fairfax!" festival held in June at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax City, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival^[63] held in May at the Reston Town Center in Reston, and the International Children's Festival held in September at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, which features a performing arts center outside Vienna.

Fairfax County supports a summer concert series held in multiple venues throughout the county on various nights. The concert series are called Arts in the Parks, Braddock Nights, Lee District Nights, Mt. Vernon Nights, Nottoway Nights, Spotlight by Starlight, Sounds of Summer and Starlight Cinema.^[64]

EagleBank Arena (originally the Patriot Center), on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University just outside the City of Fairfax, hosts concerts and shows. The nearby Center for the Arts at George Mason is a major year-round arts venue, and the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia includes studios for artists, event facilities for performing groups, and gallery exhibitions in addition to hosting the annual Clifton Film Festival.^[65] Smaller local art venues include:

• Alden Theater at the McLean Community Center
• ArtSpace Herndon
• Center Stage at the Reston Community Center
• Greater Reston Arts Center
• James Lee Community Center Theater
• Vienna Arts Society

Transportation

Roads

Several major highways run through Fairfax County, including the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495), Interstate 66, Interstate 95, and Interstate 395. The American Legion Bridge connects Fairfax to Montgomery County, Maryland. The George Washington Memorial Parkway, Dulles Toll Road, and Fairfax County Parkway are also major arteries. Other notable roads include Braddock Road, Old Keene Mill Road, Little River Turnpike, State Routes 7, 28, and 123, and U.S. Routes 1, 29, and 50.

The county is in the Washington, D.C., metro area, the nation's third most congested area.^[66][67][68]

Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, is the third worst congested traffic area in the nation, in terms of percentage of congested roadways and time spent in traffic. Of the lane miles in the region, 44 percent are rated "F" or worst for congestion. Northern Virginia residents spend an average of 46 hours a year stuck in traffic.

Major highways

 

I-95 in Fairfax County

Interstate 66   Interstate 95   Interstate 395   Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)   U.S. Route 1   U.S. Route 29   U.S. Route 50   State Route 7   State Route 28

State Route 123   State Route 193   State Route 236   State Route 237   State Route 243   State Route 267 (Dulles Toll Road)     State Route 286 and State Route 289 (Fairfax and Franconia-Springfield Parkways) George Washington Memorial Parkway

Air

 

Dulles International Airport is partially located in Fairfax County.

Washington Dulles International Airport lies partly within Fairfax County and provides most air service to the county. Fairfax is also served by two other airports in the Washington area, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Manassas Regional Airport, in neighboring Prince William County, is also used for regional cargo and private jet service.

From 1945 to 1961, the eastern part of Fairfax County hosted Falls Church Airpark, an airfield primarily used for general aviation and civil defense purposes until encroaching residential development forced its closure.^[69] The area the airport occupied is now mainly used as a shopping center, with the western end of the complex occupied by the Thomas Jefferson branch of the Fairfax County Public Library system. Parts of several apartment complexes are also on some of the airport's former grounds.^[16][17]

Public transportation

 

The Vienna Metro station, located in Fairfax County, is the western terminus of the Orange Line of the Washington Metro rapid rail system.

Fairfax County has multiple public transportation services, including the Washington Metro's Orange, Blue, Yellow, and Silver lines. The Silver line, which runs through the Tysons, Reston, and Herndon areas of the county, opened in 2014, later extended in 2022, as the first new Washington Metro line since the Green Line opened in 1991.^[70]

In addition, the VRE (Virginia Railway Express) provides commuter rail service to Union Station in Washington, D.C., with stations in Fairfax County. The VRE's Fairfax County stations are Lorton and Franconia/Springfield on the Fredericksburg line, and Burke Centre, Rolling Road, and Backlick Road on the Manassas line.^[71]

Fairfax County contracts its bus service, the Fairfax Connector, to Transdev. The county is also served by WMATA's Metrobus service.

Parks and recreation

The county has many protected areas, a total of over 390 county parks on more than 23,000 acres (93 km²).^[72] The Fairfax County Park Authority maintains parks and recreation centers through the county. There are also two national protected areas that are inside the county at least in part, including the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. The Mason Neck State Park is also in Lorton.

