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Fairfax County, Virginia
Location in the state of Virginia
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Seat	Fairfax
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	407 sq mi (1,053 km²) 395 sq mi (1,023 km²) 12 sq mi (30 km²), 2.85%
PopulationEst.  - (2008)  - Density	1,015,302 2,571/sq mi (993/km²)
Founded	1742
Named for	Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.fairfaxcounty.gov

Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. As of April 2008, the estimated population of the county is 1,015,302,^[1] making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with about 13% of Virginia's population, and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Fairfax was the first county to reach a six-figure median household income, and has the second-highest median household income of any jurisdiction in the United States after neighboring Loudoun County.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Adjacent jurisdictions 2.2 National protected areas 3 Geology 4 Government and politics 5 Demographics 6 Education 7 Economy 7.1 Tysons Corner 7.2 Employment 8 Arts and culture 9 Transportation 9.1 Roads 9.2 Major highways 9.3 Air 9.4 Public transportation 9.5 Biking and walking 10 Parks and recreation 11 Towns, independent cities, and other localities 11.1 Unincorporated Census Designated Places 11.2 Other localities 12 Notable people from Fairfax County 12.1 Historic figures 12.2 Politicians 12.3 Professionals 12.4 Sports figures 12.5 Entertainers 12.6 Other 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References 16 External links

History

Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. It was named for Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781), proprietor of the Northern Neck.^[3]

The oldest settlements in Fairfax County were located 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 located nearby. Modern Fort Belvoir is partly located on the estate of Belvoir Manor, built along the Potomac by William Fairfax in 1741. Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, the only member of the British nobility ever to reside in the colonies, lived at Belvoir before he moved 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 gradually deteriorated into ruins.^[4]

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.^[5] The Fairfax County town of Fairfax became an independent city in 1961.^[6]

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 straddles the border between Fairfax and Prince William County.

The growth of the federal government in the years during and after World War II spurred rapid growth in the county. As a result, the once rural county began to become increasingly suburban. Other large businesses continued to settle in Fairfax County and the opening of Tysons Corner Center spurred the rise of Tysons Corner itself. The technology boom and a steady government-driven economy also created rapid growth and an increasingly growing and diverse population. The economy has also made Fairfax County one of the wealthiest counties in the nation.^[7]

Geography

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.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 407 square miles (1,053 km²), of which, 395 square miles (1,023 km²) of it is land and 12 square miles (30 km²) of it (2.85%) is water.

Adjacent jurisdictions

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

National protected areas

• Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
• George Washington Memorial Parkway (part)
• Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Geology

Eleven square miles of the county are known to be underlain with natural asbestos.^[8] Much of the asbestos is known to emanate from fibrous tremolite or actinolite. Approximately 20 years ago, when the threat was discovered, the county established 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.^[9] 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. 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.^[10]

Government and politics

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democrat
2008	38.9% 200,914	60.1% 310,359
2004	45.9% 211,980	53.3% 245,671
2000	48.9% 202,181	47.5% 196,501
1996	48.2% 176,033	46.6% 170,150
1992	44.3% 170,488	41.6% 160,186
1988	61.1% 200,641	38.3% 125,711
1984	62.9% 183,181	36.8% 107,295
1980	57.4% 137,620	30.8% 73,734
1976	53.6% 110,424	44.7% 92,037
1972	66.3% 112,135	32.4% 54,844
1968	49.0% 57,462	38.2% 44,796
1964	38.7% 30,755	61.2% 48,680
1960	51.7% 26,064	48.1% 28,006

The county is governed by a Board of Supervisors, composed of nine members elected from single-member districts and a chairman elected at-large. The districts are named Braddock, Dranesville, Hunter Mill, Lee, Mason, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully.

Fairfax County's Government Center is west of the City of Fairfax in an unincorporated area.^[11] 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 courthouses and jail) are located.^[12][13]

Fairfax County was once considered a strong Republican bastion in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. However, Democrats have in the past decade 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 control the majority of Fairfax seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.

Following the election of November 2008, Republicans hold just one of the three congressional seats that include parts of Fairfax County. Communities closer to Washington, D.C. generally favor Democrats by a larger margin than do the outlying communities. In elections in 2000, 2001, and 2005, Fairfax County supported Democrats for U.S. Senate and governor. In 2004, John Kerry won the county, becoming the first Democrat to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide (the last time Democrats carried the state until 2008). Kerry defeated George W. Bush in the county 53% to 46%.

Democratic Governor Tim Kaine carried Fairfax County with over 60% of the vote in 2005, leading him to win 51.7% of votes statewide. On November 7, 2006, U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D) carried the county with about 58.9% of the votes.

