Fairfax ( ) is an independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,146.
Fairfax is part of both the Washington metropolitan area and Northern Virginia regions. It is located west of Washington, D.C. Fairfax is served by Washington Metro's Orange Line.
History
Both the City and County of Fairfax take their names from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, a Scottish nobleman and colonial landowner. In the 18th century, Lord Fairfax held the Northern Neck Proprietary, a vast land grant of more than five million acres between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers.
The area now known as the City of Fairfax began as the Town of Providence, a rural crossroads and the administrative seat of Fairfax County in the early 19th century. The town grew around the courthouse and developed as a local center for governance and commerce. In 1874, the town changed its name to Fairfax.
Early history Once inhabited by the Manahoac and Piscataway peoples, the area that the city now encompasses was settled in the early 18th century by farmers from Virginia's Tidewater Region. The town of "Providence" was established on the site by an act of the state legislature in 1805.
19th century On June 1, 1861, the first land battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Fairfax Court House, was fought in Fairfax after a Union army scouting party clashed with the local militia; the outcome was indecisive with neither side gaining advantage. A second battle took place in Fairfax two years later, on June 27, 1863, in which Union troops were defeated, which delayed the movements of Confederate cavalry chief Jeb Stuart with disastrous consequences for Robert E. Lee at the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War's bloodiest battle, which began several days later.Battle of Fairfax Court House June 1861 and June 1863:
In 1859, Fairfax was renamed the "Town of Fairfax". It was incorporated as a town in 1874. It was incorporated as a city in 1961 by court order. Under Virginia law the city was separated from Fairfax County yet remains the county seat.History of the City of Fairfax, Virginia . Fairfaxva.gov.
20th century In 1904, a trolley line connected Fairfax with Washington, D.C. At Google Books.
Geography Fairfax is located close to the geographic center of Fairfax County, at (38.852612, −77.304377). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which all but is land.
While the city is the county seat, a small portion of the county comprising the courthouse complex, the jail, and a small area nearby is itself an exclave of the county within the city."Map LU-1 Existing Land Use." City of Fairfax. Retrieved on April 4, 2009."Fairfax city, Virginia ." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on April 4, 2009."Fairfax County General District Court ." Fairfax County. Retrieved on April 4, 2009. Fairfax County's Government Center is west of Fairfax."Facilities & Locations ." Fairfax County. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.
Water Courses The City is home to the start of the Accotink Creek and the source of Daniels Run, which flows into Accotink Creek.Fairfax County Stromwater and Watershed Plan 2008 retrieved on December 6, 2024
Climate The City is in the humid subtropical climate under the Köppen climate classification characterized by long and hot summers and cool to mild winters.Commission for Environmental Cooperation North American Climate Zones. Retrieved on December 9, 2024evenly%20distributed%20throughout%20the%20year Fairfax County Climate Matters Retrieved on December 9, 2024
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Fairfax city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)17,79916,10014,33313,84912,91191.79%82.05%66.67%61.37%53.47%Black or African American alone (NH)5749361,0351,0301,0522.96%4.77%4.81%4.56%4.36%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)49415562440.25%0.21%0.26%0.27%0.18%Asian alone (NH)4791,3722,6093,4034,5192.47%6.99%12.14%15.08%18.72%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)xincluded in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusxincluded in the Asian category in the 1990 Census14119xx0.07%0.05%0.04%Other race alone (NH)1101428482040.57%0.07%0.13%0.21%0.84%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)xnot an option in the 1980 Censusxnot an option in the 1990 Census4926061,129xx2.29%2.69%4.68%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3791,1592,9323,5564,2781.95%5.91%13.64%15.76%17.72%Total19,39019,62221,49822,56524,146 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fairfax had a population of 24,146. The median age was 39.0 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.4 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 8,800 households in Fairfax, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.5% were married-couple households, 17.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 9,330 housing units, of which 5.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 13,473 55.8% Black or African American 1,103 4.6% American Indian and Alaska Native 145 0.6% Asian 4,537 18.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 10 0.0% Some other race 2,067 8.6% Two or more races 2,811 11.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 4,278 17.7%
Economy
Old Town Fairfax has undergone an extensive redevelopment, which began in 2005.Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Project Timeline . Fairfaxva.gov. The redevelopment added a new Fairfax Regional Library, more than of retail and restaurant space, more than of office condominiums, and 85 upscale residential condominium units.Old Town Village Redevelopment . Fairfaxva.gov.
