Fairfax

The City of Fairfax (FAIR-faks), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census the population was 22,565, which had risen to 24,146 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Washington metropolitan area as well as a part of Northern Virginia. The first Fairfax courthouse was established in 1742 near present-day Tysons Corner, and is the namesake for Old Courthouse Road. The scene of the first land battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Fairfax Court House took place here on June 1, 1861, after a Union scouting party clashed with the local militia with neither side gaining advantage. In 1904, a trolley line connected Fairfax with Washington, D.C. The Washington Metro's Orange Line serves Fairfax through its Vienna station, which is a mile northeast of the city limits. CUE Bus and Metrobus operate in Fairfax. Virginia's largest public educational institution with 35,189 students in 2017 is George Mason University, located in unincorporated Fairfax County, along the city's southern border while still having a city address and sharing the same public transportation system. Fairfax City also contains an exclave of Fairfax county, the Fairfax County Court Complex, which was built in the early 1800s. The City is located close to the geographic center of Fairfax County. According to the United Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 63 square miles (16.3 square km).

History

Fairfax was founded on land originally occupied by indigenous people of the Siouan and Iroquoian tribes. The city derives its name from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who was awarded 5,000,000 acres (20,000 km²) of land in northern Virginia by King Charles. The first Fairfax courthouse was established in 1742 near present-day Tysons Corner, and is the namesake for Old Courthouse Road. The Battle of Fairfax Court House took place here on June 1, 1861, after a Union scouting party clashed with the local militia with neither side gaining advantage. In 1904, a trolley line connected Fairfax with Washington, D.C. The oldest two-story building in the city, the Fairfax Public School was built in 1873 for $2,750. The building has also housed special education, adult education, and police academy training. On July 4, 1992, the building became the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center.:156157 Joseph Edward Willard built the town hall building in 1900 then gifted it to the then town in 1902. The Old Town Hall now houses the Huddleston Library and the Fairfax Art League. In 1752, the courthouse was moved to Alexandria, which offered to build the new courthouse at their own expense. The courthouse operated there until 1790, when Virginia ceded the land for the creation of Washington, DC. In 1859, Fairfax was officially renamed the "Town of Fairfax" 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.

Geography

The city of Fairfax is located close to the geographic center of Fairfax County, at 38°519N 77°1815W (38.852612, 77.304377). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which all but 0.04 square miles of that 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 city within the county. Fairfax County's Government Center is west of the City of Fairfax. The city is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, which is located in Fairfax. It is also home to Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech's College of Information Technology, which are all located in the city. The University of Fairfax has a chapter of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1876. It was the first college in the nation to be chartered in 1878. It has been the home of the Virginia Institute of Technology since 1881. The university has also been the site of the College of Education, which opened in 1883. The Virginia Tech College of Technology is located on the edge of the Fairfax River, which runs through the city and into Fairfax County. The college is one of the largest universities in the state, with an enrollment of more than 1,000,000 students.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,565 people, 8,347 households, and 5,545 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 69.6% White, 15.2% Asian, 4.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 5.9% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. 15.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city's median income was $67,642, and the median income for a family was $78,921 (these figures had risen to $93,441 and $105,046 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,348 versus $38,351 for females. The per capita income for the city is $31,247. About 4.3% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of people age 65 or over are living below the poverty line. The 2020 US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of anyrace. The U.S. Census treats Hispanics/Latinos as anethnic category and excludes them from racial categories. The 2010 US Census treated Hispanic/ Latino as a racial category and excluded them from the race category. The 2016 US Census will treat Hispanic/ Latinos as a race category and assign them a separate racial category.

Economy

In May 2009, Fairfax was rated as No. 3 in the "Top 25 Places to Live Well" by Forbes Magazine. 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 city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: United States Air Force, Virginia National Guard, Virginia State Guard, and Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch, or see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. For support in the UK, call the Salvation Army on 08458 90 90 95, or click here for information on how to get in touch with Samaritans. For help in the Middle East, contact the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. on 0300 123 90 90 or visit http://www.mailonline.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/2011/11/29/1909/2029/2039/1939/2049/1949/2099/1919/2050/2059/2060/2030/2055/2053/2051/2057/2058/2054/2056/2052/2061/2062/2063/2065/2064/2066/2070/2067/2069/2068/2071/2072/2073/2074/2075/2076/2077/2078/2079/2080/2081/2082/2083/2084/2085/2086/2087/2088/2089/2090/2091/2093/2092/2094/2096/2097/2098/2095/2021/2022/2023/2028/2026/2027/2032/2038/2031/2033/2034/2036/2035/2037/2040/2041/2042/2043/2047/2046/2048/2044/2045/2020/2024/2025/2019/1947/19.

Annual events

Chocolate Lover's Festival is held in the heart of Old Town Fairfax during the first full weekend in February. Fall for the Book Festival features readings, discussions, lectures and exhibits from nationally recognized writers and professionals. National Trails Day is held to celebrate the trails, open spaces and parks in the City of Fairfax. The largest hometown parade and fireworks celebration in the Washington metropolitan region is held on Independence Day in the city's Old Town. The Holiday Craft Show is held at Fairfax High School on the third Saturday and Sunday of November. The Festival of Lights & Carols is held the first Saturday in December in Old Town, with Santa, caroling, a yule log, hot mulled cider, and the lighting of the city Christmas tree. It features more than 500 arts, crafts, and food vendors, and is usually held outdoors on the streets of the City. Attendance is about 35,000 to 45,000. It is the only annual event in the D.C. area that is free and open to the public. It takes place on the second Saturday in October at George Mason University, with a $5 admission fee for adults and $3 for children. The festival runs for three weeks and features music, dance, theater, art and choral concerts at venues throughout the city and the colleges. In September, a festival of Irish and Celtic song, dance and music isheld in and around Old TownFairfax. The event features hundreds of craft vendors and is attended by about 8,000-10,000 people.