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 Gerry Connolly as chairman of the Board of Supervisors, continuing a Democratic hold on the office of chairman that dates back to 1995. In November, 2009, Governor-elect Bob McDonnell won Fairfax County with 51% of the vote. Delegate David Marsden won a special election on January 12, 2009 to succeed Ken Cuccinelli in the 37th State Senate district.^[14] Following this election, Fairfax County is now represented in the Virginia State Senate by an all Democratic delegation.^[15]

County Board of Supervisors

Position		Name	Party	First Election	District
	Chairman	Sharon Bulova	Democratic Party	2009	At-Large
	Member	John Cook	Republican Party	2009	Braddock
	Member	John Foust	Democratic Party	2007	Dranesville
	Member	Cathy Hudgins	Democratic Party	1999	Hunter Mill
	Member	Jeff McKay	Democratic Party	2007	Lee
	Member	Penelope Gross	Democratic Party	1995	Mason
	Member	Gerald Hyland	Democratic Party	1988	Mount Vernon District, VA
	Member	Linda Smyth	Democratic Party	2003	Providence
	Member	Pat Herrity	Republican Party	2007	Springfield
	Member	Michael Frey	Republican Party	1991	Sully

Representatives to the Virginia House of Delegates

Office		Name	Party and District	First Election	Next Election
	Delegate	Barbara Comstock	Republican Party (34)	2009	2011
	Delegate	Mark Keam	Democratic Party (35)	2009	2011
	Delegate	Ken Plum	Democratic Party (36)	1977	2011
	Delegate	David Bulova	Democratic Party (37)	2005	2011
	Delegate	Kaye Kory	Democratic Party (38)	2009	2011
	Delegate	Vivian E. Watts	Democratic Party (39)	1995	2011
	Delegate	Tim Hugo	Republican Party (40)	2001	2011
	Delegate	Eileen Filler-Corn	Democratic Party (41)	2005	2011
	Delegate	Dave Albo	Republican Party (42)	1993	2011
	Delegate	Mark Sickles	Democratic Party (43)	2003	2011
	Delegate	Scott Surovell	Democratic Party (44)	2009	2011
	Delegate	David L. Englin	Democratic Party (45)	2005	2011
	Delegate	Charniele Herring	Democratic Party (46)	2009	2011
	Delegate	Adam Ebbin	Democratic Party (49)	2003	2011
	Delegate	Jim Scott	Democratic Party (53)	1991	2011
	Delegate	James LeMunyon	Republican Party (67)	2009	2011
	Delegate	Tom Rust	Republican Party (86)	2001	2011

Representatives to the Virginia State Senate

Office		Name	Party and District	First Election	Next Election
	Senator	Patsy Ticer	Democratic Party (30)	1995	2011
	Senator	Mary Margaret Whipple	Democratic Party (31)	1995	2011
	Senator	Janet Howell	Democratic Party (32)	1991	2011
	Senator	Mark Herring	Democratic Party (33)	2006	2011
	Senator	Chap Petersen	Democratic Party (34)	2007	2011
	Senator	Richard L. Saslaw	Democratic Party (35)	1980	2011
	Senator	Toddy Puller	Democratic Party (36)	2000	2011
	Senator	Dave Marsden	Democratic Party (37)	2010	2011

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	18,580		—
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	595,754		30.9%
1990	818,584		37.4%
2000	969,749		18.5%
Est. 2008	1,015,302		4.7%
sources:[16][17]

As of the census^[18] of 2000, there were 969,749 people, 350,714 households, and 250,409 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,455 people per square mile (948/km²). There were 359,411 housing units at an average density of 910 per square mile (351/km²). The racial makeup of the county was:

• 72.91% White
• 8.83% Black or African American
• 0.26% Native American
• 13.00% Asian
• 0.07% Pacific Islander
• 4.54% from other races
• 3.65% from two or more races.

11.03% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Fairfax County is home to people from diverse backgrounds, including significant numbers of people of Korean,^{[citation needed]} Indian,^{[citation needed]} Pakistani,^{[citation needed]} Iranian,^{[citation needed]} Vietnamese^{[citation needed]} and Jewish^{[citation needed]} ancestry.

In 2000 there are 350,714 households, of which 36.30% have 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.^[19] 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%.^[20]

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. However, in the 2000 census it was overtaken by Douglas County, Colorado. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2005, 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 jurisdiction in American history to have a median household income in excess of $100,000.^[21] In 2008, Loudoun County reclaimed the first position, with Fairfax County a close second (although the U.S. Census Bureau notes that the difference is statistically insignificant).

Education

The county is served by the Fairfax County Public Schools system, to which the county government allocates 52.2% of its fiscal budget.^[22] Including state and federal government contributions, along with citizen and corporate contributions, this brings the 2008 fiscal budget for the school system to $2.2 billion.^[23] The school system has estimated that, based on the 2008 fiscal year budget, the county will be spending $13,407 on each student.^[24]

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 United States high schools due to the extraordinary number of National Merit Semi-Finalists and Finalists, the high average SAT scores of its students, and the number of students who annually perform nationally recognized research in the sciences and engineering.

