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City profile

Spanning more than 300 years of American history, the City of Alexandria has 140,000 residents, the 13th largest political unit in Virginia. The city offers a unique blend of urban life and vibrant neighborhoods, including historic Old Town, distinctive Del Ray, and high-rises in the West End. Alexandria is an independent city, not part of any county.

Location: Alexandria is bordered by Arlington County to the north, Fairfax County to the south and west, and the District of Columbia (Potomac River) to the east.

Transportation: Alexandria is served by several transportation systems. Major highways include I-395 and I-495 (Capital Beltway); U.S. Route 1; the George Washington Parkway; and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge across the Potomac. Transit systems include Metrorail (4 stations on the Blue and Yellow lines), Metrobus, DASH bus, and VRE commuter rail.

History: Alexandria was first settled around 1700, and incorporated in 1749 as a town within Fairfax County. The areas now known as Arlington and Alexandria were ceded by Virginia to the federal government in the late 18th century as part of the District of Columbia; they were returned to Virginia in 1846 as "Alexandria County". The Town of Alexandria became a city in 1852 (still within the county), and then an independent city in 1870, separate from the county. (The rest of the county later changed its name to "Arlington".) In the 1920's, Alexandria City annexed part of Arlington County (the neighborhood now known as "Del Ray"); and in the 1950's, the City took part of Fairfax County (today's "West End"). Those actions considerably increased Alexandria's size and population.

City neighborhoods: Arlandria, Beverly Hills, Braddock Heights, Brad Lee, Cameron Station, Clover, College Park, Dalecrest, Del Ray, Eisenhower Valley, Fort Ward Heights, Foxchase, Hume, Landmark, Lynhaven, North Ridge, Old Town, Parkfairfax, Potomac Yard, Rosemont, Seminary Hill, Shirley Duke, Upper Potomac West, Varsity Park, Warwick Village, West End.

NOTE: Many areas with "Alexandria" mailing addresses are actually in Fairfax County, not in the City of Alexandria.

Alexandria maps:

• Official maps (from the City)
• Interactive street map (from Google)