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Fairfax County is a county of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of 2005, the estimated population of the county is 1,041,200; making it by far the most populous county in Virginia, and one of the largest in the United States. It is the most populous jurisdiction in the Greater Washington Area, surpassing the population of Washington, D.C. by about 450,000 residents, and Baltimore by 350,000 residents. It is also one of the highest-income counties in the United States(ranked 11th by per capita income). Its county seat is the independent city of Fairfax6. Fairfax County is part of the inner suburbs of Washington D.C. and the county lies just outside of Washington D.C.

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.

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

Fairfax County is bounded on the north and southeast by the Potomac River; across the river to the northeast is Washington, DC, across the river to the northwest is Montgomery County, Maryland, across the river to the southeast is Prince George's County, Maryland and Charles County, Maryland; 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.

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 with Democrats now controlling the Board of Supervisors and the School Board (which is officially nonpartisan) as well as the Sheriff and Commonwealth Attorney offices. Democrats in Fairfax also control the majority of Fairfax seats in the House of Delegates and State Senate.

Republicans currently control of two out of 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, and by increasing margins. In 2004, John Kerry won the county; the first Democrat to do so since Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide (Coincidentally that is the last time Democrats carried the state). Kerry defeated Bush in the county 53% to 46%. The fact that Republicans had won Virginia's largest county in every presidential election since 1968 is partly the reason why the Old Dominion has not voted for a Democrat since 1964. Because Fairfax County is now trending heavily in favor of the Democratic Party, the state may not be as reliably Republican in future elections.

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

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 Huggins 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 * Democratic Party (35) 2003 2007
  Delegate Ken Plum * Democratic Party (36) 1977 2007
  Delegate David Bulova * Democratic Party (37) 2005 2007
  Delegate Bob Hull * Democratic Party (38) 1993 2007
  Delegate Vivian Watts * Democratic Party (39) 1995 2007
  Delegate Tim Hugo * Republican Party (40) 2001 2007
  Delegate Dave Marsden * Democratic Party (41) 2005 2007
  Delegate Dave Albo * Republican Party (42) 1993 2007
  Delegate Mark Sickles * Democratic Party (43) 2003 2007
  Delegate Kris Amundson * Democratic Party (44) 2001 2007
  Delegate David Englin * Democratic Party (45) 2005 2007
  Delegate Brian Moran * Democratic Party (46) 1995 2007
  Delegate Adam Ebbin * Democratic Party (49) 2003 2007
  Delegate Jim Scott Democratic Party (53) 1991 2007
  Delegate Carmin "Chuck" Caputo * Democratic Party (67) 2005 2007
  Delegate Tom Rust * Republican Party (86) 2001 2007

Demographics

Historical populations
Census
year 		Population
1790 12,320
1800 13,317
1810 13,111
1820 11,404
1830 9,204
1840 9,370
1850 10,682
1860 11,834
1870 12,952
1880 16,025
1890 16,655
1900 18,580
1910 20,536
1920 21,943
1930 25,264
1940 40,929
1950 98,557
1960 275,002
1970 455,021
1980 595,754
1990 818,584
2000 969,749
2004 1,003,157

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 69.91% White, 8.57% 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. Fairfax County is home to more than 60,000 Koreans, particularly in the Annandale area, along with substantial groups of immigrants from other, primarily Asian, countries.

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 median income, Fairfax County was the richest county in the country through the late 1990's but was as of the 2000 census overtaken by Douglas County, Colorado and was the second wealthiest county in the country by median household income at the time.

Education

The Fairfax County Public Schools system is recognized by many as the pride and joy of the county. The most notable commitment the county makes to its school system is the allocation of 52.2% of its fiscal budget to the school system. Including state and federal government contributions, along with citizen and corporate contributions, this brings the 2006 fiscal budget for the school system to $2.1 billion. The school system has estimated that, based on the 2006 fiscal budget, the county will be investing $11,915 in each student this year.

Fairfax County is the home of George Mason University.

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 Nextel, Gannett, Capital One, General Dynamics, Exxon-Mobil, NVR, and Freddie Mac.

Transportation

Roads

Several major highways run through Fairfax County including the Capital Beltway (I-495), I-66, I-95, and I-395. The American Legion Bridge connects Fairfax to Montgomery County, Maryland while the Woodrow Wilson Bridge connects Fairfax to Prince George's County, Maryland. The George Washington Parkway, Dulles Toll Road, and Fairfax County Parkway are also major arteries. Other notable roads include Braddock Road, Little River Turnpike, Virginia Routes 7, 28, and 123, and US Routes 1, 29, and 50.

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 Prince William County is also used for regional cargo and private jet service.

Public Transportation

Fairfax County operates its own bus service called the Fairfax Connector. It is also served by WMATA's metrobus service. Fairfax County is served by the Washington Metro. The Orange, Blue, Yellow and the planned Silver lines all serve Fairfax County. In addition, VRE (Virginia Railway Express) also serves Fairfax County.

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 places; 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 affects Fairfax and Arlington Counties in Northern Virginia).

Unincorporated Census Designated Places

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

Other localities

Famous People from Fairfax County

External links

Virginia counties | Washington, D.C. suburbs | Fairfax County, Virginia | Potomac River counties | 1742 establishments

Fairfax County | Fairfax County, Virginia | Condado de Fairfax

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Fairfax County, Virginia".

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