George Mason University is located 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 a center in Reston which 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 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.^[25]

Economy

The economy of Fairfax County is a robust service economy. Many residents work for the government or for contractors of the federal government. The government is the largest employer, with Fort Belvoir in southern Fairfax being the county's single largest employer. The economy of Fairfax County is larger than that of Vietnam.^[27]

Fairfax County also is home to large companies such as CSC (formerly Computer Sciences Corporation), Gannett, Capital One, General Dynamics, and NVR. The county is home to seven Fortune 500 company headquarters ^[28]. The county is also home to 11 Hispanic 500 companies,^[29] a ninth of the number found in the state of California.^[30] Volkswagen Group of America, CSC, and Hilton Hotels Corporation have announced plans to move to Fairfax County after the county lost homegrown company headquarters AOL and Nextel.^[31] Volkswagen of America is headquartered in an unincorporated area in the county.^[32][33] ExxonMobil has various industry operations in Annandale, at a site that was formerly the headquarters of Mobil Oil.^[34][35]

The economy of the county is supported by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which provides services and information designed to promote Fairfax County as a leading business and technology center.^[36] The FCEDA is the largest non-state economic development authority in the nation.^[37] Fairfax County is also home to the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a trade association for local technology companies. It is the largest technology council in the nation, with technology industry figures such as Bill Gates and Meg Whitman speaking at various local banquets.^[38][39] Fairfax County has a higher concentration of high-tech workers than the Silicon Valley.^[40]

Tysons Corner

The Tysons Corner CDP of Fairfax County is Virginia's largest office market and the largest suburban business district in the nation with 25,700,000 square feet (2,390,000 m²) of office space.^[41][42] It is the country's 12th-largest business district, and is expected to grow substantially in the decades to come.^[43] It contains a quarter of county's total office space inventory, which totaled 105,200,000 square feet (9,770,000 m²) at year-end 2006, which is about the size of Lower Manhattan.^[44][45]

Every weekday, Tysons Corner 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.^[46] In comparison, Washington, D.C. draws 15 million visitors annually, or the equivalent of 62,500 per weekday.^[47]

After years of stalling and controversy, the $5.2 billion expansion of Washington Metro in Virginia from Washington, D.C. to Dulles International Airport received funding approval from the Federal Transit Administration in December 2008.^[48] The new line, informally dubbed the Silver Line, will add four stations in Tysons Corner, 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 Corner area. The plan calls for a private-public partnership. It would use a grid-like street system to make Tysons Corner a more urban environment, tripling available housing to allow for more workers to live near where they work. The goal is to have 95% of Tysons Corner within 1/2-mile from a metro station.^[49]

Employment

The average weekly wage in Fairfax County during the first quarter of 2005 was $1,181, 52% more than the national average.^[50] 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 United States as a whole.^[50] 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 high cost of living in the area.^[50]

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).^[50]

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.^[51]

Arts and culture

The annual "Celebrate Fairfax!" festival is held in June at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax City.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts features a performing arts center situated outside the town of 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.^[52]

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 US Routes 1, 29, and 50.

The county is in the Washington D.C. metro area, the nation's third most congested area.^[53]

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.

^{[54] [55]}

Major highways

• Interstate 66
• Interstate 95
• Interstate 395
• Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
• U.S. 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)
• SR 90004 (Dulles Access Road)^[56]
• State Routes 7100 and 7900 (Fairfax and Franconia-Springfield Parkways)
• SR 90005 (George Washington Memorial Parkway)^[56]

Air

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.

Public transportation

Fairfax County contracts its bus service called the Fairfax Connector to Veolia Transportation. It is also served by WMATA's metrobus service. Fairfax County is served by the Washington Metro trains. The Orange, Blue, Yellow and the planned Silver lines all serve Fairfax County. In addition, VRE (Virginia Railway Express) provides commuter rail service with stations in Lorton and Franconia-Springfield. 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.^[57]

Biking and walking

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.

However, 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.^[58]

The Fairfax Cross County Trail runs from Great Falls National Park in the northern end of the county 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.

Parks and recreation

In addition to the Fairfax County Park Authority, Fairfax County is part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

Fairfax County contains large amounts of park land, a total of over 390 parks on more than 23,000 acres (93 km²).^[59]

The Reston Zoo is in the Reston CDP in an unincorporated area.^[60][61]

Towns, independent cities, and other localities

Three incorporated towns, Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna, are located entirely within Fairfax County.^[62]

The independent cities of Falls Church and Fairfax were formed out of areas formerly under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County, but are politically separate, despite the status of the City of Fairfax as county seat.

It has been proposed^[63] 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 June 30, 2009.

Other communities within Fairfax County are unincorporated areas. Virginia law dictates that at least 100 members of the proposed municipality must sign a petition, the population of the proposed town must be at least 1,000 persons, and the population density of the affected county does not exceed 200 persons per square mile to begin the incorporation process.^[64] As of the 2000 census the thirteen largest communities of Fairfax County are all unincorporated CDPs, the largest of which are Burke, Reston, and Annandale, each with a population exceeding 50,000. (The largest incorporated place in the county is the town of Herndon, its fourteenth-largest community.)

