Citizendia

Northern Virginia (also referred to as "NOVA" or "NoVA") consists of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park in the U.S. state of Virginia. Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. Loudoun County (ˈlaʊdən "LOUD-un" is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Prince William County is a county located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. An independent city is a City that does not form part of another general-purpose Local government entity Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Falls Church is an Independent city in Virginia, United States. This article refers to the independent city of Fairfax Va For the surrounding unincorporated area of Fairfax County with a Fairfax postal address please see Fairfax County Virginia Manassas Park is a city in Virginia. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an Independent city and not part of any county it is A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a consolidated Metropolitan area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Washington The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Northern Virginia is the most diverse (in terms of both the number of ethnicities and nationalities represented) and highest-income region of Virginia, having six of the twenty highest-income counties in the nation, including the two highest as of 2007. There are 3142 counties in the United States. The source of the data is the U

Contents

Demographics

Income in Northern Virginia's five largest jurisdictions
Household incomeNOVA5[1]Virginia[2]United States[3]
$100k+46. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions 1%23. 6%17%
$75k-100k15. 1%12. 8%11%
$50k-75k16. 3%19. 4%18%
$25k-50k14. 2%24%23%
$25k or less8. 4%20. 2%28%

As of 2006, the United States Census estimates that there are 2,432,823[4] people in Northern Virginia, around 32% of the state's population. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. This figure includes the exurban Clarke, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren counties as well as the independent city of Fredricksburg. Clarke County is a county located in the US state &mdash officially " Commonwealth " &mdash of Virginia. Fauquier (fɔˈkiːɹ is a county located in the United States commonwealth/state of Virginia. Spotsylvania County is a county in the US state &mdash officially " Commonwealth " &mdash of Virginia. Stafford County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U Warren County is a county located in the United States Commonwealth of Virginia. An independent city is a City that does not form part of another general-purpose Local government entity Fredericksburg is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is located 50 miles south of Washington D Together, these jurisdictions account for 377,809 residents. The combined population of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park is 2,055,014, which is 26. Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. Loudoun County (ˈlaʊdən "LOUD-un" is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Prince William County is a county located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. An independent city is a City that does not form part of another general-purpose Local government entity Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Falls Church is an Independent city in Virginia, United States. This article refers to the independent city of Fairfax Va For the surrounding unincorporated area of Fairfax County with a Fairfax postal address please see Fairfax County Virginia Manassas Park is a city in Virginia. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an Independent city and not part of any county it is 89% of Virginia's estimated population in 2006.

Race in Northern Virginia's five largest jurisdictions according to the American Community Survey demographic estimates:

Educational attainment (25 and older) in Northern Virginia's five largest jurisdictions
Educational attainmentNOVA5[5]Virginia[6]United States[7]
Graduate/professional25. The educational attainment of the US population is similar to that of many other industrialized countries with the vast majority of the population having completed secondary education 2%13. 2%9. 9%
Bachelor's30. 3%19. 5%17. 1%
Associate's5. 7%6. 8%7. 4%
Some college14. 8%18. 7%19. 5%
High school/equivalent15. 8%27. 2%30. 2%
Less than high school8. 1%14. 6%15. 9%

Of those born in the U. S. and living in Northern Virginia's four largest counties, their place of birth by Census region is:[8][9][10][11]

Northern Virginia is home to people from diverse backgrounds, with significant numbers of Arab Americans, Afghan Americans, Korean Americans, Indian Americans, Iranian Americans, American Jews, Pakistani Americans, and Vietnamese Americans, along with other Americans of Asian descent especially a growing Chinese American and Filipino American population. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost An Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or Identity whose ancestry traces back to any of various An Afghan American refers to an American with heritage or origins in Afghanistan. Korean Americans ( Korean: ko 한국계 미국인 Hanja: ko 韓國系美國人 hangukgye migugin) are Americans of Korean origin Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U Iranian Americans are American citizens of Iranian ethnicity or heritage American Jews, or Jewish Americans A Pakistani American is someone who trace their roots to Pakistan A Vietnamese American (người Mỹ gốc Việt is a resident of the United States who is of Vietnamese heritage Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Annandale, Chantilly, and Fairfax County have large Korean communities. Falls Church has a large Vietnamese community.

