Welcome to Northern Virginia, a very nice place to call home.
Mt. Vernon. Northern Virginia's best known home nominally Northern Virginia encompasses Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Arlington counties and adjacent municipalities. The region is part of the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. In the early and mid 20th century, Northern Virginia was mostly farming communities that served the nation's capital, but no longer! Today it is a major business center as well as one of the most desirable residential areas surrounding the District.
Fairfax County has been called "the engine that drives Virginia" and the "Front Door to the Nation's Capital". No wonder, it is one of the nation's ten largest counties and has been ranked as the most affluent county in the nation.
Arlington County, "the Virginia side of the Nation's Capital," is located directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Arlington is the smallest self-governed county in the U.S. Three of the most famous landmarks in the country, the Pentagon (the world's largest office building), Arlington Cemetery, and the U.S. Marine Memorial, are in Arlington County.
Loudoun County, just west of Fairfax County, is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S. Although western Loudoun County still abounds with hundred acre "horsey country" estates. Leesburg is on the National Register of Historic Places, which calls it "one of the best preserved, most picturesque communities in Virginia."
Also just west of Fairfax is Prince William County, site of the Civil War's first and second battles of Manassas. The county is rapidly changing from rural to suburban while maintaining a very desirable life style through trend setting controlled growth policies. Old town Manassas is another of the Northern Virginia's beautifully preserved historic community centers.
More than 30 colleges and universities are located in the greater Washington, D.C. area - more than half of which are located in the Northern Virginia area.
Tens of thousands of acres of parkland grace the area, which includes hundreds of miles of biking and horseback riding trails.
History is everywhere in Northern Virginia country. Fairfax County dates its origin to 1742, when it was created by the Virginia General Assembly. In 1757, the Virginia House of Burgesses divided Fairfax County into Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.
Northern Virginia is an ideal location for business. Many Fortune 500 companies have located their corporate headquarters in the area, including Internet and telecommunications giants AOL, UUNET, and WorldCom. Virginia's $11 million Center for Innovative Technology is on the border of Loudoun and Fairfax counties near Dulles Airport.
An interesting oddity about Virginia is that the cities and counties have separate governments. As a result, the cities of Fairfax, Falls Church Alexandria, Manassas and Manassas Park are not a part of Fairfax or Prince William Counties, and their residents pay city, not county, taxes.
Due to its proximity to the nation's capital and its own growing prosperity as a center of business and commerce, Northern Virginia's real estate industry has been one of the most active in the country, with no end in sight.
Northern Virginia's growth and national prominence has been built on its reputation for offering its residents the very best in overall quality of life. Residents of Northern Virginia share a strong sense of community and optimism as this area continues toward an exciting future. So, welcome to Northern Virginia!
- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