Fairfax County is a member of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

The Reston Zoo is in Reston, Virginia.^[73] The National Zoo is nearby in Washington, D.C.

Trails

The county maintains many miles of bike trails running through parks, adjacent to roads and through towns such as Vienna and Herndon. The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail runs through Fairfax County, offering one of the region's best, and safest, routes for recreational walking and biking. In addition, nine miles (14 km) of the Mount Vernon Trail runs through Fairfax County along the Potomac River.

Compared to other regions of the Washington area, Fairfax County has a dearth of designated bike lanes for cyclists wishing to commute in the region. On May 16, 2008, Bike-to-Work Day, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation released the first countywide bicycle route map.^[74]

The Fairfax Cross County Trail runs from Great Falls National Park in the county's northern end to Occoquan Regional Park in the southern end. Consisting of mostly dirt paths and short asphalt sections, the trail is used mostly by recreational mountain bikers, hikers, and horse riders.

Communities

 

Map of Fairfax County showing incorporated towns and CDPs

 

Herndon

 

McLean

 

Reston

Three incorporated towns, Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna, are entirely within Fairfax County.^[75]

The independent cities of Falls Church and Fairfax were formed out of areas formerly under Fairfax County's jurisdiction, but are politically separate. Nevertheless, the Postal Service has long considered several portions of Fairfax County to be unincorporated Falls Church and Fairfax City. Several portions of the county also have Alexandria mailing addresses; many locals refer to these neighborhoods collectively as "South Alexandria", "Lower Alexandria", or "Alexandria, Fairfax County".^[76] "South Alexandria" communities include Hollin Hills, Franconia, Groveton, Hybla Valley, Huntington, Belle Haven, Mount Vernon, Fort Hunt, Engleside, Burgundy Village, Waynewood, Wilton Woods, Rose Hill, Virginia Hills, Hayfield, and Kingstowne.

It has been proposed^[77] to convert the entire county into a single independent city, primarily to gain more control over taxes and roads. The most recent such proposal was made on June 30, 2009.

Other communities in Fairfax County are unincorporated areas. Virginia law dictates that no unincorporated area of a county may be incorporated as a separate town or city following the adoption of the urban county executive form of government.^[78] Fairfax County adopted the urban county executive form of government in 1966.^[24][25]

As of the 2000 census, Fairfax County's 13 largest communities are all unincorporated CDPs, the largest of which are Centreville, Reston, and McLean, each with a population over 45,000. (The largest incorporated place in the county is Herndon, its 14th-largest community.)^{[citation needed]}

Census-designated places

The following localities within Fairfax County are identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as (unincorporated) Census-designated places:^[79]

• Annandale
• Bailey's Crossroads
• Belle Haven
• Braddock
• Bull Run
• Burke
• Burke Centre
• Centreville
• Chantilly
• Crosspointe
• Difficult Run
• Dranesville
• Dunn Loring
• Fair Lakes
• Fair Oaks
• Fairfax Station
• Floris
• Fort Belvoir
• Fort Hunt
• Franconia
• Franklin Farm
• George Mason
• Great Falls
• Great Falls Crossing
• Greenbriar
• Groveton
• Hayfield
• Huntington
• Hutchison
• Hybla Valley
• Idylwood
• Kings Park
• Kings Park West
• Kingstowne
• Lake Barcroft
• Laurel Hill
• Lincolnia
• Long Branch
• Lorton
• Mantua
• Mason Neck
• McLean
• McNair
• Merrifield
• Mount Vernon
• Navy
• Newington
• Newington Forest
• North Springfield
• Oakton
• Pimmit Hills
• Ravensworth
• Reston
• Rose Hill
• Seven Corners
• South Run
• Springfield
• Sully Square
• Tysons
• Union Mill
• Wakefield
• West Falls Church
• West Springfield
• Wolf Trap
• Woodburn
• Woodlawn

Other unincorporated communities

Accotink Arcturus Barkers Crossroads Blevinstown Browns Mill Colchester

Colchester Hunt Cooktown Crowells Corner Culmore Donovans Corner Doveville Farrs Corner

Five Forks Four Corners Hattontown Hollindale Jermantown Langley Lees Corner Lewinsville

Lewis Park Makleys Corner Matildaville New Alexandria Oak Hill Odricks Corner Pohick Schneider Crossroads