There is a sizable Latino population, primarily consisting of Salvadorans, Peruvians, Bolivians, and Colombians. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Arlington is the center of the largest Bolivian community in North America (mostly immigrants from Cochabamba). Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a Valley bearing the same name in the Andes Mountain range.

Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest African immigrant populations in America, with significant numbers of Nigerians, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Somalians, and Ghanaians. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the

Economy

In recent decades, Northern Virginia has become home to many technology companies, especially in the Dulles Technology Corridor. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington Dulles International Airport, the Dulles Technology Corridor, dubbed the " Netplex " in 1993 by These companies included Sprint Nextel and formerly AOL. Sprint Nextel Corporation ( is a Telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. Other large corporate employers include ExxonMobil near Falls Church, Micron in Manassas, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in Reston and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in Herndon. The Exxon Mobil Corporation, or ExxonMobil, is an American oil and gas Corporation and a direct descendant of John D Micron Technology ("Micron" is a multinational company based in Boise, Idaho, USA best known for producing many forms of Semiconductor Science Applications International Corporation ( SAIC) is a FORTUNE 500 scientific engineering and technology applications company in the United States with Reston is an internationally known Planned community whose goal was to revolutionize post-World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in Electronic Data Systems (EDS is a global Business and technology services company headquartered in Plano Texas that defined the Outsourcing business Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.

The federal government is a major employer in Northern Virginia, which is home to numerous government agencies; these include the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters and the Pentagon (headquarters of the Department of Defense), as well as Fort Myer, Fort Belvoir, Marine Corps Base Quantico, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the United States Geological Survey. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government Fort Myer is a US Army post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County Virginia, across the Potomac River Fort Belvoir is a United States military installation and a Census-designated place (CDP in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States Marine Corps Base Quantico is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle Virginia, covering nearly 100 square miles in southern Prince The United States Patent and Trademark Office ( PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues Patents to The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government.

The region's large shopping malls, such as Potomac Mills and Tysons Corner Center, attract many visitors, as well as its Civil War battlefields. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors Potomac Mills is a Shopping mall in Woodbridge VA in the Washington D Tysons Corner Center, located in the Tysons Corner Unincorporated area in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States (near McLean Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Old Town Alexandria is known for its historic townhouses, restaurants, gift shops, artist studios, and cruise boats. Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The waterfront and outdoor recreational amenities such as biking and running trails (the Washington and Old Dominion Rail Trail is the longest paved path in the U. The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a popular and unusually-shaped Regional park in Northern Virginia. S. ; the Mount Vernon Trail, and trails along various stream beds are also popular), whitewater and sea kayaking, and rock climbing areas are focused along the Potomac River, but are also found at other locations in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. The Mount Vernon Trail is a popular running and bike path in Northern Virginia that runs from near Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States. The largest contiguous public parks-preserves within of either Baltimore Md Scenic Great Falls Park and historic Mount Vernon (which opened a new visitor center in 2006) are especially noteworthy. Great Falls Park is a small National Park Service (NPS site in Virginia, United States. This is about the George Washington residence For other uses see Mount Vernon (disambiguation. Woodbridge is home to two minor-league sports franchises, the Northern Virginia Royals soccer team and the Potomac Nationals baseball team. Woodbridge is a Census-designated place (CDP in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. Northern Virginia Royals are an American Soccer team founded in 1998. History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur The Potomac Nationals are a Minor League Baseball team located in Woodbridge Virginia. The Carolina League is a Minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic region of the United States.

