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 of Fairfax is nevertheless its county
seat6.
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 21,498 at the 2000 census. Many surrounding communities
and developments have a Fairfax postal mailing address.
While the City is an enclave within the County of Fairfax, a small portion of the County (comprising the courthouse complex
and a small area nearby) is itself an enclave within the city. [1]
History
The area the City of Fairfax now encompasses was settled in the early 1700s by farmers from
Virginia's Tidewater region. The Fairfax County courthouse was established at the corner of Old Little River
Turnpike (now Main Street) and Ox Road (now Chain Bridge Road). The small town in the vicinity of the courthouse was then
known as Earp's Corner, and in 1805 was designated the Town of Providence by an act of the Virginia General Assembly (although people continued to informally refer to it as Fairfax
Court House). In a celebrated incident in the town in March 1863, Mosby's Confederate Rangers, disguised and with stealth and
cunning, awakened in bed and captured an embarrassed Union General Edwin H. Stoughton along with 2 Union Captains, 30 prisoners,
and 58 horses without firing a shot. 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.
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
| Site |
Year Built |
Address |
Listed |
| 29 Diner (Tastee 29 Diner) |
1947 |
10536 Fairfax Boulevard |
1992 |
| Blenheim |
circa 1855 |
3610 Old Lee Highway |
2001 |
| City of Fairfax Historic District |
|
Junction of VA 236 and VA 123 |
1987 |
| Old Fairfax County Courthouse (now the Juvenile Court) |
1800 |
4000 Chain Bridge Road |
1974 |
| Old Fairfax County Jail |
1891 |
10475 Main Street |
1981 |
| Fairfax Public School (Old Fairfax Elementary School Annex) |
1873 |
10209 Main Street |
1992 |
| Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House (Earp's Ordinary) |
1812 |
200 East Main Street |
1973 |
The Old Courthouse, and the Old Jail, lie within the county enclave within the City.
Education
Fairfax Court House, Virginia, with Union soldiers in front and on the roof, June 1863.
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.
The schools include Fairfax High School, Lanier Middle
School, Daniels Run Elementary School, Robinson Secondary School, Paul VI High
School, W.T. Woodson High School, Robert
Frost Middle School, and Providence Elementary School.
George Mason University, the largest university in the Commonwealth of
Virginia, is located just outside the Fairfax city limits.[2] [3] The city (then town) of Fairfax
purchased 150 acres 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 66,000-square-foot Aquatic
and Fitness Center, and a 113,900-square-foot Recreation Sports Complex. [4]
Geography
Fairfax is located at 38°51′9″N, 77°18′15″W (38.852612,
-77.304377)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 16.3 km² (6.3 mi²), all land.
Demographics
| Historical populations |
Census
year |
Population |
|
| 1970 |
21,970 |
| 1980 |
20,537 |
| 1990 |
19,622 |
| 2000 |
21,498 |
| 2004 |
22,062 |
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 21,498 people, 8,035 households, and 5,407 families residing
in the city. The population density was 1,315.4/km² (3,406.9/mi²). There were 8,204
housing units at an average density of 502.0/km² (1,300.1/mi²). 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. 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.
Annual Events
- City of Fairfax Fall Festival[1]
See also
References
- Fairfax, Virgina (1985) was featured on an episode of The L Word.
- ^ Fall Festival at City
of Fairfax Official Website
External links
Coordinates:
38.852612° N 77.304377°
W
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