About Fairfax County

Fairfax County, Virginia is a diverse and thriving urban county. As the most populous jurisdiction in both Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area, the county's population of 1,041,200 exceeds that of seven states. The median household income of $100,318 is one of the highest in the nation and over half of the county's adult residents have four-year college degrees or more educational attainment.

Fairfax County is the business and technology center of the East Coast. More than 27,000 businesses are critical to moving the American and global economy forward, including leaders in aerospace, information technology, defense and intelligence systems, software development, telecommunications and the life sciences. Fairfax County's location between Washington Dulles Airport and the nation's capital offers unique access to the world's largest buyers of technology goods and services, as well as good transportation connections to the most important national and international markets.

Fairfax County was established in 1742 and named after Thomas, the sixth Lord Fairfax. Located 10 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., the county covers 399 square miles and has major shopping hubs, national parks, a wide variety of restaurants and popular cultural attractions within its boundaries.

As the home of patriot-farmers George Washington and George Mason, Fairfax County has rural roots. As recently as the 1950s it was the leading dairy-producing county in the Commonwealth. Now it is a world center of commerce and trade and the technology hub of the U.S. East Coast. More than 4,000 technology companies have offices here, including leaders in aerospace, e-commerce, Internet services, software development and telecommunications. It is the home of the Internet, with more than half of the world's Internet traffic crosses northern Virginia's borders daily.

Fairfax County has led the transformation of the Washington area into a technology hub. The Washington area has more technology companies and technology workers than any other region in the U.S., according to a recent study commissioned by the Greater Washington Initiative.

Fairfax County has the largest number of jobs (575,729) and the largest labor force (609,913) in the Washington area. The county has the highest median household income ($90,937) , and one of the highest standards of living in the country. Fairfax has one of the nation's highest ranked school systems, award-winning local and regional park systems, and other top-flight public services.

Fairfax County enjoys an abundance of attributes that make it one of the most desirable places in the U.S. to work, live and play. These attributes - its diversified and dynamic business base, highly trained workforce, competitive tax structure, historically low unemployment rate, multi-modal transportation network, extensive fiber network, historic attractions, broad cultural and recreational opportunities and high quality of public service - are the lifeblood of any thriving technology community.

Also, thousands of firms have opened their doors in the past decade to take advantage of the county's excellent public schools, colleges and universities; strategic access to Washington, D.C.; Dulles and Reagan Washington National Airports; high-quality commercial real estate; well-maintained and diverse residential communities.

The northern Virginia climate is moderate, with the average temperature and precipitation reaching 53.9 degrees Fahrenheit (12.1 degrees Celsius) and 40 inches (101.6 cm), respectively.

A Thriving International Business Location
Fairfax County is home to:

  • approximately 5,013 technology companies ¾ one of the highest concentrations in the United States ¾ employing more than 100,000 people.
  • more than 105.1 million square feet of office space - fifth largest inventory of office space in the U.S.;
  • one of the best educated, skilled and diverse labor forces anywhere, numbering more than 609,913 people;
  • a growing core of Internet backbone and service providers that routes more than half the world's Internet traffic; and
  • an outstanding quality of life with a public school system consistently ranked one of the nation's best.
  • More than 30 venture capital firms and organizations, providing an increased access to funds for startup companies.

Historical Attractions
Fairfax County's historical attractions include Woodlawn Plantation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Pope-Leighey House, Sully Plantation, Colvin Run Mill, Mount Vernon ¾ the home of George Washington ¾ and Claude Moore Colonial Farm.

Cultural attractions such as Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, George Mason University Center for the Arts, Harris Theatre, The Patriot Center at George Mason University, The Ernst Community Cultural Center at NVCC, the Alden Theatre, the Arts Council of Fairfax County, and the Reston Community Center offer a broad range of popular attractions and performances.

Transportation
Interstates 95, 495 and 66 provide primary road access to the county. Washington Dulles International Airport ¾ the second largest transatlantic gateway and the third largest East Coast gateway to the Pacific Rim ¾ is located in the northwestern part of the county. Reagan National Airport is also close by. Amtrak, Amtrak Autotrain, Washington Metrorail ("Metro") and Virginia Railway Express also keep people moving into and around the region. The Metro has three lines and 10 stops in Fairfax County with plans to expand.

For additional information on Fairfax County please visit:
Fairfax County Government
and
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority