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Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C. Alexandria is the third largest "principal city" of the Washington metropolitan area which is part of the larger Washington-Baltimore combined statistical area.

Alexandria, Virginia

United States

1749

1779

1852

1870

8: Don Beyer (D)

15.35 sq mi (39.75 km2)

14.93 sq mi (38.68 km2)

0.41 sq mi (1.07 km2)

287 ft (87 m)

0 ft (0 m)

159,467

169th in United States
6th in Virginia

10,680.97/sq mi (4,122.72/km2)

Alexandrian

UTC−4 (EDT)

22301 to 22315, 22320 to 22336

51-01000[2]

1492456[3]

In 2020, the population was 159,467, making it the 6th most populous city in Virginia and the 169th most populous city in the nation.[4] The city's estimated population has grown by 1% annually since 2010 on average.[5]


Like the rest of Northern Virginia and Central Maryland, modern Alexandria has been influenced by its proximity to the U.S. capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, in the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government. One of Alexandria's largest employers is the U.S. Department of Defense. Another is the Institute for Defense Analyses. In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office moved to Alexandria, and in 2017, so did the headquarters of the National Science Foundation.


The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town Alexandria, or simply "Old Town". With its concentration of boutiques, restaurants, antique shops and theaters, it is a major draw for all who live in Alexandria as well as for visitors. Like Old Town, many Alexandria neighborhoods are compact and walkable. It is the 6th largest and highest-income independent city in Virginia. A large portion of adjacent Fairfax County, mostly south but also west of the city, has Alexandria mailing addresses. However, this area is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County's government and separate from the independent city.[6] The city is therefore sometimes referred to as the "City of Alexandria" to avoid confusion. Neighboring Arlington County was formerly named "Alexandria County" before it was renamed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1920 to reduce confusion with the city.

60.9%

White

21.8%

African American

6.0% (1.3% Indian, 1.0% Filipino, 0.9% Chinese, 0.8% Korean, 0.5% Thai, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 1.0% Other)

Asian

0.4%

Native American

0.1%

Pacific Islander

3.7% from

two or more races

16.1% of the population were of any national origin (4.6% Salvadoran, 1.7% Mexican, 1.6% Honduran, 1.1% Guatemalan, 1.1% Puerto Rican, 0.9% Bolivian, 0.8% Peruvian, 0.4% Colombian)

Hispanics or Latinos

Arts and culture[edit]

Events[edit]

A popular Christmas time attraction in Alexandria is the Scottish Christmas Walk, which was established in 1969.[68] The event, which involves a parade through the center of Old Town Alexandria, celebrates the city's Scottish heritage, and is the centerpiece of a yearly holiday festival.[69] It serves as a fundraiser for social services in Alexandria.[68] Other parades in Old Town celebrate Saint Patrick's Day[70] and the birthday of George Washington.[71] Other annual events include the Red Cross Waterfront Festival in June, the city's birthday celebration with fireworks show in July, various ethnic heritage days at Tavern Square, and "First Night Alexandria", which presents many family-friendly entertainments on New Year's Eve.


These parades and other official events are typically led by Alexandria's town crier, who, often dressed in elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red coat, breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat, welcomes participants.[72]

Sports[edit]

Due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., Alexandria has only been the home of one professional sports team, the Alexandria Dukes, a minor league baseball team, which moved to Woodbridge in 1984 to become The Prince William Pirates (now known as the Fredericksburg Nationals).[76]


In December 2023, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder Ted Leonsis annouced plans to develop a 70-acre area in Potomac Yards to include a concert venue, businesses, and a new arena that would have been home to the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.[77] The proposal failed in March 2024 with the announcement Virginia negotiations were ending and Monumental planning to sign an additional lease with Washington, D.C. after it did not advance in the Virginia General Assembly.[78]

Parks and recreation[edit]

Alexandria has a distributed park system with approximately 950 acres (3.8 km2) spread across 70 major parks and 30 recreation centers, of which Chinquapin is one of the largest. Chinquapin offers facilities for swimming, tennis, racquetball, and other sports. The city also organizes several sports leagues throughout the year including volleyball, softball and basketball.


The city is home to Cameron Run Regional Park which includes a water park with a wave pool and water slides, as well as a miniature golf course and batting cages. A portion of the Mount Vernon Trail, a popular bike and jogging path, runs through Old Town near the Potomac River on its way from the Mount Vernon Estate to Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC. There is also a largely unbroken line of parks stretching along the Alexandria waterfront from end to end.

