Alexandria (Virginia)

Alexandria (Virginia), independent city in northern Virginia, on the Potomac River, a suburb of Washington, D.C. It is a commercial and transportation center, with a port accommodating oceangoing vessels. Manufactures include telecommunications and railroad equipment, chemicals, furniture, printed materials, and processed food. More than 350 national trade and professional operations have their headquarters in Alexandria. The city is adjacent to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (formerly Washington National Airport). Alexandria’s historic district, known as Old Town, includes Christ Church, completed in 1773, where George Washington worshiped; Gadsby’s Tavern, a colonial tavern frequented by Washington; many colonial and Georgian style houses; and the boyhood home of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Washington’s residence, Mount Vernon, is south of the city.

Alexandria is named for John Alexander, who purchased the land in 1669. In 1749 George Washington, then age 17, helped survey the layout of the city, which became a thriving colonial trade center and tobacco port. It was part of the District of Columbia from 1791 to 1846, when Congress agreed to return the city to the state of Virginia. Alexandria was established in 1749, incorporated as a town in 1779, and reincorporated as an independent city in 1852. It was occupied by Union troops from 1861 until the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Growth in manufacturing and government-related activities contributed to a substantial population increase in the second half of the 20th century.

Alexandria covers a land area of 39 sq km (15 sq mi), with a mean elevation of 10 m (32 ft). According to the 2000 census, whites are 59.8 percent of the population, blacks 22.5 percent, Asians 5.7 percent, Native Americans 0.3 percent, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.1 percent. The remainder are of mixed heritage or did not report race. Hispanics, who may be of any race, are 14.7 percent of the people. Population 103,217 (1980); 111,183 (1990); 128,283 (2000); 135,337 (2005 estimate).