In May 2009, Fairfax was rated as No. 3 in the "Top 25 Places to Live Well" by Forbes Magazine."In Depth: America's Top 25 Towns To Live Well 3. Fairfax, Va". Forbes (May 22, 2002). 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 percent 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."
Top employers According to the city's 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees1City of Fairfax6002Sentry Force250–4993Zeta Associates250–4994Ted Britt Ford250–4995Premium Home Health Care100–2496Fairfax Operator100–2497Community Systems100–2498Trident Systems, Inc.100–2499Home Depot100–24910ASAP Firewatch100–24911Farrish Of Fairfax100–24912Ourisman Fairfax Toyota100–24913Capital Home Care100–24914Hands of Mercy100–24915A Kind & Caring Home100–249
Arts and culture Architecture
The former Fairfax County Courthouse is the oldest historic building in Fairfax. The first Fairfax courthouse was established in 1742 near present-day Tysons, and is the namesake for Old Courthouse Road. It intersects with Gallows Road, 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 Tysons Corner location was because of "Indian hostilities", which is noted on the stone marker at the northwest corner of Gallows Road and Route 123. The courthouse operated there until 1790, when Virginia ceded the land where the courthouse was located in preparation for the relocation of the national capital from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. in 1800.
The General Assembly specified that the new courthouse should be located in the center of the county, and it was established at the corner of what was Old Little River Turnpike at present-day Main Street and Ox Road on Chain Bridge Road on land donated by town founder Richard Ratcliffe.HFCI31.pmd . (PDF) .
The courthouse changed hands repeatedly during the American Civil War. The first Confederate officer battle casualty, John Quincy Marr, occurred on the grounds of the courthouse.History of the Courthouse – Fairfax County, Virginia. Fairfaxcounty.gov (November 26, 2008). The first meeting of the Fairfax Court was held April 21, 1800. The oldest two-story building in Fairfax, the Fairfax Public School was built in 1873 for $2,750. In addition to elementary school use, the building has also housed special education, adult education, and police academy training. and Accompanying photo
On July 4, 1992, the building became the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. Joseph Edward Willard built the town hall building in 1900, and then gifted it to the town in 1902.
The Old Town Hall now houses the Huddleston Library and the Fairfax Art League.
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places Site Built Address Listed 29 Diner 1947 10536 Fairfax Boulevard 1992 Blenheim 1859 3610 Blenheim Blvd. 2001 City of Fairfax Historic District 1800 Junction of VA 236 and VA 123 1987 Old Fairfax County Courthouse 1800 4000 Chain Bridge Road 1974 Old Fairfax County Jail 1891 10475 Main Street 1981 FairfaxPublicSchool 1873 10209 Main Street 1992 Ratcliffe-Allison House 1812 10386 Main Street 1973
Annual events
Chocolate Lovers Festival The annual Chocolate Lover's Festival is held in the heart of Old Town Fairfax during the first full weekend in February. 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.About The Chocolate Lover's Festival. Chocolatefestival.net. Fairfax Civil War Day Every year, during the Spring, a Civil War re-enactment camp is held at the Blenheim estate, a city-owned historical property. The encampment features cultural information about Civil War-era people and practices, military muster, drill, and a firing demonstration.City of Fairfax – Special Events, Civil War Weekend . Fairfaxva.gov (May 5, 2012). Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts Each April, Fairfax, in cooperation with George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, and Fairfax schools, sponsors the Fairfax 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 Spotlight on the Arts . Fairfaxspotlight.org. National Trails Day In June, a National Trails Day is held to celebrate the trails, open spaces and parks in the Fairfax. Independence Day Celebration Parade and Evening Show The largest hometown parade and fireworks celebration in the Washington metropolitan region is held in the Fairfax. The day's events include a parade through Old Town Fairfax, tours of historic buildings and local museums, an Old-Fashioned Fireman's Day at the Fire Station No. 3, and a live concert and fireworks display at Fairfax High School.City of Fairfax – Special Events, Independence Day Celebration . Fairfaxva.gov. Irish Festival