Education[edit]

Colleges and universities[edit]

Virginia Tech's Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, also known as WAAC, is located on Prince Street in Old Town, offering graduate programs in Urban Affairs and Planning, Public and International Affairs, Architecture, and Landscape Architecture. Virginia Commonwealth University operates a Northern Virginia branch of its School of Social Work and The George Washington University also has a campus near the King Street metro. This campus mainly offers professional and vocational programs, such as an executive MBA program, urban planning and security studies. It also includes the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College. The largest seminary in the Episcopal Church, Virginia Theological Seminary, is located on Seminary Road.

actor[112]

Diedrich Bader

internet entrepreneur[113]

Hannibal Brumskine III

drummer for The Police

Stewart Copeland

Hall of Fame baseball pitcher who played in the Negro leagues

Leon Day

forward-guard, Washington Mystics, WNBA champion, two-time league MVP[114]

Elena Delle Donne

wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills

Stefon Diggs

former actress, model

Donna Dixon

American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US 1939–75, and environmentalist resided in Old Town for four decades

William O. Douglas

Alexandria, Virginia radio personality, pioneer in podcasting[115]

Chad Dukes

and John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas[37]

Cass Elliot

actor, singer

Charles Esten

previously unidentified murder victim discovered in Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland in 1976, identified in 2021

Margaret Fetterolf

former President of the United States, lived at 1521 Mount Eagle Place in Parkfairfax, and later at 514 Crown View Drive,[116] where he lived during his term as vice president and for the first ten days of his presidency

Gerald R. Ford

a Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, was born in Alexandria[117]

Rick Franklin

founder and frontman of Foo Fighters, drummer for Nirvana[114]

Dave Grohl

first African American town councilor of West Chester, Pennsylvania

Moses Hepburn

African American educator, journalist, poet, lecturer, and clubwoman

Sarah Gibson Jones

actor, who grew up in Alexandria and graduated from George Mason University in nearby Fairfax, Virginia.

Archie Kao

theater director[118]

Thomas Kail

U.S. Senator for the state of Maine[119]

Angus King

mathematician who won the 2019 Wolf Prize in mathematics

Gregory Lawler

often known by his nickname "Light-Horse Harry", Revolutionary War lieutenant colonel, Virginia Governor, father of Robert E. Lee moved to Alexandria in 1810

Henry Lee III

Civil War general, grew up on Oronoco Street[120]: 32 

Robert E. Lee

general manager of Minnesota Twins, was born in Alexandria

Thad Levine

American musician, educator, former First Lady of American Samoa and former First Lady of Guam[121]

Emma Louise Lowe

Olympian[122]

Noah Lyles

musician

Scott McKenzie

of The Doors[37] lived at 310 Woodland Terrace 1959–61

Jim Morrison

former American football player and former WWE wrestler[123]

Dean Muhtadi

American Actor, known for his role in My Best Friend's Wedding, among others

Dermot Mulroney

Director of the Office of Management and Budget and former U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina, born in Alexandria

Mick Mulvaney

former President of the United States, lived at 3426 Gunston Rd in Parkfairfax[116]: 11 

Richard M. Nixon

Lieutenant Colonel in the C.S Army, Adjutant to Stonewall Jackson and other Confederate Generals.

Sandie Pendleton

Chicago Bears wide receiver[124]

Eddie Royal

national television personality, grew up in Rosemont[125]

Willard Scott

actor known for his roles in General Hospital and Andi Mack

Garren Stitt

Diplomat who negotiated the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo

Nicholas Trist

singer

Kali Uchis

NASA rocket scientist, residence on Vicar Lane, buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery[126]

Wernher von Braun

American artist, architect and women's rights activist

Ella Wall Van Leer

former Episcopal bishop, second Bishop of Alabama

Richard Hooker Wilmer

The PBS TV series is set in Alexandria during the American Civil War

Mercy Street

comic book series and subsequent TV adaptation features a protected area of Alexandria known as the Safe Zone.[128]

The Walking Dead

The 2000 film about the T.C. Williams High School football team's 1971 state championship team, takes place in Alexandria and the cemetery scene was filmed at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Alexandria. However, the school featured in the movie was not the actual T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria.

Remember the Titans

Alternative rock band the has a track titled "Arlandria" on their 2011 release Wasting Light; front man (and ex-Nirvana drummer) Dave Grohl lived in Alexandria during the early 2000s and recorded two Foo Fighters albums in his home studio. The Arlandria neighborhood is also referenced in the song "Headwires" from the band's 1999 release, There Is Nothing Left to Lose.[129]

Foo Fighters

In , the address of Special Agent Fox Mulder is given as Apartment 42, 2630 Hegal Place, Alexandria, VA 23242.[130]

The X-Files

Alexandria Police Department

Alexandria Fire Department

List of famous people from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area

Mòd

National Register of Historic Places listings in Alexandria, Virginia

Wales Brewery

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Alexandria". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 572–573.

public domain

Powell, Mary G., The History of Old Alexandria Virginia, Richmond: William Byrd Press, 1928.

Seale, William. The Alexandria Library Company, Alexandria, VA: Alexandria Library, 2007.