Local government and politics

Fairfax is an independent city of Virginia rather than an incorporated town within a county. In order to revise the power and structure of the city government, the city must request the General Assembly to amend the charter. In May 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. City voters also elect the two city constitutional officers: Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue. Other elected officials who serve the city elected by city voters include the Sheriff (four-year term), Commonwealth's Attorney, and Clerk of the Court. State elected officials include the Virginia Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Virginia Senator (34th District), and Virginia Delegate (37th District). Federal elected officials including the U.S. President, U.S. Vice President, two U.N. Senators, and one U. s. Representative, 11th District. Mayor arrested for distribution of methamphetamine in August 2016. He announced his resignation on Monday, August 8, 2016, in a letter to the City Council. He maintains that he was not distributing methamphetamine "for sex," and he wasNot tried for any sexual crimes. He was charged with felony distribution ofamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He has since resigned from his position as Mayor of the City of Fairfax and is no longer with the city. The city is located in Fairfax County, Virginia, but an exclave of Fairfax County is located within the City.

Education

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. U.S. News & World Report often ranks Fairfax County schools among the best in the country. George Mason University, the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia, is located just to the south of the Fairfax city limits. In recent years, George Mason faculty have twice won the Nobel Prize in Economics. The university enrolls 33,917 students, making it the largest school by head count in Virginia. The city's public library system operates the City and Fairfax Regional Library in Fairfax. The library includes the Virginia Room, a collection of books, photographs, and manuscripts related to Fairfax County history, government, and genealogy. It is located in the Town of Fairfax, which was founded in 1858. The town is home to the University of Virginia's Northern Virginia University Center, which began in 1949 as the Northern Virginia Center of the Universityof Virginia. It was purchased by the town of Fairfax in 1958 and became George Mason in 1972. The University of Fairfax purchased 150 acres (0.61 km²) for the university in 1958, though the property remained within the county when the town became a city. After several name changes in 1972 the institution became Georgeason University. It enrolls more than 33,000 students and is most known for its programs in economics, law, creative writing, computer science, and business. The school district for the city is Fairfax City Public Schools.

Sports

The Fairfax Eagles rugby league team plays in the American National Rugby League. The team is based in Fairfax, New Jersey. The Eagles are currently in their third season in the league. The club has won two league titles and one semi-final in the last three years. The Fairfax Eagles play in the New Jersey-based American Rugby League (ARL) and the New York-based New England Rugby League, which has won one league title in the past three seasons. They also have a second league team in New Jersey, the New Hampshire-based North Carolina-bound New England Eagles. They have also played in the European Rugby League and the Australian Rugby League in recent years. They are currently playing in the Rugby League World Cup in New Zealand and the Rugby Championship in Australia and New Zealand. They play in a league that was founded in 2007 and runs until the end of the 2012 season. The NRL has also won the World Cup twice, in 2008 and 2010. The U.S. Rugby League has won the Rugby World Cup three times in its history, in 2007, 2008 and 2012. The Rugby League Cup has also been won by the Eagles in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. It is the most successful rugby league competition in the history of rugby league in the United States. It has never been beaten by any other team in the world. It also has the most wins and most points scored in a single season, more than any other league in history. It was also the most points per game than the New Zealand Super Rugby team.

Infrastructure

Fairfax is located in the eastern part of Virginia. Interstate 66 is the major highway serving the Fairfax region. The city has launched a one-year pilot program for e-scooters and other dockless transportation. The Washington Metro and Amtrak serve the city. The City of Fairfax operates the CUE Bus, an independent bus network. It is the home of the Virginia State Police. The Virginia Department of Public Safety is based in the city, but has no jurisdiction over the city of Fairfax. The Fairfax Police Department is based at the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, which is based outside the city limits. It was founded in 1903 and is the oldest sheriff's office in the state. It has been the seat of the sheriff for more than 40 years. It also serves as the location of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, which was established in 1903. The D.C. Post Office is located at the base of the Washington Monument, which dates back to the 17th century. It opened in 1805 and was the site of the first post office. The post office was moved to its current location in 1852. It closed in 1883. The Post Office reopened in 1876 and was renamed the Fairfax Post Office in 1881. It remains the site's main post office until the end of the 20th century, when it moved to a new location in the Fairfax suburb of Fairfax, Virginia. The current post office location is at the Burke Centre station of Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Fairfax, Alexandria City, Virginia = 83. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 40. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Fairfax = 4.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 24,146 individuals with a median age of 39.4 age the population grows by 10.42% in Fairfax, Alexandria City, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,900 residents per square mile of area (1,500/km²). There are average 2.61 people per household in the 8,858 households with an average household income of $88,734 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -1.99% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 30.42%. The number of physicians in Fairfax per 100,000 population = 445.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Fairfax = 43.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 7.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 116. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 198. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 24.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 41, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Fairfax, Alexandria City, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 68.47%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 41 years with median home cost = $318,190 and home appreciation of -5.93%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.22 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.