Notable companies

The following Northern Virginia companies appear in the Fortune 1000 list:

Other notable companies headquartered in the region include Airbus North America and Volkswagen Group of America. Please do not add the complete list of fortune 1000 companies CACI International Inc ( is a publicly held Information Technology (IT company headquartered in Arlington Virginia and London England. Capital One Financial Corp ( is a McLean Virginia -based Bank holding company specializing in Credit cards, home loans, Auto loans CSC2jpg|thumb|250px|CSC's branch office in HITEC City, Hyderabad, India]] Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC is an Information technology DynCorp International is a United States -based Private military contractor (PMC and aircraft maintenance company Gannett Company Inc ( is a publicly-traded media Holding company based in the United States. General Dynamics Corporation ( is a defense conglomerate formed by Mergers and Divestitures and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest Defense contractor NII Holdings Inc (formerly known as Nextel International is a mobile phone company using the IDEN standard NVR is a Fortune 500 homebuilding company based in Reston Virginia, USA SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the United States ' largest college student loan company managing more than $126 Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Volkswagen Group of America Inc (sometimes referred to as Volkswagen of America, abbreviated to VWoA) is the United States operational headquarters

Politics

Northern Virginia is becoming known for favoring candidates of the Democratic Party in its voting patterns. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Fairfax County voted for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, the first time the county supported the Democratic candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. The area also voted for Democrats Jim Webb in 2006 for U. James Henry "Jim" Webb Jr (born February 9 1946 is the Junior Senator from Virginia. S. Senate, Tim Kaine in 2005 for governor, and Mark Warner in 2001 for governor. Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (born February 26, 1958) is an American politician and the current Governor of Virginia. Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American politician and businessman from the U In these three races for statewide office, the margins tallied in Northern Virginia provided the Democratic candidate with a winning margin of victory.

Junior Senator from Virginia Jim Webb.
Junior Senator from Virginia Jim Webb.

The most recent election in Virginia was an extremely close one statewide. Democrat Jim Webb defeated incumbent Senator George Allen by the slim margin of 49. James Henry "Jim" Webb Jr (born February 9 1946 is the Junior Senator from Virginia. George Felix Allen (born March 8 1952 is a former Republican United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former 6% to 49. 2%. [12] However, that margin increased to 58. 1% to 40. 7% in favor of the Democratic challenger in the counties and cities of Northern Virginia, whereas Webb ran behind Allen somewhat, 46. 1% to 52. 7%, in the remainder of the Commonwealth. Webb carried Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County, as well as the more urban areas of Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church. Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. Prince William County is a county located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Loudoun County (ˈlaʊdən "LOUD-un" is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Falls Church is an Independent city in Virginia, United States. Allen's sole wins in Northern Virginia were the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, winning the latter two only by the narrow margins of 3. Manassas Park is a city in Virginia. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an Independent city and not part of any county it is 54% and 2. 38%, respectively.

In the 2004 presidential election, 53% of Northern Virginia voters voted for John Kerry, the Democratic candidate, and 46% voted for George W. Bush, the Republican candidate. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. This contrasted with the rest of Virginia, where 43% of voted for John Kerry and 56% for George Bush. Kerry also carried Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia, and Fairfax City, the first time those jurisdictions had voted Democratic since Johnson's national landslide in 1964 (although now the county is almost consistently voting Democratic). Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. This article refers to the independent city of Fairfax Va For the surrounding unincorporated area of Fairfax County with a Fairfax postal address please see Fairfax County Virginia Please DO NOT flip the colors -->The United States presidential election of 1964 was one of the most lopsided presidential elections in the history of the United States The strongest support in the area for the Democrats lies inside the Beltway, in Arlington, Alexandria, and parts of Fairfax County. Interstate 495 (abbreviated I-495) is a Freeway -class Interstate highway which circles Washington D Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The more distant areas (i. e. , Loudoun County and Prince William County) are generally more conservative though as they have increased in population they have also become more liberal. Loudoun County (ˈlaʊdən "LOUD-un" is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Prince William County is a county located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Both Mark Warner in 2001, and John Kerry in 2004, lost Loudoun and Prince William. Tim Kaine won both counties in 2005. And in 2006, despite not polling as strongly as Mark Warner statewide, Democratic senate candidate Jim Webb won both Loudoun and Prince William. James Henry "Jim" Webb Jr (born February 9 1946 is the Junior Senator from Virginia. In 2005 65% of the voters of Northern Virginia voted for Democrat Tim Kaine for governor over Jerry Kilgore, who received only 32% of the vote, easily 14 points lower than George W. Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (born February 26, 1958) is an American politician and the current Governor of Virginia. Jerry Walter Kilgore, (born August 23, 1961) a Republican, is a former Attorney General of Bush's showing only a year earlier.

