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Since its settlement in the 1700s, the City of Fairfax, VA has been at the heart of Northern Virginia's government and commercial activities. Its rich heritage follows the development of the nation - from a rural crossroads to a prosperous cosmopolitan area. People from around the region come to shop in Old Town Fairfax, and students from around the world come to study at George Mason University. In 2005, the community celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of this historic city where George Washington’s will is still filed at the Fairfax Courthouse.
The proximity to Washington, DC makes this area a prime location for real estate investors and people looking for Fairfax homes for sale. Fairfax offers homes to more than 20,000 residents from town homes to stately renovated houses in the city's Historic District, which are included in the National Register of Historic Places.
Located just 20 minutes from Washington, DC, Fairfax has an attractive blend of commercial, office, retail, and residential properties which combines small-town charm with the opportunities of a thriving urban area. As such, Fairfax, VA has become home to large companies and small service firms, lawyers and other professionals, thriving retail stores and national trade associations.
Education
The public schools in the City of Fairfax are owned by the city, but they are administered by the Fairfax County Public Schools system under a contractual agreement with Fairfax County.
George Mason University is the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is located just outside the Fairfax city limits. The then Town of Fairfax purchased 150 acres for the university in 1958, but the property remained within the County when the town became a city. Then, in 1966, GMU became a four-year university and still lies just outside the city.
Historic Fairfax, VA
In the early 1700s, farmers settled in what is known as the Virginia Tidewater region. Fairfax, then known as Earp’s Corner, and a courthouse was established on the corner of what was at that time Little River Turnpike and Ox Road, now named Main Street and Chain Bridge Road.
In 1805 the town was designated the Town of Providence by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. But people today, still refer to it informally as Fairfax Court House.
In March of 1863, a sleeping Union Army General Edwin H. Stoughton and two of his captains were ambushed by disguised Mosby’s Confederate Rangers. With stealth and cunning, they took these men hostage, freed 30 prisoners, and took possession of 58 horses, all without firing a shot.
In 1904 a trolley line was constructed which connected the Town of Fairfax with Washington, D.C.
The town, which was officially renamed the Town of Fairfax in 1874, became an independent city in 1961, and at that time acquired its current name, the City of Fairfax.
Things to Do
Immediately adjacent to the Nation's Capital, Fairfax, VA offers a whole new world of wonderful places for you to explore. You can visit the beautiful grounds of historic Mount Vernon, George Washington's Estate & Gardens, or the Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center; choose to be entertained by artists at Wolf Trap, America's only National Park for the Performing Arts; and, of course, you will want to save time to experience the world-class shopping of Tysons Corner which has over 500 shops and restaurants all within walking distance of each other.
If you like to be right in the middle of things, you will find that one of the Fairfax homes for sale will suit you perfectly!
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