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

thumb|Map of Fairfax Courthouse, VA in 1878

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

thumb|[[Union Army soldiers on the front lawn and roof of Fairfax Court House during the American Civil War in June 1863]] 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.

In 1859, Fairfax was renamed the "Town of Fairfax".

20th century

In 1904, a trolley line connected Fairfax with Washington, D.C.

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. Fairfax County's Government Center is west of Fairfax.

Water Courses

The City is home to the start of the Accotink Creek and the source of Daniels Run, which flows into Accontink Creek.

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.

Demographics

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Elected officials

In November on even-numbered years, city voters elect a Mayor, six at-large Councilmembers, and five at-large School Board members to serve two-year terms. These offices are non-partisan and at-large, and there are no term limits. The detective then arranged a meeting with Silverthorne and two other men, in which they agreed to exchange methamphetamine. At the meeting in Tysons, detectives performed the exchange and then arrested Silverthorne along with the two other men. He was charged with felony distribution of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Silverthorne maintains that he was not distributing methamphetamine for sex, and he was not tried for any sexual crimes.

Nonprofit Grants Program

In December 2024 the recipients of the City's new Nonprofit Grants Program were named. Announced in 2024 the City funded the grant program $300,000. Ongoing funding for the nonprofit grant program will be approved as part of the city's annual budget process.

The City offers two grant options for human services nonprofits:

  1. Standard Nonprofit Grant: This competitive program funds nonprofits seeking to develop, expand, or enhance services for city residents in the areas of prevention, crisis intervention, long-term support, and human services. Organizations may apply for a $10,001–$50,000 grant. For FY25, $275,000 is allocated.
  2. Mini-Grant: The Mini-Grants program provides funding through a competitive process for eligible nonprofits focused on capacity building or small-scale projects. The application requires basic details about the organization's mission, project, budget, and two performance measures. Organizations may apply for a $5,000–$10,000 grant. For FY25, $25,000 is allocated.* The public schools in the City of Fairfax are owned by the city but administered by the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system under contractual agreement with Fairfax County. This arrangement began to be in place in 1961. Fairfax schools include Fairfax High School, Katherine Johnson Middle School, formerly Lanier Middle School, Daniels Run Elementary School, Providence Elementary School, and Fairfax Academy.

Schools within the city that are not owned by the city government include the Boyd School, Gesher Jewish Day School, Kellar School of Inova Kellar Center, Lee Highway KinderCare, Little Flock Christian School, Northern Virginia Christian Academy, Oak Valley Center, Paul VI Catholic High School (moved in 2020–2021), The Salvation Army's University View Child Care Center, Saint Leo The Great School, Trinity Christian School, and Truro Preschool and Kindergarten.

Colleges and universities

George Mason University, the largest university in Virginia, is located just south of Fairfax's city limits, with a small portion of the university grounds in the Fairfax city limits.

The university enrolls 33,917 students, making it the largest university by head count in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The university was founded in 1949, and was initially an extension of the University of Virginia named the Northern Virginia University Center of the University of Virginia. Nine years after its founding, in 1958, the Town of Fairfax purchased for the university, though the property remained within the county when the town became a city. In 1972, following several name changes, the institution became George Mason University. The university is most known for its programs in economics, law, creative writing, computer science, and business. George Mason University faculty have twice won the Nobel Prize in Economics. George Mason University economics professors James M. Buchanan and Vernon L. Smith won it in 1986 and 2002, respectively.

Infrastructure

Roads

thumb|The junction of [[U.S. Route 29 in Virginia|US 29, US 50, and VA State Rt. 237 in Fairfax]]

The intersection of U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 29 is located in the northeast corner of the city. The two major highways join to form Fairfax Boulevard for approximately through the city before separating. State Route 123, State Route 236 and State Route 237 pass through the city. SR 236 is named Main Street in the city and then becomes Little River Turnpike once the city line is crossed. Interstate 66 passes just outside the city limits and is the major highway serving the Fairfax region. Connections to I-66 from the city can be made via U.S. Route 50 and State Route 123.

Public transportation

Rail

thumb|A [[Northeast Regional train operated by Amtrak at Burke Centre station in August 2010]]

Although these stations are located outside city limits, trips to and from Fairfax are served by:

  • Vienna station of the Washington Metro
  • Burke Centre station of Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak

Bus

  • Fairfax operates the CUE Bus, an independent bus network.
  • Multiple routes of the Washington Metrobus and the Fairfax Connector Route 306 and 610 serve Fairfax.

E-scooters and dock less mobility

  • In February 2019, the city has launched a one-year pilot program for e-scooters and other dockless transportation. Three micro-mobility companies have been chosen to run the pilot, Bird company, Lime, and Spin.

Notable people

  • Neal Agarwal, programmer and game designer
  • Robinson Aguirre, soccer player who represented the El Salvador national team
  • Javier Alvial, soccer player
  • Bobby, rapper, iKon
  • TJ Bush, soccer player
  • Antonio Bustamante, soccer player who represented the Bolivia national team
  • David Castellanos, soccer player and coach
  • Sam Champion, Good Morning America weather anchor and ABC News weather editor
  • Serena Deeb, current AEW professional wrestler
  • Bryce Eldridge, First baseman for the San Francisco Giants.
  • Lewis J. Fields, U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general
  • Victor Gold, journalist and political consultant
  • Christina Hendricks, actress and former model
  • Joseph R. Jelinek, U.S. Army brigadier general and Army National Guard deputy director general
  • Courtney Jines, actress
  • Lamar Johnstone, silent film actor and director
  • Brian Kendrick, WWE wrestler
  • Sabrina Lloyd, actress, Sliders and Sports Night
  • Jay Matternes, paleoartist
  • TobyMac, Christian singer and songwriter
  • Meteos, League of Legends player for Cloud9 and Phoenix1
  • Lorenzo Odone, subject of the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil
  • Jeremy Olander, Swedish DJ and electronic music producer
  • Walter Tansill Oliver, former mayor of Fairfax, Virginia state delegate, and Virginia state senator
  • Park Yu-hwan, actor and brother of Yoochun
  • Michael Schwimer, professional baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies
  • Nathan Sonenshein, U.S. Navy rear admiral
  • Frank Stephens, disability advocate, actor, and athlete
  • Victoria Stiles, makeup artist
  • Jason Sudeikis, actor, comedian, and Saturday Night Live cast member
  • Pierre J. Thuot, Space Shuttle astronaut, Atlantis, Endeavour, and Columbia
  • Matt Tifft, NASCAR race car driver
  • Jarvis Varnado, former professional basketball player, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers
  • Park Yoo-chun, actor and pop band member, JYJ and TVXQ

Notes

References