Congratulations if you’re moving to Northern Virginia, you’ve chosen one of the world’s most beautiful places.
Arlington County
Arlington County, the second smallest county in the United States occupies just 26 square miles. Separated from Washington D.C. by the Lincoln Memorial Bridge, it is the most urban of Virginia’s counties.
The presence of the Federal Government is considerable, as it employs nearly one-half of the county’s work force. Commercial development is considerable as well. Ballston Metro Center, Pentagon City and Crystal City Underground, a shopping mall and metro complex set below Arlington’s highrises are part of the reason the area is referred to as "Little Manhattan."
Arlington is also home to many military sites, national landmarks and memorials such as Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Kennedy’s Grave site, the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Pentagon.
Arlington is a world-class business location in the country's most influential region and the power capital of the globe -- the Washington metropolitan area. With its superb transportation, communications infrastructure, work force and business climate, Arlington is a powerful address for organizations seeking direct access to Washington, D.C., and the global marketplace.
Arlington has been on the cutting edge of technology since the dawn of the digital revolution. The Internet was born here, at the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and the National Science Foundation. Today, Arlington is at the center of the region known as the "Netplex," as Fortune magazine has dubbed the nation's fastest growing communications hub.
Home to the Pentagon and the dazzling new Ronald Reagan National Airport, visionary Arlington is a prime location for new office construction, build-to-suit opportunities, and major business expansions and relocations.
Arlington is one of America's most diverse, most powerful corporate addresses -- a tourist destination for millions that still maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use. It stands out as one of America's preeminent places for living and business
Fairfax County
Fairfax County is the most populated jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the third largest in the Washington metropolitan area. Rich in colonial history, yet firmly focused towards the 21st century, the county is located in the northeastern corner of the state and was established in 1742 as an agricultural community.
Well known for its Civil War historic sites and George Washington’s home at Mt. Vernon, Fairfax County now offers everything from urban living, with every possible amenity, to gently rolling hills with rural towns dotting the countryside.
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 crossing 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 workers than any other region in the U.S., according to a 1999 study commissioned by the Greater Washington Initiative.
Fairfax County has the largest number of jobs (517,734) and the largest labor force (532,000) in the Washington area. Also, the county has the highest median household income ($90,937) in the U.S.
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 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 National Airports; high-quality commercial real estate; well-maintained and diverse residential communities.
A Thriving International Business Location
Fairfax County is home to:
- approximately 4,000 technology companies --one of the highest concentrations in the United States --employing more than 100,000 people;
- more than 90.5 million square feet of office space -- fifth largest inventory of office space in the U.S.; an educated and skilled labor force numbering more than 532,000 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.
Attractions
Fairfax County’s historical attractions include Woodlawn Plantation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Pope-Leighey House, Sully Plantation, Colvin Run Mill, Mount Vernon -- the home of George Washington -- 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 -- the second largest transatlantic gateway and the third largest East Coast gateway to the Pacific Rim -- 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.
As a new resident of Fairfax County, did you know that . . .
- Fairfax County is the largest County in Virginia; its 1999 population was 946,371 -- making the population larger than that of seven states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming).
- Fairfax County, which covers 399 square miles, has 344,563 households with a median family income of $84,000 as of 1997. The 1999 median market value of a single-family home in Fairfax County is $238,185.
- Fairfax County is governed by a Board of Supervisors composed of 10 members--the Chairman, elected at large, and one member from each of nine Supervisor districts, elected for four-year terms by the voters of the district in which the member resides. The Board of Supervisors appoints a County Executive to administer the County Government. The County Executive serves at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors, carrying out the policies established by the Board.
Fairfax County’s public school system is the largest in Virginia and the 12th largest in the nation. School Board members are elected for four-year terms by Fairfax County voters. Because the School Board doesn’t have the power to tax or incur debt, the local operating costs of the school system are provided from federal and state government funds and by transfers from the County Budget to the schools. Approximately 51 cents of each County tax dollar goes to schools.
- Out of approximately 25,000 counties and cities in the United States, Fairfax County is one of only 24 with three Triple A bond credit ratings--the highest credit ratings possible. This means that the County’s bonds always sell at lower interest rates, saving millions of dollars each time bonds are sold.
- Fairfax County is one of the safest counties of its size in the nation and has fewer police officers per 1,000 residents than any other suburban area. Yet it has one of the highest levels of police service at one of the lowest per capita costs in the D.C. area.
- As of the 1990 Census, Fairfax County ranks number one in the nation in terms of the percentage of workers in executive, administrative and managerial positions and ranks sixth in the United States in its percentage of residents with a college degree.
- Fairfax County has more than 18,000 acres of public parkland and more than 350 parks. The County is the home of Wolf Trap Farm Park, the only national park for the performing arts.
- Tysons Corner, located within the County, contains one of the largest concentrations of retail shopping on the East Coast outside of New York City.
- Fairfax County’s public library is the largest in the southeast United States and one of the busiest in the nation for its size, with 19 branches and a collection of over 2 million items. For a branch near you, call 324-3100, or visit the Library’s Web site at http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/library/.