The 8th, the 10th, and the 11th congressional districts lie within Northern Virginia. A congressional district is an electoral Constituency that elects a single member of a Congress. The 8th district votes overwhelmingly Democratic while the other two districts generally elect Republican congressmen but by smaller margins. The current congressman from the 8th district is Jim Moran (D), the current congressman from the 10th district is Frank Wolf (R), and the current congressman from the 11th district is Tom Davis (R). James Patrick "Jim" Moran Jr (born 16 May 1945 in Buffalo New York) has represented the of Virginia since 1991 The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Frank Rudolph Wolf (born January 30, 1939) is a career politician and a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since Thomas M "Tom" Davis III (born January 5 1949 in Minot, North Dakota) is a Republican member of the United The 10th is slightly more Republican than the 11th, although both districts have awarded re-election to the incumbents by comfortable margins, and both were won by George W. Bush in 2004. However, all three districts voted for Jim Webb in the 2006 Senate election, reflecting their increasingly Democratic nature.

In the 2005 gubernatorial election, the entire region continued to move away from the Republicans. Fairfax County, Arlington County, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, and Falls Church, and for the first time, Loudoun County and Prince William County, went to Tim Kaine, the Democratic candidate. Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (born February 26, 1958) is an American politician and the current Governor of Virginia. The area continued to be more Democratic the closer it was to Washington, D.C., but Richmond resident Kaine was able to accomplish what Northern Virginian Mark Warner had been unable to do just four years earlier in 2001: carry Loudoun County and Prince William County (as well as win over 60% of the vote in Fairfax County). Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American politician and businessman from the U

In 2006, Democrat Mark Herring swept every precinct in the 33rd state Senate District Tuesday, Jan. 31, en route to beating Republican Loudoun County Supervisor Mick Staton by a wide margin of 62 to 38 percent, providing evidence for the claim that Loudoun is transforming into a liberal county. The district sits primarily in Loudoun County but also includes nine precincts in western Fairfax County: Floris, Fox Mill, Frying Pan, McNair, Franklin, Kinross, Navy, Lees Corner East, and Lees Corner West.

History

Civil War

During the American Civil War, the Army of Northern Virginia was the primary army for the Confederate States of America. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Important battlefields and other Civil War-themed attractions dot the region, most notably Manassas National Battlefield Park. Manassas National Battlefield Park, located north of Manassas Virginia, preserves the site of two major American Civil War battles the First Battle of Bull Many area schools, roads, and parks are named for Confederate generals and statesmen, including, among others:

In addition there are several schools named for Civil War Battles, including Bull Run Middle School and Antietam Elementary School (both in Prince William County). JEB Stuart High School is a High school in Fairfax County, Virginia named after the famous Confederate cavalry leader J US Route 1 (US 1 is a major north-south US Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. Leesylvania State Park is located in the southeastern part of Prince William County, Virginia. Robert E Lee High School is the name of several high schools in the United States Robert E Stonewall Jackson High School is the name of several schools in the United States Stonewall Jackson High School (Prince William County Virginia

20th century and beyond

The Pentagon.
The Pentagon.

