Fairfax, Virginia

The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat.

Situated in the Northern Virginia region, Fairfax forms part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Fairfax and the city of Falls Church with Fairfax County for statistical purposes.

The population was 24,702 as of 2009 estimates. Many surrounding communities and developments have a Fairfax postal mailing address.

While the city is the county seat, a small unincorporated portion of the County comprising the courthouse complex, the jail, and a small area nearby is itself an enclave within the city. Fairfax County's Government Center is west of the City of Fairfax in an unincorporated area.

History
The city gets its name from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who was awarded five million acres (20,000 km²) in land located in Northern Virginia by King Charles. The area the City of Fairfax now encompasses was settled in the early 18th century by farmers from Virginia's Tidewater region.

The town was officially renamed the Town of Fairfax in 1874, and became an independent city in 1961 (upon which it acquired its current name, the City of Fairfax). In 1904, a trolley line was built connecting Fairfax with Washington, D.C.

Important buildings
The former Fairfax County Courthouse is the oldest and most historic building in Fairfax. The first Fairfax courthouse was established in 1742 near present-day Tyson's Corner, and is the namesake for Old Courthouse Rd. It intersects with Gallows Rd, which today is a major commuter route, but at the time was the road where condemned prisoners were led to the gallows at the old courthouse. In 1752, the courthouse was moved to Alexandria, which offered to build the new courthouse at their own expense. (The reason the courthouse was moved from the Tyson's Corner location was because of "Indian hostilities" as noted on the stone marker at the northwest corner of Gallows Rd and Rt. 123.) The courthouse operated there until 1790, when Virginia ceded the land where the courthouse was located for the creation of Washington, DC. The General Assembly specified that the new courthouse should be located in the center of the county, and was established at the corner of Old Little River Turnpike (now Main Street) and Ox Road (now Chain Bridge Road) on land donated by town founder Richard Ratcliffe. The courthouse changed hands repeatedly during the civil war, and the first officer casualty, John Quincy Marr, occurred on the grounds.

Its design was used as a prototype for many Virginia courthouses built between 1800 and 1850. The first meeting of the Fairfax Court was held April 21, 1800. During the American Civil War the Courthouse was used by the union forces as a military headquarters which resulted in the damage or loss of several records. The original building of the Fairfax County Courthouse was used as the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court until 2009, when that court moved to the expanded main courthouse. The old building is now used for office space.

One of the oldest buildings in the city is what used to be an elementary school. In 1873, the Fairfax Elementary School remains the oldest two story building the city has ever seen and was built for an outrageous $2,750. This building reflects a new era of free public education in Virginia and the growth of the Fairfax area. Throughout the years the school building was used for housing special education and adult education classes as well as a police academy training center. On July 4, 1992 however the building was renovated and opened as the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center.

The Old Town Hall is the social and architectural cornerstone of Fairfax; Joseph Edward Willard had it built in 1900 as a gift to Fairfax. It now houses the Huddleson Library, the Fairfax Art League, and can be rented out for weddings as well as business meetings.

Geography
Fairfax is located at 38.8525°N, -77.30417°W (38.852612, -77.304377). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,498 people, 8,035 households, and 5,407 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,406.9 people per square mile (1,315.4/km²). There were 8,204 housing units at an average density of 1,300.1 per square mile (502.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.91% White, 5.07% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 12.17% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.17% from other races, and 3.26% from two or more races. 13.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

By 2005 Fairfax City had a population that was 65.3% non-Hispanic whites. African-Americans were 6.5% of the total population. Native Americans were 0.4%. 14.3% of the population was Asian. 13.1% of the population were Latino.

In 2000 there were 8,035 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $67,642, and the median income for a family was $78,921 (these figures had risen to $93,441 and $105,046 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,348 versus $38,351 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,247. About 2.4% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Beginning in June 2005, Old Town Fairfax has undergone an extensive redevelopment. The redevelopment added a new Fairfax City Regional Library, over 45000 sqft of retail and restaurant space, over 70000 sqft of office condominiums, and 85 upscale residential condominium units.

In May, 2009, the City of Fairfax was rated as #3 in the "Top 25 Places to Live Well" by Forbes Magazine. Forbes commended Fairfax for its strong public school system, high median salary, and a rate of sole proprietors per capita that ranks it in the top 1% nationwide. According to the magazine, "These factors are increasingly important in a recession. When businesses and jobs retract, as they have nationwide, municipalities with strong environments for start-ups, and those that offer attractive amenities, are better suited to recover from economic downtimes, as there are more business activity filling the void."

In addition ExxonMobil operates an office in Annandale, near Fairfax. The office, originally owned by Mobil, became a part of ExxonMobil in 1999.

Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the county are:

Annual Events

 * Chocolate Lovers Festival
 * Around the time of Valentine's day, a Chocolate Lover's Festival is held in the heart of Old Town Fairfax. Events have included craft shows, historic building open houses, children's activities, collections of vendors selling various edible chocolate products, and even chocolate sculpture contests.


 * Blenheim Civil War Encampment/Historic Homes Tour
 * Every other year in the Spring, a Civil War re-enactment camp is held at the Blenheim estate, a city-owned historical property. The encampment features military muster, drill, and firing demonstrations.  Alternating with the Civil War encampment is an Historic Homes Tour of homes in the city.


 * Spotlight on the Arts
 * Each April, the City of Fairfax, in cooperation with George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, and City of Fairfax schools, sponsors the Spotlight on the Arts Festival. The Festival runs for three weeks and features music, dance, theater, art, and choral concerts.  Events take place at venues throughout the city and the colleges.