Shady Oak Strathmeade Springs Sunset Hills Uniontown Virginia Hills Westhampton

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on 2020 United States Census Bureau data.^[80]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020)
1	Centreville	CDP	73,518
2	Reston	CDP	63,226
3	McLean	CDP	50,773
4	Annandale	CDP	43,363
5	Burke	CDP	42,312
6	Oakton	CDP	36,732
7	Fair Oaks	CDP	34,052
8	Springfield	CDP	31,339
9	West Falls Church	CDP	30,243
10	Bailey's Crossroads	CDP	24,749
11	Herndon	Town	24,655
12	West Springfield	CDP	24,369
13	Chantilly	CDP	24,301
14	Tysons	CDP	24,261
15	† Fairfax	City	24,146
16	Lincolnia	CDP	22,922
17	McNair	CDP	21,598
18	Rose Hill	CDP	21,045
19	Merrifield	CDP	20,488
20	Lorton	CDP	20,072
21	Woodlawn	CDP	20,859
22	Franklin Farm	CDP	19,189
23	Franconia	CDP	18,943
24	Idylwood	CDP	17,954
25	Fort Hunt	CDP	17,231
26	Kingstowne	CDP	16,825
27	Wolf Trap	CDP	16,496
28	Vienna	Town	16,473
29	Hybla Valley	CDP	16,319
30	Great Falls	CDP	15,953
31	Groveton	CDP	15,725
32	Huntington	CDP	13,749
33	Kings Park West	CDP	13,465
34	Newington	CDP	13,223
35	Newington Forest	CDP	12,957
36	Mount Vernon	CDP	12,914
37	Fairfax Station	CDP	12,420
38	Wakefield	CDP	11,805
39	Dranesville	CDP	11,785
40	George Mason	CDP	11,162
41	Difficult Run	CDP	10,600
42	Lake Barcroft	CDP	9,770
43	Dunn Loring	CDP	9,464
44	Seven Corners	CDP	9,131
45	Woodburn	CDP	8,797
46	Greenbriar	CDP	8,421
47	Fair Lakes	CDP	8,404
48	Floris	CDP	8,341
49	Laurel Hill	CDP	8,307
50	Long Branch	CDP	7,890
51	Fort Belvoir	CDP	7,637
52	Mantua	CDP	7,503
53	North Springfield	CDP	7,430
54	Bull Run	CDP	6,972
55	Belle Haven	CDP	6,851
56	Pimmit Hills	CDP	6,569
57	Braddock	CDP	6,549
58	South Run	CDP	6,462
59	Hutchison	CDP	6,231
60	Crosspointe	CDP	5,722
61	Union Mill	CDP	4,997
62	Kings Park	CDP	4,537
63	Navy	CDP	4,327
64	Hayfield	CDP	4,154
65	Ravensworth	CDP	2,680
66	Sully Square	CDP	2,300
67	Mason Neck	CDP	2,025
68	Great Falls Crossing	CDP	1,392
69	Clifton	Town	243

Notable people

See also: Notable people from McLean, Virginia

Historic figures George Mason – Of Gunston Hall, "Father of the Bill of Rights"^[81] George Washington – Proprietor of Mount Vernon Plantation in Fairfax County, first Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and first President of the United States^[82] Richard Bland Lee I – Of Sully Plantation, Representative to the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1795 Fitzhugh Lee – Of Clermont (Alexandria, Virginia), Governor of Virginia from 1886 to 1890^[83] Politicians Sharon Bulova – Former Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors Gerry Connolly – U.S. Congressman (VA-11) and former Chairman of the Fairfax County board of supervisors Tom Davis – former U.S. Congressman (VA-11) Katherine Hanley – Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth and former County Board Chair John Warner – former U.S. Senator (R) Jim Webb – former U.S. Senator (D) Nguyễn Cao Kỳ – South Vietnamese Prime Minister, Vice President, and Air-Force General. Initially lived in Fairfax County in the late 1970s after the fall of Saigon. Barbara Comstock – Former U.S. Congresswoman (VA-10) and former Virginia Delegate (R-34) James Gattuso - Senior Research Fellow for The Heritage Foundation and former Associate Director for Vice President Dan Quayle. Professionals Catherine Coleman – Astronaut^[84] Kjell Lindgren - NASA astronaut.^[85] Sean Parker – co-founder of Napster, Plaxo, and Causes Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1 – a response team that has been deployed to recent disasters in Haiti and Japan Sports figures Bruce Arena – Head Coach of the United States men's national soccer team Eric Barton – former NFL linebacker Brian Carroll – Midfielder for the Philadelphia Union Hubert Davis – Retired basketball player Mia Hamm – U.S. Olympic and professional soccer player Allen Johnson - 110m hurdles U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andy Heck – former NFL football player Grant Hill – Former NBA player Bhawoh Jue – Defensive back for the Green Bay Packers Brian Kendrick – Professional wrestler Javier López – Former Pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the San Francisco Giants and 4-time World Series Champion Keith Allen Lyle – Retired safety for the Los Angeles / St Louis Rams Michael McCrary – Former NFL Defensive End