The Department of Defense's increasing reliance on information technology companies during the Cold War started the Northern Virginia economy and spurred urban development throughout the region. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the [13] After the Cold War, prosperity continued to come as the region positioned itself as the "Silicon Valley" of the Eastern United States. For the valley nicknamed "Silicone Valley" see San Fernando Valley. The Eastern Half of The United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. Symbolic history was made in early 2001 when local Internet company America Online bought Time Warner, the world's largest traditional media company, near the end of the dot-com bubble days. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Time Warner Inc ( is the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, headquartered in New York City. The " dot-com bubble " (or sometimes the " IT bubble " was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2001 (with a climax on March 10 After the bubble burst, Northern Virginia office vacancy rates went from 2% in 2000 to 20% in 2002. [14]

After 2002, vacancy rates fell below 10% due to increased defense spending as the War on Terrorism began and the government's continued and increasing reliance on private defense contractors. The War on Terrorism (also known as the War on Terror) is the common term for the military political and legal, and ideological conflict and specifically for U [15]

Culture

Owing to its status as a suburb of Washington, D. C. , Northern Virginia is considered to be more cosmopolitan in its culture than the rest of Virginia. This can be attributed to the movement of people from the rest of the country to the area and its location near Washington D. C, as well as the fact that more urban areas in Virginia tend to have more frequent migration and mixing of cultures.

Northern Virginia's population is ethnically diverse with significant numbers of immigrants. There are large numbers of restaurants, and international food of nearly any type is easy to find. Immigrants have established many shops and many in ethnic centers, such as the Eden Center. Eden Center is a Vietnamese-American shopping center located in Seven Corners Virginia (near Bailey's Crossroads in the city of Falls Church Virginia Some are highly-educated doctors, engineers, diplomats, and other professionals, while others work in construction, landscaping, airport services, restaurants and convenience stores, vendors, taxi drivers, custodial services, and parking garages.

Due to the proximity to the capital, many Northern Virginians go to Washington D. C. for cultural outings and nightlife. The Kennedy Center is a popular place for performances as is Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts near Vienna. The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (on the building itself called the John F Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 14453 at the 2000 census and it has grown by about 3% since Nissan Pavilion (near Manassas), the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, and the Verizon Center in Washington serve as popular concert venues, and the Verizon Center also serves as the home of sporting events. Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge or Nissan Pavilion in Bristow Virginia, is an outdoor live performance Amphitheatre with a 25000 fan capacity the George Mason University (also referred to as GMU or Mason) is a large Public university in the United States. This article refers to the independent city of Fairfax Va For the surrounding unincorporated area of Fairfax County with a Fairfax postal address please see Fairfax County Virginia The Verizon Center (formerly MCI Center until March 5, 2006) is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington D Smithsonian museums also serve as local cultural institutions with easy proximity to Northern Virginia, and the new Udvar-Hazy center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly is popular as well. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in The National Air and Space Museum (NASM of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington D

Tysons Corner Center ("Tysons I") is one of the largest malls in the country and is a hub for shopping in area. Tysons Corner Center, located in the Tysons Corner Unincorporated area in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States (near McLean Tysons Galleria ("Tysons II"), its counterpart across Route 123, carries more high-end stores. Tysons Galleria is an upscale three-level shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties located at 2001 International Drive McLean Virginia, in Tysons Corner Tysons Corner itself is the 12th largest business district in the United States. Tysons Corner is an Unincorporated area in Fairfax County, Virginia, near Washington D Other malls include Springfield Mall, Fair Oaks Mall, the Mall at Manassas, and The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. Fair Oaks Mall is an enclosed Shopping mall just outside the City of Fairfax Virginia. The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, also known as Pentagon City Mall, is an upscale Shopping mall in Arlington Virginia. Dulles Town Center is the region's newest mall, serving the eastern Loudoun County area. Dulles Town Center (DTC is an enclosed Shopping mall in the Dulles area of Loudoun County Virginia. Loudoun County (ˈlaʊdən "LOUD-un" is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Reston Town Center is a high-density mixed-use retail, commercial, and residential development located just off the 267 Toll Road in Reston. The Reston Town Center (RTC is a group of offices stores and Restaurants in Reston, Virginia. Reston is an internationally known Planned community whose goal was to revolutionize post-World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in Potomac Mills, located in Prince William County, is the largest outlet mall in the region. Potomac Mills is a Shopping mall in Woodbridge VA in the Washington D The town of Leesburg, in Loudoun County contains the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets outlet mall. Leesburg is a historic town in and County seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America

Since the mid-1990s, Loudoun County has become known as America's fastest-growing county, having grown by almost 50% from 2000 though 2005. Since the 2000 census, both Loudoun and Fairfax counties are the top large U.S. counties by median household income. There are 3142 counties in the United States. The source of the data is the U Loudoun County has branches of at least five higher education institutions.

