Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County is a county of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of 2002, the population was 991,000, making Fairfax the most populous county in the Commonwealth. It is also the most populous jurisdiction in the Greater Washington Area, surpassing the population of Washington, D.C. by over 400,000 residents. The US Census Bureau predicts the current 2005 population to be well over 1,000,000. Its county seat is the independent city of Fairfax6. Fairfax County is the location of many 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.

Related Topics:
1742 - Prince William County - Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron - Northern Neck

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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.

Related Topics:
1757 - Loudoun County - 1789 - Alexandria County - District of Columbia - 1846 - Independent city - Alexandria - Arlington County - 1920 - Falls Church - 1948 - Fairfax - 1961

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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.

Related Topics:
Civil War - Battle of Chantilly - Bull Run - Union - Confederacy

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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.

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