George Washington lived at Mount Vernon in Fairfax.   George Mason was from Fairfax County . Ed Moses – U.S. Olympic swimmer^[86] Scott Norwood – Retired kicker for the Buffalo Bills Alex Riley – Professional wrestler Eddie Royal – Wide Receiver for the Chicago Bears Evan Royster – free agent NFL running back Mike Glennon – Quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars Joe Saunders – Starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners Justin Spring- U.S. Olympic gymnast Tommy Steenberg – U.S. Figure Skater Chris Warren – former NFL running back Alan Webb – U.S. Olympic track runner and American record holder in the Mile run Michael Weiss – Figure skater Kate Ziegler – U.S. Olympic Swimmer Entertainers Kevin Michael "Toby" McKeehan – Grammy Award winning artist, producer, and songwriter Julianne Moore – Oscar-winning actress who lived in Fairfax County in the mid-1970s and attended J.E.B. Stuart High School for two years Yoochun "Micky" Park – Singer in the Korean groups TVXQ and JYJ Chung Jae Young – K-pop R&B/Soul artist^[87] Lauren Graham – Actress on Gilmore Girls^[88] Dave Grohl – Drummer for Nirvana and front man for The Foo Fighters Dismemberment Plan – former band led by Travis Morrison John Jackson – Blues guitarist, master of the Piedmont style Jason Sudeikis – Writer and actor (Saturday Night Live writer 2003–2005) Jimmy Workman – Actor in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). Christina Hendricks – Actress in Mad Men and Firefly, attended Fairfax High School. Prince Poppycock – Season Five fourth place finalist of America's Got Talent from Great Falls. Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên – Grew up in Fairfax County after the fall of Saigon. Co-host of Thuy Nga's Paris By Night. Amy Ziff – Musician in Betty.^[89] Elizabeth Ziff – Musician in Betty.^[90] Other Jayson Blair – former The New York Times reporter who fabricated stories John Davidson – Union Army general Robert Hanssen – American spy who sold secrets to the USSR and Russia. Christopher McCandless – American wanderer who went to Alaska to try to "find himself" and died in the process. The non-fiction book Into the Wild is based on his journey. Seung-hui Cho – Shooter who perpetrated the Virginia Tech shooting Steve Scully – Host, political editor, and senior producer of C-SPAN's Washington Journal, resides in Fairfax Station with his family. Lorenzo Odone – Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) patient who inspired the film, Lorenzo's Oil

Sister cities

Fairfax County's sister cities are:^[91]

•   Songpa (Seoul), South Korea (2009)
•   Harbin, China (2009)
•   Keçiören (Ankara), Turkey (2012)

See also

•  Virginia portal

• Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
• Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
• Fairfax County Police Department
• Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
• List of companies headquartered in Northern Virginia
• List of federal agencies in Northern Virginia
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfax County, Virginia

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External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairfax County, Virginia.

 

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Fairfax County.

Official Fairfax County sites

• Fairfax County Government website
• Fairfax County Public Schools
• Fairfax County Public Library System
• Property lookup database from the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration

Other websites

•   Geographic data related to Fairfax County, Virginia at OpenStreetMap
• for Celebrate Fairfax!
• Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
• Tourism information from the Fairfax County Convention and Visitors Corporation
• at the Wayback Machine (archived June 1, 2002)
• at the Wayback Machine (archived January 5, 1997)