Secession

Due to the political and economic differences between Northern Virginia and the rest of the commonwealth, some secessionist sentiments have emerged with those persons wishing that the area could become the separate state of "North Virginia. " Delegate Jeannemarie Devolites (R-35) expressed a common sentiment when she said "The formula for funding school construction in Northern Virginia requires that we pay 500 percent more than the actual cost of a project. We have to pay 500 percent because we give 400 percent away to the rest of the state. " The state government's funding level for transportation projects in Northern Virginia is also a perennial issue that often causes consternation in the region's politicians and citizens.

Secession would require consent from the Virginia General Assembly and the admission of a new state by the U. The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia. S. Congress, neither of which is a practical possibility. Consequently, the idea is a rhetorical one used to express frustration with the treatment of Northern Virginia by the state government as well as the occasional opposing political sentiments between it and the rest of Virginia. Critics of this movement often point out the fact that many supporters of secession fail to realize that all U.S. states include regions of varying income, political, and cultural discrepancies within their borders. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government [16]

Conversely, some citizens in the rest of the state would like to separate from Northern Virginia. [17]

Transportation

Washington Dulles International Airport.
Washington Dulles International Airport.

The area has two major airports, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district of Washington Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D While flights from the older National Airport are restricted for distance, frequency, and flight paths due to the proximity to federal facilities, Dulles is the number five airport in terms of aircraft movement, and also a hub for United Airlines. United Air Lines Inc, trading as United Airlines ( is a major airline of the United States. In recent years it has become a major center for low-cost flights, as it is a major hub for jetBlue, Ted, and others. Ted is one of two Airline divisional brands of United Airlines.

Commuters are served by the Washington Metro subway and the Virginia Railway Express, a commuter railroad. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The Virginia Railway Express (VRE is a commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia area with Washington DC. Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide Common carrier passenger transportation along railway Metro is the second-busiest subway system in the nation; only New York City's subway system carries more passengers. The City of New York The New York City Subway is a Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency A planned expansion project will, if built, extend the system past Dulles Airport. The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, informally dubbed the Silver Line due to its color on maps is a planned extension of the Washington Metro Rapid transit Bus service is provided by WMATA's Metrobus, and many local jurisdictions also provide bus service. Parking lots at metrorail stations fill up very early in the morning, but are gradually being expanded. Virginia Railway Express commuter trains have also seen increased ridership but are plagued by frequent delays for various reasons. The Virginia Railway Express (VRE is a commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia area with Washington DC.

Major highways include interstates 495 (Capital Beltway), 95, 395, and 66; US routes 1, 29, and 50; and local routes Fairfax County Parkway, Prince William Parkway, Virginia Routes 7, 28, 120, 123, 193, 234, 236, 244, 544, 545, and 620, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Franconia-Springfield Parkway. Interstate 495 (abbreviated I-495) is a Freeway -class Interstate highway which circles Washington D Interstate 495 (abbreviated I-495) is a Freeway -class Interstate highway which circles Washington D In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state Interstate 395 (abbreviated I-395) in Virginia is a 13 mile (21 km long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Springfield Virginia Interstate 66 (I-66 is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States. US Route 1 (US 1 is a major north-south US Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. US Route 29 is a north-south United States highway that runs for 1036 miles (1667 km from the western suburbs of Baltimore Maryland, to Pensacola Florida US Route 50 is a major east-west route of the US Highway system, stretching just over 3000 miles (4800 km from Ocean City Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 7100, is a secondary State highway in the U The Prince William Parkway is a road in Prince William County, Virginia. State Route 7 is a major primary State highway and busy commuter route in Northern Virginia, United States. State Route 28 is a primary State highway that traverses the counties of Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Fauquier in the State Route 120 is a primary State highway forming a crescent-shaped route through Arlington County Virginia, United States. State Route 123 is a primary State highway in the US state of Virginia, forming an arc through the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington State Route 193, also known as Georgetown Pike, is a primary State highway in Fairfax County Virginia, United States. State Route 234 is a primary State highway in the US state of Virginia. State Route 236, also known for part of its length as Little River Turnpike, is a primary State highway in the U State Route 244, also known as Columbia Pike, is a primary State highway in the U The George Washington Memorial Parkway known to local motorists simply as the "G The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 7100, is a secondary State highway in the U High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are used for commuters and buses in I-66 and I-95/395. In Transportation engineering and Transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane (or HOV lane) is a lane reserved for Vehicles with (Also see slugging. Slugging, also known as casual carpooling, is the practice of forming ad-hoc informal carpools for purposes of Commuting, essentially a variation of ride-share )