Unincorporated Census Designated Places

The following localities within Fairfax County are identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as (unincorporated) Census-Designated Places:

Annandale Bailey's Crossroads Belle Haven Burke Centreville Chantilly Dunn Loring

Fort Belvoir Fort Hunt Franconia Great Falls Groveton Huntington Hybla Valley

Idylwood Jefferson Lake Barcroft Lincolnia Lorton Mantua McLean

Merrifield Mount Vernon Newington North Springfield Oakton Pimmit Hills Reston

Rose Hill Seven Corners Springfield Tysons Corner West Springfield Wolf Trap

Other localities

Accotink Arcturus Barkers Crossroads Blevinstown Browns Mill Butts Corner Cobbs Corner Colchester Colchester Hunt

Comptons Corner Cooktown Crowells Corner Culmore Donovans Corner Doveville Dranesville Fair Lakes Fairfax Station

Farrs Corner Five Forks Four Corners Hattontown Hollindale Jermantown Kings Park Kings Park West Kingstowne Langley

Lees Corner Lewinsville Lewis Park Makleys Corner Mason Neck Matildaville New Alexandria Oak Hill

Odricks Corner Pohick Schneider Crossroads Shady Oak Strathmeade Springs Sunset Hills Uniontown Virginia Hills Westhampton

Notable people from Fairfax County

Historic figures George Mason - Of Gunston Hall, "Father of the Bill of Rights" [65] George Washington - Proprietor of Mount Vernon Plantation in Fairfax County and first President of the United States[66] Politicians Katherine Hanley - Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth and former County Board Chair Jim Webb - U.S. Senator (D) Tom Davis - Former U.S. Congressman (VA-11) John Warner - Former U.S. Senator (R) Sharon Bulova - Current chairman of the board of supervisors Gerry Connolly - U.S. Congressman (VA-11) and former Chairman of the Fairfax County board of supervisors Professionals Catherine Coleman - Astronaut[67] Jesse Kornblum - Computer forensics researcher Sports figures Bruce Arena - Head Coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy Eric Barton - Linebacker for the New York Jets Brian Carroll - Midfielder for the Columbus Crew Hubert Davis - Retired basketball player Mia Hamm - U.S. Olympic and professional soccer player Andy Heck - Former NFL football player Grant Hill - Small forward for the Phoenix Suns Bhawoh Jue - Defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals Brian Kendrick - WWE wrestler Javier López - Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox Keith Allen Lyle - Retired safety for the Los Angeles / St Louis Rams

Ed Moses - U.S. Olympic swimmer[68] Scott Norwood - Retired kicker for the Buffalo Bills Eddie Royal - Wide Receiver for the Denver Broncos Joe Saunders - Starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Justin Spring- U.S. Olympic gymnast Chris Warren - Former NFL running back Alan Webb - U.S. Olympic track runner Michael Weiss - Figure skater[69] Kate Ziegler - U.S. Olympic Swimmer[70] Entertainers Kevin Michael "Toby" McKeehan - Grammy Award winning artist, producer, and songwriter Kristi Lauren Glakas - Third-runner-up in 2006 Miss America pageant Yoochun "Micky" Park - Singer in the Korean group TVXQ[71] Chung Jae Young - K-pop R&B/Soul artist[72] Lauren Graham - Actress on Gilmore Girls[73] 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 Tom Johnson - Writer for The Daily Show (1996–2004) Jason Sudeikis - Writer and actor (Saturday Night Live writer 2003-2005) Jimmy Workman - Actor in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). Other 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 and find himself and died in the process. The novel Into the Wild is based on his journey. Seung-hui Cho - Shooter who perpetrated the Virginia Tech massacre Jayson Blair - former New York Times reporter who fabricated stories

See also

• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
• Fairfax County Police Department
• Fairfax County Sheriff's Office

Notes

References

• ""November 7th 2006 - General Election: Official Results"". VirginiaInteractive.org. Commonwealth of Virginia Government. http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.html. Retrieved May 22, 2007. 

• ""Enrollment"" (PDF). 2005-06 Factbook. George Mason University Institutional Research & Reporting. pp. 62. http://irr.gmu.edu/factbooks/0506/FFactbook0506_Enrollment.pdf. Retrieved May 22, 2007. 

External links

• Fairfax County travel guide from Wikitravel
• Fairfax County Government Website
• Official Fairfax County Virginia Tourism Website
• Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
• Fairfax Crime - a crime map of most of Northern Virginia
• Natural Asbestos in Fairfax County - the county's site which contains health information, maps, and construction requirements related to dust control
• Celebrate Fairfax
• Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration - Property lookup database
• Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
• Fairfax County Public Library System
• Fairfax County Public Schools

	Loudoun County	Montgomery County, Maryland
			City of Falls Church; Arlington County; and City of Alexandria
		Fairfax County, Virginia
	Prince William County	Charles County, Maryland	Prince George's County, Maryland

Municipalities and communities of Fairfax County, Virginia County seat: Fairfax Towns Clifton | Herndon | Vienna Unincorporated communities Accotink | Annandale | Arcturus | Bailey's Crossroads | Barkers Crossroads | Belle Haven | Blevinstown | Browns Mill | Burke | Butts Corner | Centreville | Chantilly | Cobbs Corner | Colchester | Colchester Hunt | Comptons Corner | Cooktown | Crowells Corner | Culmore | Donovans Corner | Doveville | Dranesville | Dunn Loring | Fair Lakes | Fairfax Station | Farrs Corner | Five Forks | Fort Belvoir | Fort Hunt | Four Corners | Franconia | Great Falls | Groveton | Hattontown | Hollindale | Huntington | Hybla Valley | Idylwood | Jefferson | Jermantown | Kings Park | Kingstowne | Lake Barcroft | Langley | Lees Corner | Lewinsville | Lewis Park | Lincolnia | Lorton | Makleys Corner | Mason Neck | Matildaville | Mantua | McLean | Merrifield | Mount Vernon | New Alexandria | Newington | North Springfield | Oak Hill | Oakton | Odricks Corner | Pimmit Hills | Pohick | Reston | Rose Hill | Schneider Crossroads | Seven Corners | Shady Oak | Springfield | Strathmeade Springs | Sunset Hills | Tysons Corner | Uniontown | Waynewood | Westhampton | West Springfield | White Oaks | Wolf Trap

