Population: 123,200 Office Market: 15 msf First Settled: 1732 Incorporated: 1779 Became Independant City: ? Land Area: 16 sq miles Distance From DC: 7.9 miles Government: Council/Manager

Founded in 1749 as a port on the Potomac River, Alexandria was already a major city nearly half a century before Washington was imagined. At the time of the Revolution Alexandria was one of the principal trading centers and ports of colonial America. Its political, social, and commercial interests were of great importance to the early country, and to George Washington in particular, whose Mount Vernon is nearby. When the District of Columbia was created in 1789, Alexandria was included in its borders and the city was became known as Alexandria, DC until being ceded back to Virginia in 1847. During the Civil War Alexandria served as the capital of the seven counties in Northern Virginia that remained under Federal Control.

“Second City” of the immediate Washington area, Alexandria still feels more like its own city than a suburb. Many of the large roads and railways in Northern Virginia terminate at Alexandria rather than Washington, and no other suburb in the region is as dense. Peaking at over 45,000 people per square mile, Alexandria is significantly more dense than most inner cities to the south and west. Physically Alexandria deserves significant praise for protecting its historic core while maintaining its importance and designating an equally successful “new downtown” just a short distance away - feats no other historic suburb in the region has successfully accomplished. Old Town is a favorite for local tourism and the art capital of DC, while the King Street / Carlyle district near Metro is burgeoning as a major business and residential center.