Alexandria City

Alexandria City Details

Alexandria, Virginia is an independent city located along the western bank of the Potomac River, approximately 7 miles south of the District of Columbia. It is the 7th largest and highest-income independent city in Virginia.

A large portion of adjacent Fairfax County, mostly south but also west of the city, is named “Alexandria,” but it is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County and separate from the city, which is sometimes referred to as the City of Alexandria to avoid confusion.

One of Alexandria’s largest employers is the U.S. Department of Defense. Another is the Institute for Defense Analyses. In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office moved to Alexandria, and in 2017, so did the headquarters of the National Science Foundation.

Old Town is the historic center of Alexandria. Here you’ll find historic homes, cobblestone and brick streets, a waterfront under renovation, charming boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and artist’s spaces, antique shops and theaters. The King Street Metro Station serves Old Town, helping to make it a major draw for tourists and area residents alike.

The City of Alexandria legally separated from Alexandria County in 1870 and Alexandria County was renamed Arlington County in 1920, named after Arlington House, the home of the American Civil War Confederate general Robert E. Lee, sited on what is now Arlington National Cemetery. The Town of Potomac was incorporated as a town in Alexandria County in 1908 and annexed by the independent city of Alexandria in 1930.

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