Crystal City
Crystal City is an award-winning, mixed-use center with as much commercial and residential development as many medium-sized cities. Bordered to the east and south by the Potomac River and Ronald Reagan National Airport, Crystal City enjoys a monumental view of the nation's capital, the Potomac and the Pentagon.
Crystal City's business core of offices, hotels, retail and residential buildings is connected by landscaped parks and an extensive underground shopping and entertainment complex. Its impressive skyline harbors an array of high-tech research and consulting firms serving private sector and government clients.
Alexandria
Alexandria is a great place to visit, live and work. The hometown of George Washington, it still retains the character and charm of an historic port city. In addition, Alexandria is ranked as the fifth best "Big City for Doing Business" in the U.S. and is first in the rankings of the "Best Cities for Women." Alexandria boasts citizens who are noted for their participation in local government and their strong sense of community. Alexandria was recently cited as one of only six cities in the nation to receive the coveted "Innovation Award for Outstanding Community Building" by the National League of Cities. Whether you live, work or visit here, you will love Alexandria.
City of Falls Church
The City's history dates back to the late 1600's when it was an early colonial settlement shared with native Indians. The community grew up around The Falls Church, which was founded in 1734 and whose congregation has included President George Washington and Virginia statesman George Mason. Falls Church slowly grew around the landmark intersection of two historic Virginia roadways, Leesburg Pike and Lee Highway, which originally was an Indian trail leading to the lower Potomac River falls. By 1875 it gained township status.
Falls Church became an independent City in 1948 led by parents determined to improve the quality of local schools. In addition to establishing an excellent independent school system, a responsive council-manager form of government was formed. Citizens are served by their own Police Department, Volunteer Fire Department, water system, public library, Recreation and Parks Division and Public Works Division.
Named an All-America City in 1962, Falls Church has also earned the Tree City USA award for 17 consecutive years from the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Falls Church is an independent city lying just a few miles from the national capital. This proximity has been a major influence on its development, especially over the last century. Falls Church is small in area (now 2.2 square miles) and population (10,377in 2000), but its heritage predates America's colonial era.
As far back as 12,000 years ago, before the English came to Jamestown in 1607, the gently rolling landscape of Falls Church was traversed by Native American hunter-gatherers. As they moved inland from the north and east, they traveled two trails that intersected within the present boundaries of Falls Church. After a series of wars ending in 1677, they left the region and settlers gradually moved in. With each building and landmark that appeared after settlement began, a sentence was added to the narrative of Falls Church's history.
Pentagon City
With as fine a collection of retail stores as the mid-Atlantic has to offer, Pentagon City commands the attention of shoppers from around the region and the world. And it's also a convenient place to live, just across the Potomac from the nation's capital.
Pentagon City's wide variety of residential, office and commercial development includes the world's largest building -- the Pentagon -- and one of the nation's premiere shopping malls. Pentagon City's Fashion Centre is the mall that has it all, with four floors and over 160 stores, restaurants and galleries -- plus a deluxe office building, a top-rated hotel and a direct link to Metrorail.
Rosslyn
Rosslyn is unmatched in the Washington area for image, location and views. Facing the nation's capital with its dramatic corporate skyline, Rosslyn is an Arlington gateway and one of America's leading technology centers. Rosslyn is also a growing cosmopolitan community of 6,000 households, half a million square feet of retail stores and fine restaurants and entertainment.
With its state-of-the-art communications infrastructure and one of the region's largest concentrations of high-quality, high-density office space, Rosslyn offers tremendous opportunities for relocating high-tech firms.
Ballston
Ballston blends business and lifestyle like no other community in the region. Today's Ballston is known for its booming high rises, corporate and association headquarters, high-quality hotels and dynamic retail sector. Served by the westernmost Metro stop on the Ballston-Rosslyn Corridor, Ballston provides access to Interstate 66 and Glebe Road -- Arlington's main north-south artery. Ballston's rapidly growing downtown features a cosmopolitan blend of commercial and residential centers with a variety of entertainment options.
Donnetta Can Help With Your Move
As a real estate professional, Donnetta has made it her duty to know everything she can about relocating to, from or within Northern Virginia. Indeed, she’s widely considered an expert on the subject. Those who have worked with her appreciate knowing the purchase of their new home is in the hands of such a capable and trustworthy professional while they’re wrapping up all the last-minute details of packing and moving out of their previous home.
But Donnetta has also developed a keen insight and understanding of this area simply because she loves it so much, especially when she has the opportunity to share it with others. That’s why she has created this special relocation information package, “The No-Stress, No-Hassle Guide to Relocating to Northern Virginia” for anyone planning a move to the area. It’s just one of the ways Donnetta works to help you feel right at home right from the start. Here are just a few things Donnetta has included to make your relocation as smooth as possible:
Of course there’s no obligation. Donnetta believes in making the real estate and relocation process as easy as possible for everyone involved. To her that means providing information to anyone who wants to find out more about the area she loves so much and knows so well. So, click the "Send Me" button below and order your copy of “The No-Stress, No-Hassle Guide to Relocating to Northern Virginia” today! You’ll be glad you did.
