Alexandria, Virginia

An independent city with a population of 139,966 in 2010. In 2010, 321,490 people lived in the Alexandria postal area which includes the city itself as well as outlying areas in Fairfax County. Europeans first settled the area in 1695. A tobacco warehouse was built here in 1730 by colonial law. In 1746 the inhabitants of the area petitioned for a town to be established here by the Virginia. It was named Alexandria after a local landowner, Philip Alexander II. The town was incorporated in 1779 after Virginia's independence. A portion of the city was ceded to the federal capital in 1791. In 1814 the British captured and looted the town during the War of 1812. In 1846 the area was returned to Virginia. In 1852 the city was re-chartered. In 1870 the city became independent of Alexandria County, which is now Arlington.

The town was captured by the Union in May of 1861 and occupied throughout the war as a measure to protect Washington. When West Virginia seceded from Virginia in 1863, Alexandria became the seat of the pro-Union Restored Government of Virginia. It became a destination for escaped slaves from the South and its African-American population grew during the Civil War. The city is now the site of federal agencies and associated offices including the US Trademark and Patent Office. Much of its population is employees of the federal government and private companies employed by the government.

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