Northern Virginia suffers from severe road congestion. The congestion consistently ranks with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City as one of the worst four areas in the nation. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The City of New York To alleviate gridlock, local governments encourage using Metrorail, HOV, carpooling, slugging, and other forms of mass transportation. In Transportation engineering and Transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane (or HOV lane) is a lane reserved for Vehicles with Slugging, also known as casual carpooling, is the practice of forming ad-hoc informal carpools for purposes of Commuting, essentially a variation of ride-share The conditions are only getting worse, however, as the population skyrockets. The roads are one of the biggest local issues. The current reconstruction of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge near Alexandria on the portion of the Capital Beltway which also carries Interstate 95 into Maryland (250,00–300,000 vehicles daily) will double the traffic lanes at that bottleneck when completed in the fall of 2008. Metaphorically a bottleneck is a section of a route with a carrying capacity substantially below that characterising other sections of the same route Reconstruction of the large Springfield Interchange completed in 2007. The Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95, Interstate 395, and Interstate 495 in Springfield Several public-private partnership proposals to increase capacities of the Beltway and Interstate 95 south of Springfield to be funded through collection of tolls are under consideration by VDOT. A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards The Virginia Department of Transportation ( VDOT) is the government agency responsible for building maintaining and operating

On November 5, 2002, voters rejected a referendum to raise the sales tax to pay for transportation improvements. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services [18] The measure was criticized as a subsidy for developers, who would merely build more houses along the new roads and add to the congestion. [19] In such a highly competitive and expensive region (much like urban California), many workers with families feel they cannot afford suitable homes near their jobs and so commute from more affordable, far outlying counties, which creates severe traffic congestion, as does the limited number and capacity of bridges over the Potomac River (no new bridges have been built since 1965). The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States. Unfortunately, all proposals to add more Potomac bridge crossings (such as near Leesburg or Quantico as part of a long-proposed "outer beltway") are opposed by communities near the suggested bridge sites who want continued peace and quiet, and by Marylanders who fear that new bridges would bring new housing development to "open spaces". Leesburg is a historic town in and County seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America Quantico Virginia lies in Prince William County, north-northeast of Fredericksburg Virginia, United States, near Dumfries and Stafford Furthermore, large-acreage, low-density residential zoning restrictions in parts of Fairfax County such as Great Falls, Dranesville, Clifton and Fairfax Station, also prevent people from living near the highest-density job centers, forcing commuters to leapfrog out to find housing instead in Prince William, Loudoun, and to a lesser extent Stafford, Fauquier, Warren, Clarke, Shenandoah, and Frederick counties in Virginia and Jefferson County, West Virginia and causing worse traffic. Great Falls is a Census-designated place (CDP in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Dranesville is an Unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. Clifton is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Fairfax Station is an Unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia. Prince William County is a county located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Loudoun County (ˈlaʊdən "LOUD-un" is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Jefferson County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Workers from these outlying counties face daily commutes that exceed well over an hour each way.