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Coordinates: 38°50′N 77°17′W / 38.83°N 77.28°W / 38.83; -77.28

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Fairfax County, Virginia
Map
File:Map of Virginia highlighting Fairfax County.png Location in the state of Virginia
Virginia's location in the USA
Statistics
Founded	1742
Seat	Fairfax
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	407 sq mi (1,053 km²) 395 sq mi (1,023 km²) 12 sq mi (30 km²), 2.85%
wikipedia:Population  - (2005)  - Density	1,041,200 2636/sq mi (1018/km²)
Time zone	Eastern : UTC-5/-4
Website: www.fairfaxcounty.gov
Named for: Thomas Fairfax

Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. As of 2005, the estimated population of the county is 1,041,200;^[1] making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and larger than seven states. It is the most populous jurisdiction in the Greater Washington Area and has the highest median household income ($100,318 - first to reach six figures) of any county in the United States, recently surpassing its neighbor, Loudoun County.[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography and climate 2.1 Major highways 3 Asbestos 4 Government and politics 5 Demographics 6 Education 7 Economy 7.1 Employment 7.2 Tysons Corner 8 Transportation 8.1 Roads 8.2 Air 8.3 Public transportation 8.4 Biking and walking 9 Towns, independent cities, and other localities 9.1 Unincorporated Census Designated Places 9.2 Other localities 10 Famous people from Fairfax County 11 Infamous people from Fairfax County 12 In popular culture 13 See also 14 References 15 External links

History

Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. It was named for Thomas Fairfax (1693-1781), proprietor of the Northern Neck.

The oldest settlements in Fairfax County were located 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 located nearby. Modern Fort Belvoir is partly located on the estate of Belvoir Manor, built along the Potomac by William Fairfax in 1741. Thomas Sixth Lord Fairfax, the only member of the British nobility ever to reside in the colonies, lived at Belvoir before he moved 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 gradually deteriorated into ruins.[2]

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. The Fairfax County town of Fairfax became an independent city in 1961.

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 straddles the border between Fairfax and Prince William County. For most of the Civil War, Union troops occupied the county, though the population remained sympathetic to the Confederacy.

The growth of the Federal Government in the years during and after World War II spurred rapid growth in the county. As a result, the once rural county began to become increasingly suburban. Other large businesses continued to settle in Fairfax County and the opening of Tysons Corner Center spurred the rise of Tysons Corner itself. The technology boom and a steady government-driven economy also created rapid growth and an increasingly growing and diverse population. The economy has also made Fairfax County one of the wealthiest counties in the nation.

Geography and climate

Fairfax County is bounded on the north and southeast by the Potomac River; across the river to the northeast is Washington, across the river to the north is Montgomery County, across the river to the southeast are Prince George's County and Charles County; it is also partially bounded on the north and east by Arlington County and the independent cities of Alexandria and Falls Church; it is bound on the west by Loudoun County; and on the south by Prince William County and the independent cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,053 km² (407 mi²). 1,023 km² (395 mi²) of it is land and 30 km² (12 mi²) of it (2.85%) is water.

Fairfax County lies in the humid subtropical climate zone. Distance from Washington, D.C. generally lowers the temperature, due to the urban heat island effect. The average January temperature is 43/23 °F (5.6/-5 °C). In winter, Arctic air can lower the nighttime low to the teens, and lows below 15 °F (-9.4 °C) are rare. Snow occurs every winter and frequently accumulates, however storm accumulations over 8" are relatively uncommon, occurring roughly once every two or three years. In addition, ice storms can occur but are rare. Occasionally, winds from the south can make winter temperatures milder. Spring is enjoyable and trees blossom brilliantly, but pollen counts are high. Summers are from warm to hot (greater than 80 °F), and thunderstorms are common. Fall brings dew in the morning and crisp air in the afternoon, with brilliant foliage in the county.

Major highways

• Interstate 66
• Interstate 95
• Interstate 395
• Interstate 495
• 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)

Asbestos

Eleven square miles of the county are known to be underlain with natural asbestos.^[2] Much of the asbestos is known to emanate from fibrous tremolite or actinolite. Approximately 20 years ago, when the threat was discovered, the county established laws to monitor air quality at construction sites, control soil taken from affected areas, and require freshly developed sites to lay 6 inches of clean, stable material over the ground.^[3] For instance, during the construction of Centreville High School a large amount of asbestos-laded 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.