 * Fairfax Fine Arts Festival
 * Late April, early May Fairfax Corner hosts the Fairfax Fine Art Festival, a juried art show offering extraordinary original art for sale, including the works of painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers, digital artists, glass, fiber and ceramic artists along with creations in mixed-media, metal, and wood.


 * National Trails Day
 * In June, a National Trails Day is held to celebrate the trails, open spaces and parks in the City of Fairfax.


 * Independence Day Celebration Parade and Evening Show
 * The largest hometown parade and fireworks celebration in the Washington metropolitan region is held in the City of Fairfax. The day's events include a parade through downtown Fairfax, tours of historic buildings and local museums, an Old Fashioned Fireman's Day at the Company 3 fire station, and a live concert and fireworks display at Fairfax High School.


 * Irish Festival
 * In September, a festival of Irish and Celtic song, dance, and music is held.


 * Fall for the Book Festival
 * The City of Fairfax has a new regional public library building that was completed in 2008. Each fall, the Fall for the Book Festival features readings, discussions, lectures, and exhibits from nationally-recognized writers and professionals.  The program is coordinated with a school-wide reading project, "All Fairfax Reads".


 * Fall Festival
 * A Fall Festival is held in historic downtown Fairfax on the second Saturday in October. This event includes more than 500 arts, crafts, and food vendors, and is usually held outdoors on the streets of the City.  Attendance is about 35,000 to 45,000.


 * The Holiday Craft Show
 * An annual Holiday Craft Show is held at Fairfax High School on the third Saturday and Sunday of November. The event features hundreds of craft vendors.  Attendance is about 8,000 to 10,000.


 * Festival of Lights & Carols
 * In December, the Parks Department holds a Festival of Lights and Carols. Activities include photos with Santa, caroling, a yule log, hot mulled cider, illumination of historic downtown Fairfax, and the lighting of the City tree.

Notable residents and Natives

 * Sam Champion, (born in Fairfax, Virginia) is the weather anchor of ABC's Good Morning America and weather editor of ABC News.
 * Serena Deeb, former WWE wrestler, born in Fairfax.
 * Adam Birch, WWE wrestler, born in Fairfax
 * Christina Hendricks, born in Tennessee but went to high school in Fairfax.
 * Sabrina Lloyd, actress on the TV series Sliders and Sports Night, was born in Fairfax.
 * Brian Kendrick, TNA wrestler, born in Fairfax.
 * Lorenzo Odone, subject of the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil.
 * Nathan Sonenshein was a rear admiral.
 * Park "Micky" Yoochun, a former Fairfax resident, immigrated to Virginia with his family members. Today, he is one of five members from one of Asia's most popular boy bands, Dong Bang Shin Ki.
 * Victoria Stiles, a makeup artist notable for her work with celebrities and fashion magazines.
 * Jason Sudeikis, an Actor and Comedian, currently a cast member of Saturday Night Live.
 * Courtney Jines, a "lifelong actress" who has been acting professionally since the age of 6.
 * Roxanne Barcelo, a Filipino Actress, Model and Singer
 * Mike Schleibaum, band Darkest Hour founding member and guitarist, born in Fairfax

Fairfax County facilities
Fairfax County's Government Center is west of the City of Fairfax in an unincorporated area. Fairfax County contains an exclave unincorporated area located in the central business district of the City of Fairfax, in which many county facilities (including the courthouse and jail) are located.

Primary and secondary schools
The public schools in the City of Fairfax are owned by the city, but administered by the Fairfax County Public Schools system under contractual agreement with Fairfax County. U.S. News and World report often ranks Fairfax County schools among the best in the country.

The schools include Fairfax High School, Lanier Middle School, Daniels Run Elementary School, Eagle View Elementary School, and Providence Elementary School.

Colleges and universities
George Mason University, the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia, is located just to the south of the Fairfax city limits. The Town of Fairfax purchased 150 acre for the university in 1958, though the property remained within the County when the town became a city. In 1966, GMU became a four-year university just outside the city. Along with various administrative offices, the Fairfax campus also contains such facilities as the Center for the Arts complex, the Patriot Center, a 66000 sqft Aquatic and Fitness Center, and a 113900 sqft Recreation Sports Complex.

Northern Virginia Community College, the second largest multi-campus community college in the United States, and the largest educational institution in Virginia, has its Annandale Campus immediately to the east of the city limits.

Public libraries
Fairfax County Public Library operates the City of Fairfax Regional Library in Fairfax. The library includes the Virginia Room, a collection of books, photographs, and manuscripts related to Fairfax County history, government, and genealogy.

Rugby League
The Fairfax Eagles rugby league team play in the American National Rugby League.

Roads
The intersection of US-50 and US-29 is located within the city. The two major highways join together to form Fairfax Boulevard for approximately 2.8 mi before separating. VA-123 and VA-236 both pass through the city. VA-236 is named Main Street in the city (though it diverts onto North Street for about three blocks in Old Town Fairfax) and then becomes Little River Turnpike once the city line is crossed. In addition, I-66 is located along the northern border of the city.
 * I-66.svg Interstate 66
 * US 29.svg U.S. Route 29
 * US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
 * Virginia 123.svg State Route 123
 * Virginia 236.svg State Route 236

Rail
Although these stations are located outside city limits, trips to and from Fairfax are served by:
 * The Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station of the Washington Metro.
 * The Burke Centre station of Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak.

Bus

 * The City of Fairfax operates its own independent bus network with four routes, called the CUE Bus.
 * Multiple routes of the Washington MetroBus serve Fairfax.