A jurisdictional restriction that prohibits Virginia-based versus Washington and Maryland-based taxicab companies from picking up passengers on their empty return trips to and from Dulles and Reagan National airports also needlessly adds millions of additional trips to congested roads. A U. S. Army proposal made in 2006 to relocate 18,000 additional employees to Fort Belvoir, which is already choked with traffic and has few public transportation options, is the newest major area of concern to planners. Fort Belvoir is a United States military installation and a Census-designated place (CDP in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States

Education

George Mason University's Center for the Arts.
George Mason University's Center for the Arts. George Mason University (also referred to as GMU or Mason) is a large Public university in the United States.

Fairfax County's public school system includes the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, an award-winning magnet school. Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology ( TJHSST TJ Jefferson) is a public secondary school located in Northern Virginia operated by Fairfax County A magnet school is a School which offers specialized courses or curricula. James W. Robinson, Jr. Secondary School, the second largest public school in the Commonwealth, is also located in Fairfax County.

Although Northern Virginia contains a large portion of the Commonwealth's population, there are only a handful of colleges and universities in the region. The largest and most well-known is George Mason University in Fairfax, the second largest university in Virginia. George Mason University (also referred to as GMU or Mason) is a large Public university in the United States. This article refers to the independent city of Fairfax Va For the surrounding unincorporated area of Fairfax County with a Fairfax postal address please see Fairfax County Virginia Other higher education institutions include Northern Virginia Community College (affectionately known as NOVA) in Annandale (with several branch campuses throughout Northern Virginia), and Marymount University in north Arlington. Annandale is a Census-designated place (CDP in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Marymount University is a coeducational four-year Catholic university whose main campus is located in Arlington Virginia. Arlington can refer to the following Arlington National Cemetery, military cemetery in Virginia Places Canada A relatively new addition to the roster of colleges and universities in the region is the University of Northern Virginia in Manassas, established in 1988. The University of Northern Virginia or UNVA is a for-profit accredited private undergraduate and graduate university located in Northern Virginia. In addition, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech maintain a Center in Falls Church, and George Washington University has a campus in Loudoun County. The University of Virginia (also called UVa, UVA, Mr Jefferson's University, or The University) is a highly selective public research Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech, is a public land grant polytechnic University in The George Washington University ( GW or GWU) is a private coeducational university located in Washington D Richmond's Medical College of Virginia has a satellite campus in Fairfax at the INOVA healthcare system.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
  2. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US51&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-redoLog=false
  3. ^ http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032007/hhinc/new06_000.htm
  4. ^ http://www.co.loudoun.va.us/business/growth_summary_2006/a_11.pdf
  5. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
  6. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1501&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-tree_id=306&-redoLog=true&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=04000US51&-format=&-_lang=en
  7. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1501&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-tree_id=306&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en
  8. ^ Fairfax County, Virginia detailed profile - houses, real estate, agriculture, wages, work, ancestries, and more
  9. ^ Prince William County, Virginia detailed profile - houses, real estate, agriculture, wages, work, ancestries, and more
  10. ^ Loudoun County, Virginia detailed profile - houses, real estate, agriculture, wages, work, ancestries, and more
  11. ^ Arlington County, Virginia detailed profile - houses, real estate, agriculture, wages, work, ancestries, and more
  12. ^ General Election- November 7, 2006
  13. ^ War on Terror a Boon For Virginia
  14. ^ War on Terror a Boon For Virginia
  15. ^ War on Terror a Boon For Virginia
  16. ^ Secession - In Their Own Words - News - Fairfax Station-Clifton - Connection Newspapers
  17. ^ Fredericksburg.com - A solution to Northern Virginia's many problems: Forced secession
  18. ^ Voters Reject Roads Tax (washingtonpost.com)
  19. ^ Northern Virginia Sales Tax Referendum - NoSprawlTax - Vote NO November 5th

External links

The earliest electric railway, or streetcar line in Northern Virginia opened in 1892 The Potomac primary (named after the river which splits the region also called Chesapeake Tuesday, the Beltway primary, and
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