Government and politics

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democrat
2004	45.9% 211,980	53.3% 245,671
2000	48.9% 202,181	47.5% 196,501
1996	48.2% 176,033	46.6% 170,150
1992	44.3% 170,488	41.6% 160,186
1988	61.1% 200,641	38.3 125,711
1984	62.9% 183,181	36.8 107,295
1980	57.4% 137,620	30.8% 73,734
1976	53.6% 110,424	44.7% 92,037
1972	66.3% 112,135	32.4% 54,844
1968	49.0% 57,462	38.2% 44,796
1964	38.7% 30,755	61.2% 48,680
1960	51.7% 26,064	48.1% 28,006

The county is divided into nine supervisor districts: Braddock, Dranesville, Hunter Mill, Lee, Mason, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully.
The supervisor districts each elect one supervisor to the Board of Supervisors which governs Fairfax County. There is also a Chairman elected by the county at-large.

Fairfax County was once considered a strong Republican bastion in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. However, Democrats have increasingly made inroads in Fairfax County in the past decade, having gained control of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board (which is officially nonpartisan) as well as the offices of Sheriff and Commonwealth Attorney. Democrats also control the majority of Fairfax seats in the House of Delegates and State Senate.

Republicans currently control two of the three congressional seats that include parts of Fairfax County. Communities closer to Washington D.C. generally favor Democrats by a larger margin than the outlying communities. In 2000, 2001, and 2005 Fairfax County voted Democratic in the races for Senate and governor. In 2004, John Kerry won the county; the first Democrat to do so since Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide (the last time Democrats carried the state). Kerry defeated Bush in the county 53% to 46%.

Democratic Governor Tim Kaine carried Fairfax County with over 60% of the vote in 2005, leading him to win over 51% of votes statewide.

On November 7, 2006, U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D) carried the county with about 58.9% of the votes (from the Virginia Commonwealth site).

Position		Name	Party	First Election	District
	Chairman	Gerry Connolly	Democratic Party	2003	At-Large
	Member	Sharon Bulova	Democratic Party	1987	Braddock
	Member	Joan DuBois	Republican Party	2003	Dranesville
	Member	Cathy Hudgins	Democratic Party	1999	Hunter Mill
	Member	Dana Kaufmann	Democratic Party	1995	Lee
	Member	Penelope Gross	Democratic Party	1995	Mason
	Member	Gerald Hyland	Democratic Party	1988	Mount Vernon
	Member	Linda Smyth	Democratic Party	2003	Providence
	Member	Elaine McConnell	Republican Party	1983	Springfield
	Member	Michael Frey	Republican Party	1991	Sully

Office		Name	Party and District	First Election	Next Election
	Delegate	Vince Callahan	Republican Party (34)	1967	2007
	Delegate	Steve Shannon [3]	Democratic Party (35)	2003	2007
	Delegate	Ken Plum [4]	Democratic Party (36)	1977	2007
	Delegate	David Bulova [5]	Democratic Party (37)	2005	2007
	Delegate	Bob Hull [6]	Democratic Party (38)	1993	2007
	Delegate	Vivian Watts [7]	Democratic Party (39)	1995	2007
	Delegate	Tim Hugo [8]	Republican Party (40)	2001	2007
	Delegate	Dave Marsden [9]	Democratic Party (41)	2005	2007
	Delegate	Dave Albo [10]	Republican Party (42)	1993	2007
	Delegate	Mark Sickles [11]	Democratic Party (43)	2003	2007
	Delegate	Kris Amundson [12]	Democratic Party (44)	2001	2007
	Delegate	David Englin [13]	Democratic Party (45)	2005	2007
	Delegate	Brian Moran [14]	Democratic Party (46)	1995	2007
	Delegate	Adam Ebbin [15]	Democratic Party (49)	2003	2007
	Delegate	Jim Scott	Democratic Party (53)	1991	2007
	Delegate	Carmin "Chuck" Caputo [16]	Democratic Party (67)	2005	2007
	Delegate	Tom Rust [17]	Republican Party (86)	2001	2007

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 969,749 people, 350,714 households, and 250,409 families residing in the county. The population density was 948/km² (2,455/mi²). There were 359,411 housing units at an average density of 351/km² (910/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.91% White, 8.83% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 13.00% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.54% from other races, and 3.65% from two or more races. 11.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Like many of the most affluent areas of the United States in the 21st century, Fairfax County is home to people from diverse backgrounds with a significant number of Korean-Americans, Indian-Americans, Iranian-Americans, Jewish-Americans, Pakistani-Americans and Vietnamese-Americans along with other Americans of Asian descent. There is a sizeable Latino population primarily consisting of Salvadorans, Peruvians and Bolivians.

In 2000 there are 350,714 households, of which 36.30% have 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.

In the county, the population was spread out with 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. 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.

Judged by household median income, Fairfax County was the richest county in the country for many years. However, in the 2000 census it was overtaken by Douglas County. According to US Census Bureau estimates for 2005, it had the second-highest median household income behind neighboring Loudoun County, Va., at $94,610. In 2007 Fairfax County reclaimed its position as the richest county in America, in addition to becoming the first jurisdiction in American History to have a median household income in excess of $100,000, as stated by the U.S. Census Bureau's latest report. [18]

In the Southern Spaces article "Negotiating Black Identities" sociologist Karyn Lacy compares Fairfax County to Prince George's County, MD to better understand "how contemporary middle-class Blacks are managing their lives in suburban spaces."

