Fairfax is a city in the county of Fairfax, in the state of Virginia, and sits approximately 20 minutes from Washington DC. Fairfax was ranked third on Forbes list of the top 25 places to live in the United States. It's population as of July 2000 was estimated at 24,665, marking a 14.3% growth since the last census in April of 2000. The median income per household is $108,448, and the median market value of single family homes was $602,303. Fairfax was first settled in the early 1700s by farmers migrating from Virginia's tidewater region for religious and economic reasons.http://www.fairfaxva.gov/museumvc/history.asp

Several events are held in the city throughout the year. Some events of note include the Chocolate lovers festival which is held in early March, Fairfax Civil War day which is May 1st, the Fall festival which is in mid-October, and the Festival of Lights & carols which is held in the beginning of December.http://www.fairfaxva.gov/residents/Cityscene.asp

Fairfax has been known by several names throughout history. It started as Earp's Corner in the 1700s, and in 1805 it was renamed to the Town of Providence. It remained Providence until 1875 when it was once again re-named, this time to Fairfax.

Fairfax played a noteworthy role in the Civil War. Confederate Captain John Quincy Marr was the first "officer" casualty of war, and was killed at the Fairfax Courthouse on June 1, 1861. Within 18 months the Union army occupied the town, led by Brigadier General Edwin H Stoughton. In March of 1863, Confederate Colonel John S Mosby led a nighttime raid on the town, and captured Stoughton while he was in bed sleeping.

In the early 1900s the Town of Fairfax was a community made up primarily of farms and small estates. Commerce and government existed only in the few blocks surrounding the courthouse. However in the 1950s business began to boom, and the town increased in population by almost 700%. In 1961 the town was once again renamed, but this time it was from the "Town of Fairfax" to the "City of Fairfax". It was then that the city boundaries were set at 6.4 square miles, which is where it stands to this day.http://www.fairfaxva.gov/museumVC/History.asp

The main place of interest in the City of Fairfax is the Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center. Due to the city being in the heart of southern plantation country, and with it's rich history in the American Civil War, the Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center offers a second-to-none tour of the Fairfax past.