Education

The county is served by the Fairfax County Public Schools system, to which the county government allocates 52.2% of its fiscal budget.^[4] Including state and federal government contributions, along with citizen and corporate contributions, this brings the 2008 fiscal budget for the school system to $2.2 billion.^[5] The school system has estimated that, based on the 2008 fiscal year budget, the county will be spending $13,407 on each student.^[6]

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 United States high schools due to the extraordinary number of National Merit Semi-Finalists and Finalists, the high average SAT scores of its students, and the number of students who annually perform nationally recognized research in the sciences and engineering.

George Mason University is located just outside Fairfax City, near the geographic center of Fairfax County. Northern Virginia Community College serves Fairfax County with campuses in Annandale and Springfield and a center in Reston which is a satellite branch of the Loudoun campus.

Economy

The economy of Fairfax County is a robust service economy. Fairfax most heavily relies on the Federal Government. Many citizens work for the government or for contractors of the Federal Government. Defense contractors in particular are prominent. The government is the largest employer with Fort Belvoir in southern Fairfax being the county's single largest employer.

The top 5 largest private employers are the Inova Health System, Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) and Freddie Mac. Fairfax County also is home to several large companies such as Sprint Nextel, Gannett, Capital One, General Dynamics, and NVR. The county has seven Fortune 500 company headquarters, more than the rest of Northern Virginia or the neighboring state of Maryland, and nearly as many as the state capital Richmond.

The economy of the county is supported by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which provides a wide array of services and information designed to promote Fairfax County as a leading business and technology center. The FCEDA also runs a capital attraction program to link entrepreneurs and start-up firms with venture capitalists and angel investors. Another program assists small, minority- and woman-owned businesses. The FCEDA has marketing offices in Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv. [19]

Employment

The county has the highest average weekly wage of any other jurisdiction in the D.C. area at $1,574 in 2005. It is followed by Arlington ($1,471), Washington, Manassas, and Alexandria ($1,205).

From 1990 to the first quarter of 2005, Fairfax County added more total private sector jobs in the Washington region than the next four jurisdictions (Washington, Montgomery, Prince George's, and Loudoun) combined.[20] In early 2005, Fairfax had 553,107 total jobs, up from 372,792 in 1990, and is second to Washington's 658,505 jobs in 2005 (down from 668,532 in 1990).

As of the 2002 Economic Census, Fairfax County has the largest professional, scientific, & 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[21], exceeding the next largest, Washington, D.C., by roughly a quarter overall, and doubling neighboring Montgomery County.

Tysons Corner

Tysons Corner is Virginia's largest office market and one of the leading business centers in the nation with 25.7 million square feet of office space.^[7] The county's total office space inventory totaled 105.2 million square feet at year-end 2006, which is about the size of Downtown Manhattan.^[8][9] Tysons Corner has, every weekday, over 100,000 workers from around the region and 50,000 shoppers from the region and throughout the state.[22]

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 US Routes 1, 29, and 50.

The county is in the Washington D.C. metro area, the nation's third most congested area. ^[10]

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.

^{[11] [12]}

Air

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.

Public transportation

Fairfax County contracts its bus service called the Fairfax Connector to Veolia Transportation. It is also served by WMATA's metrobus service. Fairfax County is served by the Washington Metro trains. The Orange, Blue, Yellow and the planned Silver lines all serve Fairfax County. In addition, VRE (Virginia Railway Express) provides commuter rail service with stations in Lorton and Franconia-Springfield.

Biking and walking

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.

However, 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. In fact, there is no known map of the county that directs cyclists to the best roads to traverse.[23] A recent VDOT report includes the lack of bike lanes or parallel residential streets to major thoroughfares as a major reason for low numbers of bicycle commuters in northern Virginia [24].

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

Towns, independent cities, and other localities

Three incorporated towns, Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna, are located within Fairfax County.

The independent cities of Falls Church and Fairfax were formed out of areas formerly under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County, but are politically separate, despite the status of the City of Fairfax as county seat. Fairfax County contains an exclave located in the central business district of the City of Fairfax, in which many county facilities (including the courthouses and jail) are located.

Other communities within Fairfax County are unincorporated areas; Virginia law prohibits the creation of any new municipalities within any county with a population density of over 1,000 per square mile (which currently only affects Fairfax and Arlington Counties in Northern Virginia, and recently Henrico County outside Richmond). As of the 2000 census the thirteen largest communities of Fairfax County are all unincorporated CDPs, the largest of which are Burke, Reston, and Annandale, each with a population exceeding 50,000. (The largest incorporated place in the county is the town of Herndon, its fourteenth-largest community.)

Unincorporated Census Designated Places

The following localities within Fairfax County are identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as (unincorporated) Census-Designated Places:

Annandale Bailey's Crossroads Belle Haven Burke Centreville Chantilly Dunn Loring

Fort Belvoir Fort Hunt Franconia Great Falls Groveton Huntington Hybla Valley

Idylwood Jefferson Lake Barcroft Lincolnia Lorton Mantua McLean

Merrifield Mount Vernon Newington North Springfield Oakton Pimmit Hills Reston

Rose Hill Seven Corners Springfield Tysons Corner West Springfield Wolf Trap

Other localities

Accotink Arcturus Barkers Crossroads Blevinstown Browns Mill Butts Corner Cobbs Corner Colchester Colchester Hunt

Comptons Corner Cooktown Crowells Corner Culmore Donovans Corner Doveville Dranesville Fair Lakes Fairfax Station

Farrs Corner Five Forks Four Corners Hattontown Jermantown Kings Park Kingstowne Langley

Lees Corner Lewinsville Lewis Park Makleys Corner Mason Neck Matildaville New Alexandria Oak Hill

Odricks Corner Pohick Schneider Crossroads Shady Oak Strathmeade Springs Sunset Hills Uniontown Westhampton

Famous people from Fairfax County

Historic Figures George Mason - "Father of the Bill of Rights" George Washington - first President of the United States Professionals Catherine Coleman - astronaut Katherine Hanley, Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth and former County Board Chair Jesse Kornblum - computer forensics researcher Sports/Entertainment Figures Bruce Arena - Head Coach for Red Bull New York Eric Barton - linebacker for the New York Jets Brian Carroll - Midfielder for D.C. United Hubert Davis - retired basketball player Kristi Lauren Glakas - third-runner-up in 2006 Miss America pageant

Lauren Graham - actress on Gilmore Girls Dave Grohl - Drummer for Nirvana and front man for The Foo Fighters Dismemberment Plan - former band led by Travis Morrison Mia Hamm - Olympic and professional soccer player John Jackson - Blues guitarist, master of the Piedmont style Andy Heck - former NFL football player Grant Hill - small forward for the Phoenix Suns Tom Johnson - writer for The Daily Show (1996-2004) Bhawoh Jue - defensive back for the San Diego Chargers Brian Kendrick - WWE wrestler Scott Norwood - retired kicker for the Buffalo Bills Jason Sudeikis - writer and actor (SNL writer 2003-2005) Alan Webb - Olympic track runner Chris Warren - former NFL running back Michael Weiss - figure skater

Infamous people from Fairfax County

Cho Seung-hui - shooter who perpetrated the Virginia Tech massacre Robert Hanssen - American spy who sold secrets to the USSR and Russia. In popular culture The animated television series American Dad! is set in the fictional town "Langley Falls". The town name is a composite of Langley (where the CIA is headquartered) and nearby Great Falls, both of which are located in Fairfax County. See also Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department References ^ Economic and Demographic Information - Fairfax County ^ Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Fairfax County, http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/asb/, retrieved 2007/07/16  ^ Raloff, Janet (July 8), "Dirty Little Secret", Science News, http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060708/bob9.asp  ^ FY 2007 Advertised Budget Plan ^ Budget Services - Fairfax County Public Schools ^ FCPS statistics ^ Doing Business in Fairfax County Commercial Real Estate http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/re_tysons.htm ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2005/11/10/CU2005111001553.html ^ http://www.tenantwise.com/reports/032002wtc.asp ^ Measuring Virginia's Traffic Congestion, Infrastructure and Land Use - Virginia Performs. Council on Virginia's Future. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. ^ Schrank, David; Lomax, Tim (June 2002), The 2002 Urban Mobility Report, Texas Transportation Institute  ^ Solid Waste Management Plan for Fairfax County, Chapter 2 (PDF) (June 2004). Retrieved on 2007-09-03. “(cites the Urban Mobility Report for 2002)” "November 7th 2006 - General Election: Official Results". VirginiaInteractive.org. Commonwealth of Virginia Government. Retrieved on 2007-05-22. "Enrollment" (PDF). 2005-06 Factbook p. 62. George Mason University Institutional Research & Reporting. Retrieved on 2007-05-22. External links Fairfax County Government Website Fairfax County Visitors Center Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Fairfax Crime - a crime map of most of Northern Virginia and sex offender locations Natural Asbestos in Fairfax County - the county's site which contains health information, maps, and construction requirements related to dust control Celebrate Fairfax Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration - Property lookup database Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Fairfax County Public Library System Fairfax County Public Schools Fairfax Underground - a message board designed to improve communication between residents of Northern Virginia Municipalities and communities of Fairfax County, Virginia, Virginia County seat: Fairfax, Virginia Independent city Fairfax (Note: Fairfax, like all cities under Virginia law, is an independent city—politically independent of any county). < /div></td> </td></tr> Towns Clifton | Herndon | Vienna </td></tr> Unincorporated communities Annandale | Bailey's Crossroads | Belle Haven | Burke | Centreville | Chantilly | Colchester | Dranesville | Dunn Loring | Fairfax Station | Fort Belvoir | Fort Hunt | Franconia | Great Falls | Groveton | Huntington | Hybla Valley | Idylwood | Jefferson | Jermantown | Kingstowne | Lake Barcroft | Langley | Lewinsville | Lincolnia | Lorton | Mantua | Mason Neck | McLean | Merrifield | Mount Vernon | Newington | North Springfield | Oakton | Pimmit Hills | Reston | Rose Hill | Seven Corners | Springfield | Tysons Corner | West Springfield | Wolf Trap </td></tr> CDP Fort Belvoir </td></tr></table> Commonwealth of Virginia Richmond (capital) Rivers | Governors | Colony | Rights | Homes | Colleges and universities | Counties | People | Economy | Politics Coordinates: 38°50′N 77°17′W / 38.83, -77.28 This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Fairfax County, Virginia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.